The image captured the hearts of thousands of people when it was shared on social networking sites.

 

Zeke Walters had fallen asleep as he waited in line to see St Nicholas but instead of getting the little one's parents to wake him up, Santa Claus said he would pretend to be asleep himself and posed for a picture of the pair snoozing.

 

Zeke's parents Donnie and Kelli took their son to have his first pictures taken with Santa in the Eastland Mall in Evansville, Indiana.

 

Donnie told MailOnline: 'While we were waiting in line he decided¹ it was time to take a nap. Just as we were getting ready to get out of line a lady behind us told us that the Santa took very good sleeping baby pictures.

 

'At that point the Santa walked up to us and ask us to keep him asleep and ask my wife to lay him across to side.

 

'I can't say enough about how nice and kind the Santa was and how thrilled we were with the outcome of the picture.'

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