Intercultural story from Finland

It was late February. Days were getting longer again after the
polar nights, a long dark season during winter. Liisa and Matti
travelled to Lapland for their winter holiday. When they finally
arrived at their little cottage they decided to go to the sauna
straight away, and then from the sauna they went snow swimming,
many times again and again. After their sauna Liisa and Matti
went to visit an old Sami man who lived in a teepee near their
cottage.
The old man said to Liisa:
Its a shame that some people dont believe that Santa Claus
really exists.
Matti laughed his head off, but Liisa wanted to believe. So Liisa
left Samis teepee and went looking for Santa to prove to the
whole world that he existed. Suddenly she found herself standing
in front of a huge door which seemed to head straight into a
mountain. Liisa felt exited and little scared. Then she knocked on
the door. First nothing happened, but after a while the door opened
very slowly

And behind the door, Liisa met a weird character. He had

a long beard, was dressed completely in green and was wearing a
hat with a little spherical bell. He looked like a sprite. Behind him,
she could see the sprite village. They were all busy making toys or
packing small and large gifts.
Liisa, having greeted him, asked if he knew where Santa Claus
could be. She explained to him that she wanted to meet him to
prove his existence to the whole world. The sprite told her that he
was a friend of Santa Claus and that all the people of the village
were making gifts that Santa Claus would pick up and distribute
next Christmas. Also he explained that his friend was very tired
and he had moved to a sunny place to rest. Only one of the Snow
fairies knew exactly where he was.
You have to go to the Snow fairys house, said the sprite to
Liisa. But to go to her home, you have to climb to the top of the
enchanted mountain.

Which is the way to the enchanted mountain? asked Liisa.

Dont you know? asked the sprite. The mountain is towards the
light, from where the sun rises.
I see. Ill follow the sunrise. I have time to rest. Liisa sighed.
Liisa returned to the little cottage to relax after such an exciting
day.
Early in the morning the girl woke up and left for the enchanted
mountain. Reaching the foot of the mountain she was amazed by
the colours of the flowers and the light gleaming on the stones.
Each flower was opening its petals as if it was smiling at her. The
shiny stones were genuine sapphires, emeralds and rubies. Even
the birds were twittering as if wishing her Welcome!
The girl climbed the mountain so easily that it seemed to her she
was flying. So she reached the top in no time and saw the house of
the Snow fairy. She knocked at the door

And the half open door creaked as it was opened further.

Liisa saw a woman standing in the room. She was wearing a pure
white silk dress that seemed as if it was a reflection of snow itself.
The little girl, who was enchanted with the atmosphere and music
in the room, was startled by the words of the fairy.
I was waiting for you, she said.
Then the fairy, without talking, held out a globe to Liisa which
had a figure of Santa Claus and snowflakes inside it. Whilst
watching the movement of snowflakes, Liisa found herself on the
white endless expanse on the top of Taurus mountains. She didnt
know what to do, but luckily her feet looked as if they were
showing her the way. After she started to climb down the
mountains, she passed through some extremely green, orange
scented trees and found herself in a church in Antalya, Demre. She
looked around inquisitively. A statue of a man, who had a bag
hanging from his shoulder and down his back and had children
smiling with happiness around him, caught Liisas eye. Quickly
she started to follow the trail that might lead to Santa Claus.

The road was becoming more and more beautiful and it was
getting colder and colder, when she arrived at a huge house. There
was a lot of ice around its door. It was frozen. Liisa attempted to
open it, but couldnt. So she went back along the path, but
suddenly she heard loud shouts, Warhh! Warhh! Liisa was so
scared, but she bravely went on. Suddenly a dragon appeared. It
tried to bite her but she said: "Lag-Patug-Amect", which were the
words her father had told Liisa before he died. Magically the
dragon was paralyzed and obeyed everything Liisa said. Carefully
Liisa climbed up onto the dragon and ordered: Take me to the
house! Then, when they got there, the mouth of the dragon
emitted a huge breath of fire and the ice melted. Slowly the door
opened and there was Santa Claus tied to a chair with a rope. Liisa
took it off and shrieked ....

Oh noSanta Claus is seized!

Lisa couldnt believe her eyes, Santa was held to a chair. Then he told Lisa
that one of his elves had kidnapped him, just because he wanted to be
adored more than Santa. Meanwhile the elf had gone to Serra da Estrela
(Mountain Range of the Star) in Portugal for a few days of sleeping.
After freeing Santa, Liisa left and went to meet Matii and Sami, and she
told them that she needed help to look for the elf that had kidnapped Santa
Claus. She knew that he was in Serra da Estrela. There they went, in a
wooden boat, pushed only by the waves. After a few days, they landed on
Miramar beach (next to Porto), and they took a taxi to Serra da Estrela. It
was summer in Portugal, and they were not ready for such high
temperatures, but then they felt a breeze coming from a valley next to a
little river called Mondeguinho, where a Shepherd was walking with his
sheep. Liisa and sami asked the Shepherd if he could give them three
sheep to lead them to the mountain. As the shepherd was a nice man, he
accepted. So there they went, through the valley to the mountain. It was a
hard walk!
When they got to the top of the mountain, there was the elf with the bag
full of gifts from Santa Claus. The elf realized that Santa had been found.
Then he told Liisa, Matti and Samii that he was very sorry for his
behaviour and that he really loved all the children of the world, and that he
had only kidnapped Santa Claus because he also wanted to be loved the
way Santa was.
Meanwhile in Lapland the spell was broken and the dragon escaped. In a
blink of an eye he arrived in Serra da Estrela and took the elf to

A place brimming with magic, both good and evil. The frightened elf
looked around at the huge white castle with an enchanted lake nearby and
watched nervously as two more dragons circled overhead. Quivering in
fear, certain that his punishment for kidnapping santa was to be eaten by
ferocious dragons, the elf fell to his knees and begged,
Oh please dont kill me! I have learnt my lesson and I never meant any
harm to come to Santa.
Unfortunately his pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears as at that moment six
huge knights marched across the drawbridge from the keep and roughly
seized his arms before dragging him into the Great Hall. As the elf peered
up from under the brim of his hat, he saw a man wearing a golden jewelled
crown, sitting at a round table.
The King looked curiously at the small man dressed all in green, before
asking, What manner of man are you? Knight or minstrel?
N-no your Majesty. I am neither. I am an elf, he whispered.
Stand and pay your respects to King Arthur, you worthless elf,
commanded the nearest knight.
The elf gasped in shock. What on earth had happened? Could he really
have been transported back hundreds of years? He was in fact in the
mystical realm of Camelot!
We have heard you work in a magical land. Merlin, our sorcerer, is away
at the moment and we have an important battle soon. King Arthur has lost
his mighty sword Excalibur. Can you help us find it? asked the dragon
that had snatched him.
The elf scratched his head. Just as he was scared that he would be thrown
into the dungeon forever, he remembered the unusual sword he had found
in an abandoned workshop. Nervously, he pulled it from his toy sack and
laid it on the round table.
Everyone gasped with delight. Your magic is strong, they exclaimed.
Suddenly there was a flash of blinding light and a strange old man with a
long white beard and flowing robes appeared in the room it was Merlin.
He promised the elf a reward.
Please let Santa forgive me and can I go back to being a simple elf who
works in Santas workshop? asked the elf.
Merlin waved his hands and blue dust sparkled in the air. The elfs wish
came true and of course Liisa proved Santa Claus really existed.