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Marie Jackson retells the Christmas story from a new angle.

It was cold that winter. Ben, the littlest shepherd, kept me warm by the fire at night. During the day I liked to play in the field, running around and butting the older sheep, but at night I liked to snuggle against Ben.

Ben was trying very hard to stay awake. He knew that the men would be angry if they came back and found that he had let the fire die. He talked to me about the stars and the sky; and especially about the bright, bright star that had travelled across the sky for months, and now was hanging right over our heads.

I looked up at it. It lit up the hillside as if it was daytime. I could see every sheep in the field lying with their heads turned up towards the star.

Suddenly the brilliant silver of the sky turned to a warm glowing gold. Had I fallen asleep until sunrise? But no, it was not the sun. I could see glowing golden figures filling the sky, their wings like tongues of flame.

Ben was afraid. He threw himself to the ground and covered his face. I nudged him gently and then butted him a little harder. Could he not tell that these were God’s angels? He put his arm around my neck and then slowly sat up. A soft, musical voice filled the air.

‘Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
Today, in the town of David,
a Saviour has been born to you.
He is Christ the Lord.’

Ben sat on the cold ground looking in awe at the shining figure. ‘Sh… Shouldn’t you be telling somebody important?’ He stammered at last. The angel smiled at him and said ‘This will be the sign, You will find the Baby Wrapped in swaddling clothes And lying in a manger.’ Then thousands of voices filled the air. ‘Glory to God, Glory to God.’ As I looked at Ben I saw tears on his cheeks.

‘A little Baby! And sleeping in a manger! How uncomfortable will he be? Even a shepherd’s child has a soft fleece to lie on.’

He looked at me and then at the fleece that we shared. I stood up and butted him until he picked it up and threw it over his shoulder. Then he strode off towards the fields.

‘I must tell my father what we have seen.’ But as he climbed the hill we met the rest of the shepherds rushing down.

‘We must find the Baby.’ ‘The angels told us…’ They chattered over one another. Ben’s father took his arm and walked with him towards the town.

‘But what about the sheep? How can we leave them for the wolves?’ Ben worried. His father smiled.

‘’Just this once we will trust God to take care of the sheep. After all he did send his angels to fetch us.’

My legs were getting very tired, but I was determined to follow them. Then as I felt I could not walk any further, Ben reached down and picked me up. He put me across his neck as he had seen the older shepherds do and carried me down the road into town.

‘Where should we look for this child?’ asked one of the others.

‘I think I know,’ said Ben. ‘There is an old stable at the back of the inn. More of a cave really, but the innkeeper keeps his stores in there, and his own animals. There is a manger there. Sometimes I used to hide in there, when I didn’t want to help at home.’ He looked guilty but his father just laughed.

‘And so did we all, in our time, lad. Come on let’s go.’ Soon we reached the entrance to the stable. We could smell sweet, fresh hay even before we got there. Ben’s father pushed him forward, and he peeped around the door.

‘I… I… I hope you don’t mind.’ He stammered, ‘We… We’ve come to see the Baby. The angels told us to come! Us! Shepherds!’

Then he pushed the door open further and we all went in. There was the Baby, as the angel had said, lying in the manger. There too were the child’s mother and father. They looked tired, as if they had travelled a long way. The mother had that look that ewes get when they have had a lamb; exhausted, but glowing with pride.

She lifted the Baby out of the manger and held him so that we could see him. The shepherds fell to their knees and praised God.

I was still lying around Ben’s neck. I struggled a bit, just enough to remind him that I was there and he let me down. I walked over to the Baby and knelt as I had seen the shepherds do. The shepherds whispered, but the angel had appeared to me as well!

Then Ben offered his fleece for the Baby. ‘It’s a good one.’ He said shyly. ‘It will keep him warm’ The Baby’s mother took it from him as if he was a king.

‘Thank you, from us all’ she said with tears pouring silently down her cheeks. I nuzzled her hand and she laughed.

‘It looks like you’ve made a friend.’ chuckled Ben’s father. ‘Would you let him stay here, with you, as long as you are here?’ ‘I would be proud’ she smiled.

I turned and looked at Ben. He was looking happy and sad at the same time. I nuzzled his hand, as if to say ‘I’ll be with you by the fire soon.’

Then I walked over to the manger and took up my place, to worship the Son of God as the angels had said. As the shepherds crept quietly back to the fields, I thought that I heard the voices of the angels again. ‘Glory to God in the highest And peace to God’s creatures on Earth.’

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