His stable is
a Prince’s courte,
The cribbe His
chaire of State;
The beastes
are parcell of
His pompe,
The wodden dishe,
His plate.
Robert Southwell The Lion's Noël
A Book of Christmas Beasts
The Tail's End
"Who were the first to cry Nowell?
Animals all, as it befell,
In the stable where they did dwell!
Joy shall be theirs in the morning!"
Kenneth Grahame from "The Wind in the Willows"
A Christmas Folk-Song
The little Jesus came
to town;
The wind blew up, the wind blew down;
Out in the street the wind was bold;
Now who would house Him from the cold?
Then opened wide a stable door,
Then opened wide a stable door,
Fair were the rushes on the floor;
The Ox put forth a hornèd head:
"Come, Little Lord, here make Thy bed."
Uprose the Sheep were folded near:
"Thou Lamb of God, come, enter here."
He entered there to rush and reed,
Who was the Lamb of God, indeed.
The little Jesus came to town;
With Ox and Sheep He laid Him down;
Peace to the byre, peace to the fold,
For that they housed Him from the cold!
The little Jesus came to town;
With Ox and Sheep He laid Him down;
Peace to the byre, peace to the fold,
For that they housed Him from the cold!
Lizette Woodworth Reese, 1856-1935
How far is it to Bethlehem?
Not very far.
Shall we find the stable room
Lit by a star?
Can we see the little Child,
Is He within?
If we lift the wooden latch
May we go in?
May we stroke the creatures there,
Ox, ass, and sheep?
May we peep like them and see
Jesus asleep?
If we touch His tiny hand
Will He awake?
Will He know we've come so far
Just for His sake?
Great kings have precious gifts,
And we have naught,
Little smiles and little tears
Are all we brought.
Frances Alice Chesterton, 1875-1938
 |
| Nativity in Russian Folk Art Style by Sapharov |
Thus every beast by some good spell,
In the stable dark was glad to tell
Of the gift he gave Immanuel
Robert Davis, from "The Friendly Beasts"
Here ends
The Tail's End
- and -
Here ends
The Lion's Noël
The voice of the critters at the manger is particularly touching to me because of the metaphor it invokes for the humility of all who would worship Him at His birth. We must stoop, bend, bow our way into the stable and accept the gift of love that is given to us from the Father--the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
The voice of the critters at the manger is particularly touching to me because of the metaphor it invokes for the humility of all who would worship Him at His birth. We must stoop, bend, bow our way into the stable and accept the gift of love that is given to us from the Father--the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
from Leon Archibald, December 2013
