Since he knew hitting a tree, was a logger like his father and was the father of his father and father's father's father.
As far as memory can go back in time in Borenchensko, there is a woodcutter from father to son. As the Romanov tsars are all for generations, the Borenchensko cut down trees and sell the city the wood they have split.
Thus did Vladimir and never complained, despite the loneliness, despite the long winters, despite the wolves or accidents. Instead, Vladimir went through every morning, to stand and power from his ax on his shoulder, fell a hundred.
That day, before sunrise, Vladimir had to go to the next town. Finally, "close" is an image. At over 60 miles, it took at least one day of Troika to get there, provided that the time is not bad. But it was two days, a snowstorm Vladimir nailed on the spot. For two long days, Vladimir was waiting for a lull, but nothing, no sign of appeasement loomed. Quite the contrary, the wind forces, the intensified cold and snow, flake after flake, covered everything.
Chapter 2: Delivery
Now Vladimir was no going back, and despite the raging elements, he had made his decision: he would deliver his woods at dawn. If the gods were with him he might happen the night before in the right city Pouglanosk, otherwise he must wait in the cold and darkness that the return date.
Pushing further his departure would put the woodcutter and late for a man like Vladimir death was preferable to a delay.
The logs were deemed Vladimir beyond the steppe into the big city where the citizens are scrambling to buy at the price of gold which he brought a few logs, once a year at the end of festival 'year. They said their logs, they were the only ones that certainly burned all night and they still gave the flames at awakening children. By custom, a log off the morning heralded a bad year. Vladimir was the messenger of the coming year. So he had no right to be late, only death could excuse a delay.
And death lurked, Vladimir knew. It had already hit hard. She had stolen his sweet Natasha, leaving him with seven orphans. A rotten bridge, a plank that had yielded had sufficed for the triumph of death.
Before leaving, Vladimir observed the last time her children. They were huddled against each other in the single litter of the household. Their presence warmed his heart and in each he found some of his Natasha. He often wondered what would happen if he, too, had disappeared.
Vladimir stopped thinking. This was no time to lose heart, food was scarce. He had to go to town to deliver quickly and make new provisions. Some may be risks. In a week he would give anything to eat his children. The night, which caused even his black coat on trees, do not fear him any more than the cold. Wolves? Of course the wolves, but by this time, even the wolves were hiding in the shelter. Finally, death does not strike twice. With Natasha, she must be sated. She let him alone, he had said to reassure and give courage.
Chapter 3: The start
Vladimir shook his huge white beard that covered his chest, a few crumbs of bread fell on the ground. His huge hand grabbed the bottle of vodka. Slowly, Vladimir savored the warmth of the alcohol gently slipped into her body. When he put the empty bottle, his cheeks and nose veered to pink. A broad smile of satisfaction found beautiful white teeth made for eating and laughing. Vladimir drove his big wool hat over his ears, hiding his thick hair immaculate as the first snow. It struck the ground with his feet and wrapped himself in his heavy red coat.
All loggers Area have the same red coat. In case of disaster, it is easier to find a red stain in the middle of the white desert. Vladimir looked the last time her children. He would have liked to kiss them. But in the region, they say that it is unlucky to exchange a "bye".
With a pang, Vladimir handed a stick of wood in the fireplace and walked toward the entrance. He tried to open the door of his hut. In the blink of an eye, a thick layer of snow blew into the small house. Vladimir pushed on the door and extricate itself from the inside, pushed the door and walked painfully to the team. No need to lock the entrance, the snow will do it. To his children, he had nothing to fear. Despite their young age, he knew they fear to tread only on the taiga. And even if a wanderer forced the door into this lost place in the world, that he needed more help he had ill intentions.
The glow of his lantern on the storm drew trees, heavy with snow, the figure of Vladimir, a small, compact, with a stoutness that betrayed the pleasure of eating.
