Kris Learns to Share

Santa Claus represents the spirit of selfless giving—but was he always this way? In this book, Kris is a rosy-cheeked, blond Sami boy, living with his family among the reindeer herders of Lapland: “He was a nice enough boy except for one thing: his heart had an icy spot in it....He cared for no one but himself.” After Kris’ family gives him a beautiful reindeer named Hopea (“silver” in Finnish) and an elegant sleigh, he loves to ride it across the taiga, but refuses to give anyone else a ride. One arctic winter night, he meets a beautiful girl who’s lost and alone—and, in that moment, Kris’ heart melts. He sends the girl home with Hopea and the sleigh, and faces the dangers of the dark wilderness by himself. As in so many parables about kindness to strangers, Kris’ generosity is paid back many times: The girl, whose name is Lumi (“snow” in Finnish), comes back with her father, the elf king, to rescue him. Kris and Lumi fall in love, and now they’re known the world over as Mr. and Mrs. Kringle.