Three Wishes : A Christmas Story.
(Book)

A beautifully told and illustrated Santa Claus origin story. A young boy is herding his family's reindeer when they are drawn into a mysterious cave. The cave is the holder of eternal summer, looked after by three strange characters. Once entered, the cave cannot be left without time in the outside world standing still. In his sadness at not being able to leave, the boy is granted three wishes and chooses freedom, happiness, and time. After the first year of working hard in the summer cave, the boy is allowed to see his family in the outside world. Time stands still as he visits his parents, and he leaves gifts behind to show that he has visited. As the years go by, this annual visit continues and he begins to call on more and more families....