A final sugar followed by a pat to each of his six reindeer, which constituted his team prepared the animals for the journey. A final check of the harness, then Vladimir animals harnessed to the troika in charge of logs, ready for a week already. Then he jumped in the front seat and a simple click of the tongue, had shaken the convoy. The night blind listened in silence the merry clatter of sleigh bells.
The wind howled across the tundra, reindeer struggled but advanced. The logger back on his face his fur hat and slowly gave way with a half-sleep. The animals knew the way. " Vladimir, in his dream, saw logs with a thousand sparks blaze in the hearth of the citizens of the city and this vision internally warmed the snow man, now fully covered.
Chapter 4: The meeting
Suddenly, the deer stopped. The bells were silent. Even the wind had dropped. Vladimir awoke instantly, he shook himself and, before him, offered a spectacular sight; about fifty yards in circumference, there was a tree, the ground was wet, muddy and even stranger there was not a single flake of snow on this disc perfect.
A cloud of steam was still in place, as if someone had just put a big iron on this part of the forest. Vladimir listened, but nothing is filtered, not even the howling wind. He stayed two or three minutes and, without moving.
During those interminable minutes, Vladimir felt there was something lying across him. A few yards away, a being in distress needed him. Vladimir knew. The solitude of wide open spaces developed senses do not deceive. Perhaps this creature was suffering it invisible? Perhaps had she need help?
A second, Vladimir would recede. But his instinct told him to stay. Then he made a first step towards the circle, then another. Now he walked with a firm step towards the "thing" that he knew before him. He stumbled against something invisible, his hands brushed the edges of the thing. It was great, very loud, a little hot in places ...
Vladimir found himself on the floor, while his exploration, he had not noticed a small mound on the ground. This time he did more attention and saw that the snowflakes began to fall again stopped short and seemed to float in the air as they covered a volume smaller, which would be out of the thing.
It was enough for Vladimir. He went to his troika withdraw the bearskin which covered his head. He also took his huge red coat which protected from the cold and put both on the thing. Then he began to walk, to walk in describing a wide circle around the imaginary. Now, it revolved around a sort of dome covered with a layer of at least ten centimeters of snow.
Do not stop walking, keep moving until the end, until exhaustion. Vladimir knew too well what that would mean for him and the other a break. If Vladimir stops, even if the other miraculously awoke without Vladimir, in this cold, it would have no chance to survive. Vladimir was good to take abroad, be there when he woke up.
The wind is so strong, it's almost hot now, Vladimir is colder, the snow that sweeps into his mouth the taste of the soup as he was preparing Natasha. Vladimir collapsed in the snow, he looked once more toward the "thing". He seemed to see his red cloak, as if the snow that covered him had melted. He closed his eyes, and then a genuine warmth enveloped. Vladimir had the impression of floating in the air, but he did not see Natasha.
When the woodcutter awoke, he had come to the city. Already some citizens approached Troika to choose their logs, before other customers n'affluent. In the scuffle, nobody noticed that no snowflake not covered or Vladimir or his reindeer, or even his troika. Nobody was surprised not more than the outstanding quality of logs, as if they had dried for years ...
Chapter 5: traveler
Balt looked away Troika he had wrapped in a protective shell of air. His savior and arrive at their destination safely. The first to approach this man would burst the bubble and Vladimir wake up as if nothing had happened.
Yes, Balt had violated its code of honor. He would never have had to intervene in the life of a race other than his own. Yet, without this man would be more Balt.
While reviving Vladimir, he had the opportunity to learn about the creatures that inhabited this hostile planet. The few minutes needed to care Vladimir out of the coma he had been enlightening. He believed now know enough about world civilization and its degree of development to hasten his departure.
Balt thought now that the blackout had forced him to crash-land and without the intervention of a "human" would have killed him. He owed his life to be an original and never forget. Despite his erudition infallible Balt was nailed to the ground and had to wait another few hours that his spaceship repairs itself. The cold again to freeze again. He had to quickly find a source of heat, a place to shelter, otherwise it would eventually die without having been frozen out its mission.
"But how can we live in such places?" Wondered Balt.
