ÐnA | Family Affairs

Sir Elton 'wedding' takes place

Sir Elton John and David Furnish's civil partnership ceremony has taken place at the Guildhall in Windsor.
Source: BBC News

The Legend of St. Nicholas and the Gold
Retold by Dave Lindstedt

Once upon a time, in a northern Mediterranean town, there lived a husband and wife who became successful merchants. Their shop in the town square bustled with activity. But even though their business was quite profitable, they were heartbroken because they were unable to have any children. As time passed, they prayed that God would give them a child to brighten their later years. At last a son was born. They named him Nicholas and they lavished on him their love.

As Nicholas grew, he spent his afternoons scurrying around the shop with his parents. In the evening, he liked to sit at his father's desk and watch as his father counted the day's proceeds. Always, before he began, Nicholas's father would drop a gold coin into each of three small cloth bags on a corner of the desk.

"This is for tomorrow, Nicholas," he would say, "so you'll always have soup with your bread."

While Nicholas was still a young man, both his parents died. He was able to live comfortably on his inheritance, so he tucked the three bags of gold away "for tomorrow," and as the years passed he forgot about them.

WORLD CUP 2006: Whatever the draw, Brazil is the favorite to win
Source
LONDON -- From Argentina to Angola, England to Ecuador, the 32 contenders for the World Cup title all dream of winning the game's biggest prize.

Realistically, it looks like a one-horse race.

As the coaches descend on Leipzig, Germany, wondering who they'll get in the draw on Dec. 9, they have one other major concern: How do you stop Brazil?

The United States is back for the fifth time in a row and hoping to improve on its quarterfinal finish in 2002. Argentina, Italy, France and host Germany are among the leading candidates to reach the final, and the English believe they have their best team since they won the title 39 years ago.

But they all have an eye on the defending champions, who arguably will bring the strongest Brazilian national team ever to the 2006 World Cup. Carlos Alberto Parreira's team is a favorite to win a sixth title no matter who it draws in its group.