Saint Nicholas, the Miracle Worker, is Russia’s patron saint. He is the patron saint of children, too. When he was alive, he brought gifts to children and to the needy. This story about Saint Nicholas took place in 1942 during World War II.

A mother had to leave the Russian city of Leningrad with her children because the German Nazis had surrounded the city. They went to the country and lived in a little cottage. The mother got sick and couldn’t work, so her little family went hungry.

The youngest daughter began pestering her mother. “Mama, give me a roll,” she begged. “Just one roll,” she sobbed.

The little girl didn’t stop begging. Finally, her mother ran out of patience. An icon of Saint Nicholas stood on a shelf in the icon corner of the cottage. She turned her daughter’s face toward the icon. “Ask Saint Nicholas to send you a roll,” the mother said.

A terrible snowstorm raged for two days and two nights. After it stopped, the mother heard someone knocking at the door. She sent her older daughter to the door. No one was there. There were no footprints in the deep snow. But a big long string of several baked rolls was hanging on the fence!

The girl rushed to her mother. “Mama, dear Mama, something wonderful has happened!’ she shouted.

The entire family rushed to see the miracle. The mother dressed her two girls warmly and sent them to the village to find out who had left the rolls hanging on the fence. But no one in the village knew anything about the rolls. In fact, everyone in the village was hungry, too. No one was capable of giving such a generous gift.

The woman’s gaze fell on the icon of Saint Nicholas. The girls, who had come back from the village, glanced at one another. Suddenly, all together, without saying a word, they came to believe that a miracle had taken place. They just knew that Saint Nicholas, the Miracle Worker, had brought the rolls to them. After all, Saint Nicholas was famous for caring for children and for making miracles happen.

The mother and her children gave thanks to Saint Nicholas. Then, she gave each child a roll, and the children were no longer hungry. The rolls lasted for a long time.