Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Walking with Superman: Day 146

There are parts of Europe where, stories say, Santa doesn't travel alone. His visits are accompanied by the Krampus, a horned demon who carries a basket that he uses to take naughty children to Hell. Of course, the Krampus is just a legend, a boogeyman used to frighten children into obeying the rules. It exists only in statues and pictures and the people who dress in Krampus costumes for European Christmas celebrations. So when Jim Morrison, curator of the museum at the National Christmas Center in Paradise, PA, knocked over a two hundred-year-old covered wooden basket, decorated with images of the Krampus, his concern was only about damaging a priceless artifact. He was naturally shocked when the Krampus emerged, ready to begin once more its annual quest of punishment. It might not yet be Christmas, but he's got a lot of lost time to make up, and there are still so many naughty children for his basket. It's up to Superman to end this fiend's yuletide rampage before the children of Paradise are condemned to spend their Noel in Hell!

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