In Basque Country woods, many years ago, a very pretty fairy was living. The fairy had blond long hair and such a brilliant eyes. Like all fairies, she always took care of all the people and she was always accompanied by some creatures called Prakagorri (red trousers) that they helped her in all her work.
One day, the fairy was travelling trough the mountains while she was combing her hair in a fountain Prakagorri told her that something was moving in the brackens. The leprechauns shouted to keep the attention of the fairy and she got surprised about the fact why anybody could leave there, they found a human baby. For that reason, the fairy told to the baby: “Your name will be Olentzero, because it is a great thing that we have found you. And for this act I will give you the presents of Strength, Courage and Love for the time you live”.
The fairy caught the baby and took to an old house in the limit of the wood where there lived a couple without any sons or daughters. Therefore, the fairy that knew that they were going to be very happy if they receive the baby, the fairy put him in front of their door for them to found it.
So early, in the morning, when the man woke up to milk the cows he found the baby and he running shouted and he showed him to his wife, so happy to have received that baby quickly they covered with a blanket, they give him food and they took him like their son. Since that moment, Olentzero grew up in the woods and he became in a strong, kind and healthy man that he never got worried about how he was find by his parents.
Olentzero worked all days of the year making coal and helping his father. However, the inevitability happened and the people who had been his parents died and Olentzero staid alone in his house, getting older with the pass of the years.
Over the time Olentzero was getting sadden and he noticed that what he needed was help people that they needed it. He remembered that in the town there was a house where there live the children who didn’t have parents, they lived from what the people of the town gave to them, those children were so solitaries like me, Olentzero thought, so he tried to do something to make them feel happier.
Olentzero was so skilful making thing with his hands he arrange to make some toys for the boys and some dolls for the girls with the idea of giving them the toys when he goes to the town to sell coal. When he finished making dolls and toys, he put them all in a bag, he put the bag in a donkey with the coal, and he went to the town so happy thinking what was he going to do.
Olentzero gave the toys to the children and they were very happy, he was playing with them all the day and telling them stories that he had learnt from his father when he was a child. Since that, moment children loved Olentzero and they did not feel so lonely like before. Olentzero was very well recognising in the town and every day while he arrived to the town to have his coal sold, all the children always surrounded him.
This happened for many years since that a strong storm happened in the town, wood and mountains, which it destroyed a lot of things. The thunderclaps, thunderbolts, and cold, left the people of the town very scared and specially, children. One day, Olentzero was walking to the town, when suddenly a thunderbolt fell into a house. He approached and saw some children very scared and asking for help in the house that it was on fire. He covered the children with a blanket to keep them safe from the fire and he put them out of the house though a window. While he was trying to go out from the house, a balk fell down in Olentzero and his heart stopped. When the people knew that, they cried because they could not do anything.
In that moment they were surprised by a brilliant light that came off from the house. While anyone knew what was happening into the house, into it, the fairy that had found Olentzero in the wood many years ago appeared, she called him by his name with her sweetie voice. The fairy told to Olentzero: “Olentzero, you have been a good man, full of fealty and good heart. You have dedicated all your live doing things for save other people, and you have given your own live to save other people live. Therefore, I don’t want you to die. I want you to live forever. Since now, you are going to make toys and other presents for all the children that don’t have parents in all Basque Country”, when Prakagorries hear this, they said that they were going to help him.
Since that moment that happened. In middle of winter, at the end of every year, Olentzero goes around all the towns from Basque Country giving out toys to children that haven’t got parents neither grandparents that cane give them any presents. The children of all towns celebrate the arriving of Olentzero singing songs and searching messages of love.
Many people do not believe in Olentzero but in the other hand, other people believe that among Basque people exist all that have a name and we really wanted to exist.
Nowadays, the story of the Olentzero is still alive in the Basque Country. The Olentzero, who loves eating, every night, 24 December gatecrash by the fireplace. His clothes and his job can change depends of the place where you believe in him. In some places, people say that he is a charcoal maker, in another places they say that he has red eyes and in another one people say that he has black face because of the charcoal. In some towns of the Basque Country is typical to represent the Olentzero with a marionette of wicker and cloth that kids from the town get from the houses where they ask for the Christmas tip. In Larraun, people put next to the fireplace a doll of the Olentzero with a cap and a sickle until de cock mass, like a symbol of prosperity and good luck. The evening of December 24 is usual to have a parade with the Olentzero and music.
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