A little story of mine coming up to the Christmas period. I hope you like it.....Mike.
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It was a
quiet evening on Christmas Eve in the
farmyard barn and all the animals together with the birds of the air were
restless. As they began to settle down
for the night, the old Barn Owl began
a quiet conversation with the others.
“Hoo, hoo” she called "who is God's favourite?" “Me,
me” answered the Peacock as he
spread his beautiful tail feathers “Why
of course it is I” he proudly boasted.
“I am the most beautiful creature
on God’s good earth” as he strutted up and down the barn.
“Beautiful indeed” called
out the mother hen, “and haven’t you ever
looked down at your feet?” With
that, the peacock deflated his beautiful tail feathers and bowed his head. He already knew the answer. He had heard the story before that when God
discovered that the first peacock was committing the sin of pride, God turned
his feet inwards as punishment.
“Hoo, hoo then?” again
asked the barn owl. A tiny voice
answered “It could be me” the Goldcrested Wren tried to raise his
voice.
“After all, I am the King of All Birds.
I tricked the great Eagle by hiding in his feathers and when he had
reached as high as he could fly, I flew twelve feet higher. I was crowned King and have the mark of a
king on my forehead”. “True, true” came
a chorus from some of the animals and all of the birds. The barn owl interrupted. “Is it
not also true” she asked “that it was
you who betrayed Jesus in the garden by whistling and whistling until the
soldiers came and found Him where you were calling. We all know what happened then. They took Him away and we all know the
result of your twittering”.
The next to speak was the Robin Redbreast. “It
was I who tried to wipe the blood from His wounds when He was nailed to the
Cross. For that He gave me my red
breast. I think it might be me?”
The sheep
began to baa in unison. “We were there when He was born in the
stable and gave our wool for His swaddling clothes and as bedding in the
manger, He loved us and even called Himself the Good Shepherd as our
reward. We stand a good chance”.
One of the old cows began to moo. “You were not the only ones
there, when His Mother Mary was tired, we gave milk to feed Him”.
The
conversation began to get noisier as each and every animal present made their
point until the din became quite loud.
“Shush” called the barn owl, “or you will have the farmer wondering
what is going on. I notice that you” indicating
the Donkey “have little to say, what is your story?” the owl asked.
“I may not be beautiful like most of you, nor
give fine wool or milk” the donkey spoke gently. “I was not there when He was
on the Cross, but yes, I think that Jesus would still call me his best friend”. A riotous chorus erupted. “Why”
said the horse “you look nothing like a proper horse.
You are small. You are smelly
and as for moving fast – I have seen a snail move faster”.
“Another thing” the goat called out “whenever Jesus was seen with you, people used to call out “Here comes
the one with the long hair and his little ass”. All began to laugh at the little donkey
until the barn owl scolded them. “Let him have his say” she demanded.
The
donkey sighed, and slowly continued “You
see I was the one who carried Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem when she was
almost ready to give birth. I never
complained once. It was I who gave the
warmth and heat in the stable before the shepherds and sheep arrived. It was I who carried them into the desert
when the soldiers were searching for Him and killing all the babies. I saved him you know”. As he paused, there was not a sound
from the other animals and birds.
“It was I who carried Him through the streets
in triumph the week before He was killed – that was a great day and no one
dared call me names”. He stopped and looked
around in silence.
“Well then” sneered the fox who had
sneaked into the barn through a gap in the side, “What reward did He give you?”
“I never asked for one” the
donkey proudly answered, “I did
everything I was supposed to do without complaint. Of course I would like to have been more
clever, more beautiful, much faster and less smelly, but that was not to
be. He did however give me something to
be proud of. You see this cross upon
my back” he turned sideways. “That is there to remind everyone and in
particular myself that I was the friend of Jesus and no one can ever take that
away from me”.
“Hoo, hoo, who else?” asked
the Barn Owl …But there was absolute silence……..
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