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about the author |
When Nicholas was just a teen, both of his parents died. Alone in the world, he decided to join the monastery of his uncle. Before he did so, Nicholas gave away his great wealth. You may know the famous story of Nicholas throwing money into the window of three young women whose family could not afford to have them get married. Most likely this happened about that time. Nicholas sought a quiet life in the monastery, but first he took a trip to the Holy Land. It was on his return that he became a ‘boy bishop’, a term used for many celebrations in centuries to come.
Ships had always been part of Nicholas’ life. As a small boy in Patara, he watched merchant ships gracefully come and go in the harbor. Now he stood aboard one bound also for Patara. After months in the Holy Land, Nicholas was coming home, back to the monastery, to begin his adult life of prayer and solitude.
The trip had been uneventful, but now ominous clouds began to gather on the horizon.
“I don’t like the looks of this,” the captain said, and started shouting order to the sailors to ready the ship for the worst.
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