What I've Learned

For many years in the Alpine region of Europe, Santa had a sidekick named Krampus, a horrible monster, who would snatch up naughty children, put them in a sack, take them to hell, and eat them.

It was a tradition in many villages and towns that on December 5, young men would dress up as Krampus monsters and roam about with rusty chains and bells, attempting to scare the naughtiness out of children.

The Germans and Austrians are by no means the only people who have attempted to terrify the young into behaving well.

American poet, James Whitcomb Riley, wrote a poem called "The Little Orphan Annie," which contains the warning, "the goblins will get ya if ya don't watch out!"

When Riley's father was away fighting the Civil War, his mother took in a 12-year-old orphan named Mary Alice "Allie" Smith, who became the inspiration for the poem. The actual name of the poem was Little Orphan Allie, but a typesetter made a mistake and changed the name to Annie during printing.

The poem has a verse about a boy who wouldn't say his prayers and was taken by goblins.

Another verse tells of a girl who was rude to her family and relatives. "Once when there was company and old folks was there, she mocked them and she shocked them and said, she didn't care."

Goblins show up.

"They snatched her through the ceiling fore she knew what she's about . . ."

The poem finishes with this admonition: "You better mind your parents and your teachers fond and dear, and cherish them that loves ya, and dry the orphans' tears and help the poor and needy ones that cluster all about, or the goblins will get ya if ya don't watch out!"

Threats of Krampus and goblins are one thing. The tactic used by a book from Great Britain published in 1814 is quite another.

"Lessons for Children from Three to Four Years Old" contains a story that begins, "There was a naughty boy; I do not know what his name was, but it was not Charles, nor George, nor Arthur, for these are all very pretty names: but there was a robin came to his window one very cold morning. . . "

The boy would not feed the robin and was cruel to it so that it died. From there, things begin to go wrong for the boy.

"Now a little while after, the naughty boy's papa and mamma went away and left him, and then he could get no victuals at all, for you know he could not take care of himself."

It gets worse.

"He went about to everybody – Pray give me something to eat, I am very hungry. And everybody said, No, we shall give you none, for we do not love cruel, naughty boys."

The boy gets lost in the woods, where he pays dearly for his naughtiness.

"I believe the bears came and ate him up in the wood, for I never heard anything about him afterwards."

How charming. Who would tell such a horrible story to a 3 or 4-year-old? Krampus and goblins and bears. Oh, my!