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Mahfu pulled another swatch of hay from the
generous stack behind the stable and resumed chewing on the best meal
he had eaten in several days.
He looked down at his worn, chipped hooves and recalled the
rocks and sand that had covered the long way from Nazareth
to Bethlehem. His aching back and near empty belly reminded
him of the heavy burden he had carried and the sparse grazing along
the way. The woman whom he had carried now
rested.
Now that the
night was quiet and stars twinkled above, he could begin a peaceful
rest. Finally, quiet! Travelers
along the road had set up their own family camps, and now they crowded
the streets and houses throughout the city. He
had heard complaints and anger about having to make such a rough
journey just to register for some government tax.
Hoping he could
soon settle down for a long sleep, he heard a clamor of voices and
smelled the tall hump-back beasts as the strangers approached the
small stable. “How rude! Can’t
they see we are trying to sleep?” Mahfu thought to himself.
Earlier another
group of men had disturbed the weary family. They
had exclaimed about singing beings in the sky and a special baby they
must find in the city. A few of the
shepherds remained camped around the stable.
Now, even more
company crowded into the humble shed where the young couple hovered
over a new-born child. Mahfu
was thankful that the animals he had known showed a little more
respect for newborns. Sheep and cows with
their young would avoid large groups.
They would stand afar and nurture their tiny ones for days
without so much attention.
As the hump-back
beasts came closer to Mahfu, he saw their
dazzling saddles and trappings of fine wealth. The
beasts were also weary from traveling farther than Mahfu could begin to imagine. They
were strange-looking creatures, indeed.
The little
family and all their guests seemed spellbound by a fascination with
the little baby boy. Mahfu
asked himself, “Why are they kneeling and lowering their heads? Haven’t they ever seen a poor family with a new
baby before? Was this baby someone special?”
Just then a
young boy touched Mahfu on his back. The boy rubbed along the sore ridges and ran his
fingers through the course mane that flowed down the donkey’s neck.
“I know you are
very tired, little donkey. You
have finished a long journey, a very important journey. More important than you can understand.”
“See that tiny
baby over there? He’s someone very special. My father says Heavenly angels said when that
baby becomes a man, he will bring peace to the whole world. And the royal visitors came from another country
just to find this special baby. They said a
bright star directed them here.”
The little
shepherd filled a bowl with cool water and offered it to the weary Mahfu. “Here is water
for you. Later, I will watch over you and
make sure you have a warm place to sleep and fresh straw in the
morning.”
As Mahfu cautiously watched the boy’s movements, he
wondered, “Why would a child pay attention to me? Most
people animals don’t care much for a braying, humble donkey. Why so special now?”
As the stars
noted the late hour, a bright glow seemed to shine from the stable. A soothing quiet settled over all the beings. The hump-back ones folded their legs and lay
down to sleep. The people animals bowed
their heads and seemed to be asleep, too. What
a wondrous sight!
His belly full, Mahfu also folded his legs and lay down for a
long sleep. But, in Mahfu’s weary heart, he pondered the boy’s words,
“He will bring peace to the whole world.” Then
Mahfu understood that the special burden he
had carried for days was, indeed, someone very special. Suddenly, he realized it hadn’t been a burden at
all. It was a gift!
Barbara Jean Tuggle Kendrick
JeanKen@SBCGlobal.net
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