Join us at the campfire for tales from around the world, told by storytellers of all backgrounds and creeds. From the heros and heroines of old, let us relearn and rediscover the wisdom of our ancestors. Shhh..the story begins..
Immediately after the Christ Child was born, a host of angels appeared in the sky, singing the first Christmas carols. There happened to be a group of shepherds herding their sheep out on the side of the hills. The shepherds gazed in wonder upon the heavenly beings who told them about the baby born within a barn in a little town known as Bethlehem. They went on to say that if the shepherds wished to visit the child, then they could easily find the baby by following the new star that had been set in the sky to help people find Bethlehem and the barn where the Christ Child was located.
The very next morning, bright and early, Sylvester, chief of the shepherds, called his son: "Frederick! Your uncles and aunts and I are going into Bethlehem to see the new baby the angels were singing about last night. Would you like to go?"
Of course Frederick wanted to go. He was nine years old and had never been to Bethlehem. Not only would he get to go to town for the first time, but he would also be able to visit with the new baby...the son of God. Frederick was very excited.
When he had reached the age of nine, Frederick had been considered old enough to help his father and uncles tend to the sheep. He had been given his own staff...a long pole with a crook or a curve on one end. Such staffs were good for hooking a sheep who might go astray. Sometimes, the shepherd's staff was even better. It could be used to smack an old wolf on the side the head in order to get his attention, particularly when the wolf was thinking about having a sheep for supper. Frederick was proud of his shepherd's staff, but marveled at that of his father. It was so big that Frederick could barely lift it off the ground. Sylvester's staff was the chief shepherd's staff, and it was covered all over with all manner of carved pictures. The staff had been in Frederick's family for a very, very long time.
When Frederick had been a tiny baby, his Grandmother had taken some sheep's wool and made him a baby lamb doll. For as far back as Frederick could remember, he had slept with the baby lamb doll and eaten his meals with the baby lamb doll right beside him. He even carried the doll with him everywhere he went and loved that baby lamb doll above all his possessions. Frederick called her "Lauren Leigh."
Now that Frederick had reached the age of nine, however, the older children had begun to tease him about carrying a doll all the time, and he had taken to hiding Lauren Leigh beneath his shepherd's clothes. Frederick decided that if he were old enough to go to town and old enough to see the baby Jesus, then he was certainly old enough to leave his baby lamb doll home on this occasion. He hugged Lauren Leigh and placed her under his bed covers. Standing very tall, Frederick puffed out his chest, donned his new cloak, and sauntered out the door with his father and family, bound for Bethlehem.
They had not travelled more than a hundred yards, however, when Frederick stopped and said: "Father, I left something at home which I need. I am going to run back and fetch it but will catch up with you soon." And with that, Frederick ran back home to fetch Lauren Leigh, hiding her beneath his cloak before running to catch up with his family. Frederick stopped sauntering along and merely trod quietly behind the adults.
When they entered Bethlehem, Frederick had never seen so many people. The barn was filled with well-wishers and gift-givers and a long line of folk outside just waiting to get in. Frederick was almost broken-hearted. They would never be able to see the baby Jesus! But Frederick forgot that his father was the chief of all the shepherds and when the crowd spotted Sylvester, they called, "Come on, Sylvester, bring your boy and come into the barn."
Once inside, Frederick climbed up on a high pile of hay in order that he could see everything. He saw the sleeping baby Jesus and could not believe his eyes. The slumbering Christ Child, laying in a horse's trough with only hay...even though it were fresh hay...under him to serve as a mattress!
"Oh my," murmured Frederick, "I remember mama saying that once, when I was a baby and we were visiting, I slept a few nights in a wooden box that was used to feed the sheep...just like baby Jesus is doing now. What an exciting day this is! I am in town for the first time and I am seeing the baby son of God!" Frederick hugged himself with delight.
Then, Frederick noticed that the whole barn full of people had become very quiet and were moving silently to one side. Turning, Frederick looked toward the door and watched three men walk into the bard. He stared at their clothes and remembered the stories his mama had told him about Kings and how they would dress. He never thought he would ever see a King, but judging by their fine clothes, the three newcomers surely must be royalty.
The Kings went over to baby Jesus and the first of them, whose voice was commanding and deep, said: "I bring a gift of gold to the Christ Child, the symbol of a King." Frederick thought it a rather foolish gift...what would a little baby do with gold?
