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Speaker 1: The Star by Florence M. Kingsley. Once upon a time,

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in a country far away from here, there lived a

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little girl named Ruth. Ruth's home was not at all

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like our houses, for she lived in a little tower

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on top of the great stone wall that surrounded the

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town of Bethlehem. Ruth's father was the hotel keeper. The

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Bible says the innkeeper. This inn was not at all

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like our hotels either. There was a great open yard,

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which was called the courtyard. All about this yard were

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little rooms, and each traveler who came to the hotel

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rented one. The inn stood near the great stone wall

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of the city, so that as Ruth stood one night

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looking out of the tower window, she looked directly into

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the courtyard. It was truly a strange sight that met

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her eyes. So many people were coming to the inn,

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for the king had made a law that every man

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should come back to the city where his father used

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to live, to be counted and to pay his taxes.

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Some of the people came on the backs of camels,

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with great rolls of bedding and their dishes for cooking

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upon the back of the beast. Some of them came

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on little donkeys, and on their backs, too, were the

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bedding and the dishes. Some of the people came walking slowly,

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they were so tired. Many miles some of them had come.

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As Ruth looked down into the courtyard, she saw the

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camels being led to their places by their masters. She

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heard the snap of the whips. She saw the sparks

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shoot up from the fires that were kindled in the

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courtyard where each person was preparing his own supper. She

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heard the cries of the tired, hungry little children. Presently,

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her mother, who was cooking supper, came over to the

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window and said, Ruthie, thou shalt hide in the house

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until all those people are gone. Dost thou understand? Yes,

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my mother, said the child, and she left the window

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to follow her mother back to the stove, limping painfully,

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for little Ruth was a cripple. Her mother stooped suddenly

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and caught the child in her arms. My poor little lamb,

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it was a mule's kick, just six years ago that

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hershiell pore back and made you lame. Never mind, my mother,

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My back does not ache to day, And lately, when

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the light of the strange new star shone down upon

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my bed, my back is felt so much stronger, and

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I have felt so happy, as though I could climb

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upon the rays of the star, and up up into

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the sky and above the stars. Her mother shook her

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head sadly, thou art not likely to climb much now

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or ever. But come, the supper is ready. Let us

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go to find your father. I wonder what keeps him.

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They found the father standing at the gate of the courtyard,

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talking to a man and woman who had just arrived.

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The man was tall, with a long beard, and he

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led by a rope, a snow white mule, on which

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sat the drooping figure of the woman. As Ruth and

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her mother came near, they heard the father say, but

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I tell thee that there is no more room than

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thee inn. Hast thou no friends? Where thou canst go

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to spend the night? The man shook his head, No none,

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he answered, I care not for myself but my poor wife.

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Little Ruth pulled at her mother's dress. Mother, the oxen

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sleep out under the stars these warm nights, and the

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straw and the caves is clean and warm. I have

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made a bed there for my little lamb. Ruth's mother

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bowed before the tall man thou didst hear the child?

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It is as she says, The straw is clean and warm.

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The tall man bowed his head, We shall be very

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glad to stay. And he helped the sweet faced woman

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down from the donkey's back and led her away to

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the cave stable, while the little Ruth and her mother

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hurried up the stairs that they might send a bowl

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of porridge to the sweet faced woman, and a sup

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of new milk as well. That night, when little Ruth

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lay down on her bed, the rays of the beautiful

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new stars shone through the window, more brightly than before.

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They seemed to soothe the tired, aching shoulders. She fell

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asleep and dreamed that the beautiful bright star burst, and

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out of it came countless angels who sang in the

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night glory to God, in the highest peace on earth,

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good will to men. And then it was morning, and

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her mother was bending over her and saying, awake, awake,

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little Ruth, Mother has something to tell thee. Then, as

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the eyes opened slowly, the angels came in the night,

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little one, and left a baby to lay beside your

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little white lamb in the manger. That afternoon, Ruth went

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with her mother to the fountain. The mother turned aside

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to talk to the other women of the town about

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the strange things heard and seen the night before, but

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Ruth went on and sat down by the edge of

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the fountain. The child was not frightened. Her strangers came

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often to the well, but never had she seen men

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who looked like the three who now came towards her.

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The first one, a tall man with a long white beard,

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came close to Ruth and said, Corince, tell us, child,

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where is born he that is called the king of

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the Jews? I know of no king. She answered that

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last night, while the star was shining, the angels brought

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a baby to lie beside my white lamb in the manger.

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The stranger bowed his head. That must be he. Wilt

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thou ShoWest away to him my child? So Ruth ran

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and her mother led the three men to the cave,

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and when they saw the child, they rejoiced with exceeding

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great joy, and opening their gifts, they presented unto him

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gold and frankincense and myrrh with wonderful jewels, so that

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Ruth's mother's eyes shone with wonder But little Ruth saw

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only the baby, which lay asleep on its mother's breast.

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If only I might hold him in my arms, she thought,

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but was afraid to ask. After a few days the

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strangers left Bethlehem, all but the three, the man whose

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name was Joseph, and Mary, his wife, and the baby. Then,

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as of old, little Ruth played about the courtyard, and

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the white lamb frolicked at her side. Often she dropped

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to her knees to press the little wooly white head

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against her breast while she murmured, my little lamb, my

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very very own I love you, lammie. And then together

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they would steal over to the entrance of the cave

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to peep in at the baby. And always she thought,

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if I only might touch his hand, but was afraid

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to ask. One night, as she lay in her bed,

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she thought to herself, Oh, I wish I had a

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beautiful gift for him, such as the wise men brought.

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But I have nothing at all to offer, and I

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love him so much. Just then the light of the star,

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which was nightly fading, fell across the foot of the

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bed and shone full upon the white lamb, which lay

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asleep at her feet. And then she thought of something.

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The next morning, she arose the face shining with joy.

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She dressed carefully, and with the white lamb held close

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to her breast, went slowly and painfully down the stairway

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and over to the door of the cave. I have come,

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she said, to worship him, and I have brought him

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my white lamb. The mother smiled at the lame child.

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Then she lifted the baby from her breast and placed

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him in the arms of the little maid, who knelt

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at her feet. A few days after, an angel came

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to the father Joseph, and told him to take the

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baby and hurried to the land of Egypt, for the

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wicked king wanted to do it harm. And so these three,

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the father, mother, and baby went by night to the

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far country of Egypt. And the star grew dimmer and dimmer,

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and passed away forever from the skies of a Bethlehem.

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But little Ruth grew straight and strong and beautiful as

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the almond trees in the orchard. And all the people

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who saw her were amazed, for Ruth was once a cripple.

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It was the light of the strange star, her mother said.

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But little Ruth knew it was the touch of the

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blessed Christ child, who was once folded against her heart.

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End of the Star by Florence M. Kingsley