Christmas Elve Number Eight...Skyrgamur...Skyr-gobbler

Skyrgamur......skyr-gobbler arrived today and made a straight line for the dairy, where he found a barrels of skyr* He gobbles down all the skyr and is rewarded with stomach aches and pains. He is heard far and near, as he cries out “I should not have eaten all the skyr”.

*Skyr is a dairy product similar to yogurt that has been an stable part of the Icelandic diet for more than 1,100 years.
Whole Foods imports Skyr from Iceland's Skyr.is. I am very happy about that...it is nice to have one of my favorite foods from Iceland in my refrigerator here in the States.

This is the true story I promised to tell you.
When I was twelve years old we lived next door to my Aunt and Uncle's house. One of my little cousins was a four years old boy, who had a way of testing ones patience. One evening just before Christmas he came over to our house for a visit. My Mother and I were baking cookies and my father was wrapping presents. He was getting in every ones way, snatching a cookie here, playing with the tape, getting hold of the scissors and asking questions over and over.
Finally our patience wore thin so we used the Christmas Cat threat, which started with us saying “The Christmas Cat will get you if you are not good” and ending by knocking on any handy wooden surface, while he was not looking and saying “That is the Christmas Cat, he is trying to get you”
Why we did all the knocking still amuses me. Did we think the Christmas Cat was so polite, that he would knock? My little cousin told us that there was no Christmas Cat and that we were just teasing him. Finally my Mother had enough and asked me to take my cousin back to his house.
When we opened the door there was a new fallen snow and coming from around the corner of our house right up to the door were cat prints. The little cousin screamed in terror, grabbed my leg and tried to pull me away from the door. Finally after soothing him and hearing promises from him to be good, he agreed that I could carry him back to his house.
Some time ago, when I was in Iceland, he told me how grateful he was that I had saved him from the Christmas Cat, when he was a little boy.

This year I will be giving away one of the little Jolasveinar (Christmas Elf).  I will be drawing a name from the comments.  All the names for each day will be added to the hat...so that if you comment each day your changes will be greater. Only one comment per post..please.
The Jolasveinn (Christmas Elf) that has the most comments will be the prize.  If there is an equal number of comments on each post, there will be a drawing for the giveaway Jolasveinn (Christmas Elf).
There is also one small rule...I would like to have a least ten comments on each post :)
The drawing will be on January 7th, 2009. Good Luck.

Comments

[Lucille]

My favorite!

[Jill]

Is skyr like kefir?

I loved your Christmas Cat story!

Browniesmoke

[Deirdra Doan]

This little Nissa is darling...and what a cute story!!!

[marilee pittman]

I think I like this one the best. I am keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that he finds his way to my house.....

[Rebecca]

We were so excited when Whole Foods started carrying skyr. I made it myself one year but it's a lot of work. There is another brand they carry now called Siggi's which is made in New York state, have you tried it yet? He uses natural sweeteners, we kind of like it.

Skyrgámur looks like he hasn't gotten a bellyache yet...maybe there wasn't much skyr left for him! :)

[Nessa]

I loved your story. I have a similar one I may tell.

[Gail Lackey]

Oh Mo'a..I have been trying to comment for days.. I think the gremlins have stopped me and I can't get through..I'm tearing my hair.. and miss "P" tearing my hair also!! Make her stop!!
Hugs, Gail

[Sandra Evertson]

This series is really wonderful! Love the tiny little Santa below!
Sandra Evertson

[Alette Siri Ane]

What lovely felt nisser you have here !

[Alice]

Mo'a ...your elves are fascinating and ever so wonderful! What wonderful expressions and character each one has. Your attention to detail is amazing! You hold a great talent Ms. Mo'a!

[Anne]

Another enjoyable story - I am learning so much about history and customs - love it.

[Bella McBride]

Great story! I'm just in awe of your wonderful Christmas Elves! They are simply fantastic!

[Sharon @ norah'S]

What a wonderful story! Is he still bad I wonder. And that little gobbler has to cheeks to prove his ways.

[Marilyn Radzat]

Wonderul, Mo'a !!! Your precious art and story telling give me a gift of a smile and that magic touch of love that warms me on this chilly morning.
Thank you, Mo'a

[BrittArnhild]

Great story Mo'a.

I still remember the first time I tasted skyr, more than 20 years ago. I didn't like it very much :-)

[shashi.]

As kids we have such vivid imagination isn't it lol!

[Binna]

Your cousin was a clever little boy knowing very well that cats are silent beings, but there is something magical about footprints.

Give me fife buckets of Skýr and I will be as full and happy as the nice Skyrgámur!

Skyr Gobbler, the eighth,
was an awful stupid bloke.
He lambasted the skyr tub
till the lid on it broke.

Then he stood there gobbling
- his greed was well known -
until, about to burst,
he would bleat, howl and groan.

(Jóhannes úr Kötlum, translated by Hallberg Hallmundsson)

[Fran]

Skyr-gobbler looks like he enjoyed the Skyr except for the tummy ache.

We have Whole Foods here, I will have to get some Skyr and try it.

Love the story about your cousin and the Christmas cat. :-)
Hugs
Fran