By Florence M. Kingsley
Once upon a time in a country far away from here, there lived a little
girl named Ruth. Ruth's home was not at all like our houses, for she
lived in a little tower on top of the great stone wall that surrounded
the town of Bethlehem. Ruth's father was the hotel-keeper—the Bible
says the "inn keeper." This inn was not at all like our hotels,
either. There was a great open yard, which was called the courtyard.
All about this yard were little rooms and each traveler who came to
the hotel rented one. The inn stood near the great stone wall of the
city, so that as Ruth stood, one night, looking out of the tower
window, she looked directly into the courtyard. It was truly a strange
sight that met her eyes. So many people were coming to the inn, for
the King had made a law that every man should come back to the city
where his father used to live to be counted and to pay his taxes. Some
of the people came on the backs of camels, with great rolls of bedding
and their dishes for cooking upon the back of the beast. Some of them
came on little donkeys, and on their backs too were the bedding and
the dishes. Some of the people came walking—slowly; they were so
tired. Many miles some of them had come. As Ruth looked down into the
courtyard, she saw the camels being led to their places by their
masters, she heard the snap of the whips, she saw the sparks shoot up
from the fires that were kindled in the courtyard, where each person
was preparing his own supper; she heard the cries of the tired, hungry
little children.
Presently her mother, who was cooking supper, came over to the window
and said, "Ruthie, thou shalt hide in the house until all those people
are gone. Dost thou understand?"
"Yes, my mother," said the child, and she left the window to follow
her mother back to the stove, limping painfully, for little Ruth was a
cripple. Her mother stooped suddenly and caught the child in her arms.
"My poor little lamb. It was a mule's kick, just six years ago, that
hurt your poor back and made you lame."
"Never mind, my mother. My back does not ache today, and lately when
the light of the strange new star has shone down upon my bed my back
has felt so much stronger and I have felt so happy, as though I could
climb upon the rays of the star and up, up into the sky and above the
stars!"
Her mother shook her head sadly. "Thou art not likely to climb much,
now or ever, but come, the supper is ready; let us go to find your
father. I wonder what keeps him."
They found the father standing at the gate of the courtyard, talking
to a man and woman who had just arrived. The man was tall, with a long
beard, and he led by a rope a snow white mule, on which sat the
drooping figure of the woman. As Ruth and her mother came near, they
heard the father say, "But I tell thee that there is no more room in
the inn. Hast thou no friends where thou canst go to spend the night?"
The man shook his head. "No, none," he answered. "I care not for
myself, but my poor wife." Little Ruth pulled at her mother's dress.
"Mother, the oxen sleep out under the stars these warm nights and the
straw in the caves is clean and warm; I have made a bed there for my
little lamb."
Ruth's mother bowed before the tall man. "Thou didst hear the child.
It is as she says—the straw is clean and warm." The tall man bowed
his head. "We shall be very glad to stay," and he helped the
sweet-faced woman down from the donkey's back and led her away to the
cave stable, while the little Ruth and her mother hurried up the
stairs that they might send a bowl of porridge to the sweet-faced
woman, and a sup of new milk, as well.
That night when little Ruth lay down in her bed, the rays of the
beautiful new star shone through the window more brightly than before.
They seemed to soothe the tired aching shoulders. She fell asleep and
dreamed that the beautiful, bright star burst and out of it came
countless angels, who sang in the night:
"Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will to men." And
then it was morning and her mother was bending over her and saying,
"Awake, awake, little Ruth. Mother has something to tell thee." Then
as the eyes opened slowly—"The angels came in the night, little one,
and left a Baby to lay beside your little white lamb in the manger."
That afternoon, Ruth went with her mother to the fountain. The mother
turned aside to talk to the other women of the town about the strange
things heard and seen the night before, but Ruth went on and sat down
by the edge of the fountain. The child, was not frightened,for
strangers came often to the well, but never had she seen men who
looked like the three who now came towards her. The first one, a tall
man with a long white beard, came close to Ruth and said, "Canst tell
us, child, where is born he that is called the King of the Jews?"
"I know of no king," she answered, "but last night while the star was
shining, the angels brought a baby to lie beside my white lamb in the
manger." The stranger bowed his head. "That must be he. Wilt thou show
us the way to Him, my child?" So Ruth ran and her mother led the three
men to the cave and "when they saw the Child, they rejoiced with
exceeding great joy, and opening their gifts, they presented unto Him
gold, and frankincense and myrrh," with wonderful jewels, so that
Ruth's mother's eyes shone with wonder, but little Ruth saw only the
Baby, which lay asleep on its mother's breast.
"If only I might hold Him in my arms," she thought, but was afraid to
ask.
After a few days, the strangers left Bethlehem, all but the three—the
man, whose name was Joseph, and Mary, his wife, and the Baby. Then, as
of old, little Ruth played about the courtyard and the white lamb
frolicked at her side. Often she dropped to her knees to press the
little woolly white head against her breast, while she murmured: "My
little lamb, my very, very own. I love you, lambie," and then together
they would steal over to the entrance of the cave to peep in at the
Baby, and always she thought, "If I only might touch his hand," but
was afraid to ask. One night as she lay in her bed, she thought to
herself: "Oh, I wish I had a beautiful gift for him, such as the wise
men brought, but I have nothing at all to offer and I love him so
much." Just then the light of the star, which was nightly fading, fell
across the foot of the bed and shone full upon the white lamb which
lay asleep at her feet—and then she thought of something. The next
morning she arose with her face shining with joy. She dressed
carefully and with the white lamb held close to her breast, went
slowly and painfully down the stairway and over to the door of the
cave. "I have come," she said, "to worship Him, and I have brought
Him—my white lamb." The mother smiled at the lame child, then she
lifted the Baby from her breast and placed Him in the arms of the
little maid who knelt at her feet.
A few days after, an angel came to the father, Joseph, and told him to
take the Baby and hurry to the land of Egypt, for the wicked King
wanted to do it harm, and so these three—the father, mother and
Baby—went by night to the far country of Egypt. And the star grew
dimmer and dimmer and passed away forever from the skies over
Bethlehem, but little Ruth grew straight and strong and beautiful as
the almond trees in the orchard, and all the people who saw her were
amazed, for Ruth was once a cripple.
"It was the light of the strange star," her mother said, but little
Ruth knew it was the touch of the blessed Christ-Child, who was once
folded against her heart.