Chapter 6: The Sanctuary
Her eyes explored the neighborhood a few miles, he finally locate at the edge of the forest, the cottage of Vladimir. On the snow, not plunged, and suddenly a figure identical to that of Vladimir emerged overnight. The code Balt denied him the right to show other civilizations. Also, he and his ship were they remained invisible to Vladimir, but this miracle exhausted people of his race. For the time he had to pass on Earth, Balt decided to copy the figure of Vladimir.
It was thus his savior, one of the greatest honors that a traveler can make a host, take his physical appearance.
Moreover by this means Balt could, without violating the "Code" is to show other people. Balt went towards the hut, he hoped to find not only shelter but also the means to pay his debt.
The cold was too intense, Balt should hurry. He transformed a mini-spaceship relief troika and, without thinking, took off. The sled seemed to be pulled by reindeer exceeded the height of the tallest trees and flew towards the hut that had marked Balt.
During the trip, Balt thought of his family, his friends who had become frozen pending his return. That made six revolutions of the sun that had gone more than six thousand years for us and he still had not found the source of light, the spark of life that could rekindle the sun.
When he left the Balt galaxy, only a ruddy orb dispense just enough light to fuel breeder reactors freezing. His planet that once inundated with flowers, was now a block of ice. Another revolution, and his star extinguished forever, breeder reactors disconnect and with them any hope of awakening to his family and the last of his race.
This mechanical problem which caused him to lose valuable time, very annoyed, but the cold that pierced his new body gave him no respite.
Despite the unimaginable extent of his knowledge, Balt could not know everything and even if he had stolen a quantity of valuable information to Vladimir at its resuscitation, he could not yet guess. Balt doubted when he left his logical decision for him.
Balt then put his ship on the roof of the house of Vladimir, thinking that was where he had stored the troika. The source of heat smoked up the chimney seemed to indicate, from the sky, the only possible entry.
Chapter 7: Children
Pressed to warm up, the hapless traveler did not notice. He stuck his head in duct, nearly choking because of the smoke and fell headfirst into the duct. It was found, covered with soot, the posterior in the embers, to swing in all directions trying to escape from this uncomfortable position. The uproar caused by his awkwardness awoke the seven children who were crammed into the same bed. When they saw that they took to their father covered with soot, they made the party and helped him recover. After dusting, they settled at the table and gave him to eat as they did every time Vladimir was returning from a day's work.
Thinking to use this planet and not to offend children, the traveler ate everything we gave him. Although surprised by the appetite of their unusual father children out what was left and laid a new bottle of vodka on the table. Balt mistrust purpose without any alcohol offered to him. He fell on the table, dead drunk. The children thought their father had returned because of the storm and had caught cold. So they slept in their Balt single bed and they watched over him for several days without eating. The passenger, a meal, and in his ignorance had swallowed the reserves that would normally lasted one week for this poor family.
When Balt finally awoke, he was lying on a bed surrounded by seven sickly body that served as his cover. If it was hot, the children cons shivering in their sleep. He got out of bed without waking them up and put his hand on the forehead of each. It did not take long to understand why the guests were too frail. They did not have much to eat and he Balt travelers unwittingly, had sunk their last reserves.
Balt went where it was entered. A few minutes later, he returned to the house through the chimney, because for him now was out there that we entered a house. It spread on the table heaps of food and fills the trough of white bread. He had to make several trips, but the result was beyond the wildest dreams would have been able to do its involuntary guests. The house was crumbling under the provisions. Balt was there to rest when he finally received the message he wanted. His ship informed him that the fault was repaired and he could resume his quest.
The traveler wanted to do more, but it was already too late. He was preparing to resume his quest when his right leg was shattered by a little shake.
Chapter 8: The discovery
Our visitor who thought he had tied his pants to a splinter pulled and pulled and finally turned to see the youngest of seven children give her a smile as he had never seen. Balt did not want to provoke this fragile child too deep a sleep that could be fatal. But suddenly, the child woke up too early. Moved by the boy's smile, Balt stood for a moment to contemplate the child who turned around the table like a wisp.
