Hide the Nisses

The tree was decked with flags and hearts. The music was playing in a foreign tongue. The aroma of goro still hung in the air. Yes, the mood was set for another Norwegian Christmas.

"Where are they?" Noah asked. "I wanna play."

We opened the Julekisten – our Christmas chest of all things Norwegian. Stuck in its corner under great-great grandma's aprons, the Julekisten held wooden figures carved and painted into three nisses – one Norwegian "Santa" each for Isaac, Aaron and Noah.

Noah insisted on going first. I went to the bedroom to tidy up until he called: "Ready!"

I searched high and low through out our home's living areas. One stood in an open cupboard amidst the canned goods. Another was hidden – all but its hat – in a magazine rack; The third lay deep in the Christmas tree behind the straw ornaments next to the platypus.

"My turn," I told Noah.


He hid
away in his
bedroom

while I took
my time to
carefully

"Hide the Nisses!"