On a gloomy autumn morning in Valea Veche, a dog named Ursu appeared at the cemetery, staring silently at a wooden cross. The townspeople believed he was mourning Moș Gheorghe, the kindly old man known as “Santa Claus,” who had died days earlier. Ursu never left the grave, barely eating and keeping a constant vigil, stirring sympathy and curiosity.

Maria, the schoolteacher, noticed Ursu digging near the grave day after day, his efforts growing desperate and fierce. People thought he was trying to reach his master beneath the soil. Worried, Maria brought Deputy Tudor Lupu to inspect, who found the grave disturbed and smelled something unusual. They agreed the coffin needed to be opened.

When exhumed, the coffin revealed a stranger’s body, not Gheorghe’s. The gravedigger swore he had buried the old man, sparking confusion and suspicion. At Gheorghe’s house, signs of struggle and blood were found, but no trace of the real Santa Claus. Ursu’s digging had uncovered a hidden crime.

Weeks later, Gheorghe’s body was found in the woods, confirming murder and a cover-up. Ursu hadn’t mourned but guarded the truth, becoming a local legend. He continued to watch over Gheorghe’s real grave quietly, while the town honored the dog who solved the mystery.