Some days ago – The disadvantages of trying to always tell your children the truth about everything
Her: Daddy why is Santa Claus so called?
Him: Well, you know Saint Nicolas?
Her (impatiently): Yes.
Him: You know in Dutch he’s called Sinterklaas.
Her (more impatiently): Yes.
Him: Well when Dutch people moved to America, all the other Americans liked the sound of Sinterklaas but they couldn’t say it properly so they called him Santa Claus.
Her: So Santa Claus is really Saint Nicolas.
Him: Yes.
Her: And he’s a saint?
Him: Yes.
Her: What did he do?
Him: Saint Nicholas Myra, Saint Nicholas of Bari, pawnbrokers, balls down the chimney etc. etc.
Her: But this was all a long time ago?
Him: Yes, yes.
Her (to me): Is Santa Claus dead then?
Me: No, no, absolutely not.
Her: He came back from the dead then?
Me (rashly): Yes, yes, absolutely.
Her: But I thought Jesus was the only person who came back from the dead.
Me: And Santa Claus.
This evening – showing promise for a future legal career.
Her: Why does no one ever see Santa Claus?
Me: Because that’s the rule.
Her: If we went to a different judge, could we change the rule?