St. Nicolas And The Pickled Boys

For St. Nicolas Day, one of the more incredible to believe wonders attributed to him by folk tradition.   Here's a summary of this section of Benjamin Britten's Cantata, St. Nicolas:

The choir sings of approaching travelers struggling along a wintry road seeking food in the city. Three women call for their missing boys, "Timothy, Mark, and John are gone." Upon reaching the inn, the travelers order a meal and invite Nicolas to join them. But Nicolas suddenly warns them not to touch the meat, for it is the flesh of the missing boys who have been killed by the butcher and pickled in salt. Before the eyes of the travelers, Nicolas calls the three boys back to life. They enter hand-in-hand, singing, "Alleluia." The choir joins them in praising God for the miracle.

I never was involved in a performance of the piece but I'll bet any child who was would remember this even if they forgot every other note and word of it.