The second king stepped forward and with the same type of king-like voice said: "I bring the gift of Myrrh, the symbol of the healer, as my gift to the Christ Child." Frederick didn't think that was much of a gift either. His mama sometimes cooked with Myrrh. What use would a baby have for such a bitter herb?
Then, the third king said: "I bring the gift of Frankincense, symbol of the priest, as my gift to the Christ child." Frederick wrinkled his nose, muttering: "That's incense, that's what that is and it smells bad! Kings may dress in finery, but they surely don't know very much about gift-giving!" The only time Frederick had ever smelled Frankincense was when it was being burned at a funeral. He could not believe anyone would consider it a suitable gift for a baby!
Frederick sadly shook his head and thought how silly Kings were. He watched other gifts being given...nothing that a baby might want. Then he saw Sylvester, his very own father, walk over to where the Christ Child was sleeping and lay down his huge shepherd's staff that Frederick could barely lift...as a gift to the baby Jesus! It was at that point that Frederick realized that sometimes adults do very foolish things. And, as Frederick thought about all the gifts that had been given, none of which were in the least bit useful to a baby, he suddenly remembered that, hidden under his cloak, was the perfect gift for a newborn child!
Frederick hesitated. He was far from sure that he wanted to give up his precious Lauren Leigh! He even looked out of the barn window and watched a small flock of birds perching on a tree, but it did no good. All Frederick could think about was how the Jesus had been born in a dirty old barn, receiving only gifts that a baby certainly could not use!
Frederick knew that the if baby Jesus was going to receive a gift that was at all useful, then he, Frederick, would have to be the one to do it. Climbing down from the pile of hay, Frederick squeezed between the adults until he reached the manger. Frederick wrinkled his nose again. The horse's feeding box wasn't even well-built...no mattress, just straw. What a thing it was for baby Jesus...the Son of Heaven...the Christ Child...to have to sleep in a pathetic manger in a lowly barn!
Frederick looked down upon the baby Jesus, sound asleep, and reached beneath his cloak. With a sigh, he pulled out Lauren Leigh...his baby lamb doll that Grandma Geneva had fashioned from sheep's wool. Frederick held up Lauren Leigh and whispered into her ear how much he loved her...and how the baby Jesus would love her too. He also told Lauren Leigh how much he would miss her, but that she now had to take care of a new baby, just like she had taken care of Frederick when Frederick had been very small.
Frederick gave Lauren Leigh a big hug and just as he placed her in the manger, the baby Jesus woke up. Seeing the baby lamb doll above him, the Christ Child begin to giggle and reached tiny hands into the air in order to grab Lauren Leigh. The baby Jesus hugged the lamb doll close to his little chest and snuggled up to her. Then, closing his eyes, he went back to sleep with a joyful smile upon his face.
It is said that three miracles occurred that night. The first was when the baby Jesus saw Lauren Leigh and laughed for the first time. That was when Blind Jack, the donkey who had carried Mary on her journey to Bethlehem, was given sight and able to see. Second, there was an old weed growing all through the Roman Empire which, for the first time, blossomed into a beautiful red flower that night. Every year after that, the old weed blossomed the same red bloom during the Christmas Season and people began calling it "The Christmas Flower." (It is known today as the Poinsettia.)
The third miracle was perhaps the best of all. It was the gift of speech bestowed upon the animals. Mrs. Cow turned, looked out of the window, and spoke to the same flock of birds in the tree that Frederick had been watching earlier. She told the birds how, out of an act of love, the first Christmas gift had been given to the Christ Child by Frederick, a young shepherd boy. The birds and Mrs. Cow found they could talk to each other, and Mrs. Cow told the birds everything. In return, the birds told Mrs. Cow about how they had heard the angels singing and how they had watched Frederick get up that morning and make his way to Bethlehem...and every year since then, on Christmas Eve, all the animals are once again given the gift of speech.
Novareinna welcomes all tale-travelers to Penumbra, her beautiful site/sight of stories and poetry and design.
A section has been added to Penumbra entitled "Rainbow Bridge," dedicated to the memory of our beloved animal companions. It features various pieces of work, whose words, it is hoped, will bring solace and comfort to those who have lost a dear little furry (or feathered or scaled...etc.) one.
It contains an area known as "BlueBird Bower" where a memorial may be placed by anyone upon request in the name of their departed pet (no species refused).
Just click on "RainBow Bridge" on the home page to access the area in question.