Whenever the visitor's eye crossed the little one, he seemed to see the inaccessible. In his eyes shone a ray of joy, a spark of life that exceeded, by its purity, all light sources that had been given previously contemplated. At that moment, the visitor wept. He knew he had found what he sought for centuries: the spark of joy that shone in the eyes of a child worth all sources of light in the universe.
From a tender gesture, he gained the light and gently placed in a box he always kept on him for when he finally found his "Light".
The box began to glow with a thousand lights. We saw in the room as daylight, so that the other six brothers, one by one awoke. By discovering their tables covered with food, their hearts were filled with immense joy. They offered to our friends, the best gift we can receive from a child: a spark of happiness.
Our friends knew, that night, how he would save his civilization. He collected one after the other the glow of happiness and children flew in his troika with seven pairs of sparks of naivete, seven pairs of Stars of Happiness. He returned to his ship and returned home to revive his sun almost extinct.
Chapter 9: The Santa Claus
Despite the speed of his vessel, Balt began six months before we arrived home. It took him six more to return the following year, the same day one year apart to make a new harvest. Its sunlight needed spark of life, and he now knew where to find them.
Of course, over the years Balt could have changed in appearance, leaving the troika for more modern vessel, or remain invisible, but for Balt, the less he had to do to thank her savior was to maintain the physical appearance of Vladimir.
Therefore, each time they return to Earth, Balt always takes the appearance of a woodcutter in cold regions.
So since this meeting every year on Christmas Eve visitor that we called the "Father Christmas", tabled before each fireplace for a gift for children.
In exchange, he reaps the spark of happiness that only the children who still believe in Santa Claus can deliver. They are those who will be in heaven, the most beautiful stars. Then he returns to his world and sow those sparks of life in the sun and space.
Besides, if you look closely, the day after Christmas, you'll see that the sky shines stronger. Because Balt, "Santa Claus" made a good crop. If by chance you see a star that shines most is a little sad because it means that a child no longer believes in Santa Christmas and has already lost a little taste at the Paradise.
Well, now you know all about Santa Claus, why he has a white beard, a red coat, a big belly, why he entered the chimney rather than through the door and why he brings us gifts.
So please, ladies and gentlemen Parents! Stop telling your kids that Santa does not exist. The world needs their happiness to illuminate the galaxy Balt and many others.
And you, child, when you receive your gifts, have a thought for Vladimir and Balt, marvel.
Island of St. Martin - the southernmost point in Bangladesh, and for tourists it is an attractive one. fishing boats and bamboo hut ... 
The main problem in these regions - the Muslim refugees who have fled Burma during the persecutions. In 1991, about 250 thousands of Muslims from border areas have fled to Bangladesh to escape the pogroms. So far, we gain among the displaced persons of Bangladeshi fellow Muslims. Their campsites now and then glimpses of the road. Refugees are not allowed to leave temporary shelters and to engage in any activity. 250 thousand "displaced persons" - is impressive. But by local standards a small figure. After all, during the "events of 1971, after the East Pakistan (Bangladesh) declared its independence from the West, 3 million people were killed and 10 million have fled to India. 
Passing flow rather short, we leave the river Naaf. On the left, in the Burmese coast, are seen the gilded spire, sparkling in the sun against the backdrop of green hills. 48 kilometers separating from Teknaf on. St. Martin, overcome for 3 hours. Shalanda anchor. Up the coast - a dozen meters, but we are not "Marines" to go to the bank with full kit on his chest in water. To our ship in a hurry local "boats". This fragile lodchonki with young gondolier, standing on the stern. Oar fixed at the side risers, and a boy-man at the helm excrete them intricate movements, like kneaded dough. As a result, the canoe is moving in a straight line, just in time for our wherry. Smuggle ashore "for so "- so called in Bangladesh, the local currency. It is very cheap, in terms of - 3 U.S. cents. 
