One of the oldest stories tells of the
townspeople of Myra celebrating the good saint on the eve of St.
Nicholas' feast day. A band of Arab pirates from Crete had come into the
district. They stole treasures from the Church of Saint Nicholas to take
away as booty. As they were leaving town, they snatched a young boy,
Basilios, to make into a slave. The emir, or ruler, selected Basilios to
be his personal cupbearer, as not knowing the language, Basilios would
not understand what the king said to those around him. So, for the next
year Basilios waited on the king, bringing his wine in a beautiful
golden cup.
For Basilios' parents, devastated at the loss of their only
child, the year passed slowly, filled with grief. As the next St.
Nicholas' feast day approached, Basilios' mother would not join in the
festivity, as it was now a day of tragedy. However, she was persuaded to
have a simple observance at home-with quiet prayers for Basilios'
safekeeping. Meanwhile, as Basilios was fulfilling his tasks serving the
emir, he was suddenly whisked up and away. St. Nicholas appeared to the
terrified boy, blessed him, and set him down at his home back in Myra.
Imagine the joy and wonderment when Basilios amazingly appeared before
his parents, still holding the king's golden cup. This is the first
story told of St. Nicholas protecting children—which became his primary
role in the West.
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