𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙮

Ethan was a clever little mouse. Everyone said he was the smartest mouse in the entire stable. But Ethan didn’t have a lot of friends. There just weren’t any other mice in the stable as clever as he was, and it got a bit lonely.

He got tired of others doing things that he thought were stupid. Like yesterday, when they were playing hide and seek in the straw. Jaden kept shrieking so loud when he was seen that he thought the cat would come to investigate and find them all.

And what about the twins, Dov and Zev? They were always fighting and arguing without paying attention to where they were or what was around them. Just last week, they were wrestling in the stall with the ox, and Dov had his tail stepped on so badly that now he only had a stump. But did that give him any sense? No! He was even now wrestling with his brother around the donkey’s stall.

Ethan looked carefully about and descended from his nest in the rafters to the floor under the ox’s grain bin. If he was careful, he should be able to find enough oats to fill his larder. “Hello, Mahlon. Are you here for some oats, too?” He greeted one of the other mice.

“I don’t know. My stomach is so upset from eating those berries yesterday that I’m not sure I want anything else yet.”

“I told you not to eat them; they could be poisonous.” Ethan shook his head. This was the third time in two months that Mahlon had gotten sick on something he ate despite being warned.

Goliath clumped into the stall and tripped over a small stick. “Good grief!” Ethan said. “Watch where you are going! You are so clumsy!

“I’ve tried to be careful, but I just seem to bump into things.”

“Shh! Someone’s coming!” The mice scampered away to hide. Except Goliath. He ran back and forth noisily and barely managed to dive into a hole before an older man and a small boy entered the stable, leading a donkey. A young woman was sitting on the donkey, obviously very uncomfortable.

“This place will be quiet and clean, where you and Mary can have privacy. There isn’t any other place open in Bethlehem now with the census. But this place is clean and dry, even if it is just a stable.”

“Thank you, Samual. We appreciate your help.”

An older woman arrived carrying some clean linens. She spread out a bed for the young woman, and they tenderly lifted the girl off the donkey, helping her to the bed. Ethan could see she was heavy with child and that the birthing time was near.

“What are you watching?” Jadan came up and asked so loudly that the man turned to look. Ethan quickly pulled Jadan back into the straw.

“Shh!” he whispered. “The people that just arrived. I want to see what they are doing.”

“So why are they here?”

“She is having a baby. There isn’t any place in town left for them to stay.”

“A baby?” Dov and Zev moved closer. “Stop pushing!” “You stop. I was here first!”

Ethan sighed. It was always like this with those two. “Knock it off,” he grumbled. “Who wants either of you around with your constant fighting?” Ethan inched away from the others and went to see the donkey. Maybe the beast would have some grain in his trough. And perhaps the donkey might be able to tell him a little more about the couple.

“Joseph and Mary. They are from Nazareth. She is having a baby. A very special baby. Did you see the star outside?”

Ethan nodded. A new star, yes. It’s for a king, isn’t it?

“Yes. Well, this baby is to be the new King.” A soft wail rang through the stable. “He’s here! The King is here! “

Ethan was excited to think he could see a newborn king. Quietly, very quietly, Ethan snuck closer and climbed the wooden manger until he could peek in.

“Oh! He is so perfect!” Ethan breathed.

“Who? Let me see!” Mahlon drew up beside Ethan. “I hope he is healthy. It would be a shame for him to be sick. I know because it feels so bad.” Ethan frowned. Would Mahlon ever figure out it was the bad foods he kept eating?

Dov and Zev scrambled up, nearly tumbling into the manger as each fought to be first.

Ethan backed away. He needed time to think. There was something he was missing. He went back to ask the donkey. “You are a clever mouse,” his new friend challenged. “You figure it out.” “Yes, I am clever, but…. Ethan hesitated. “Sometimes I think that doesn’t do any good. I still don’t have friends.”

And what makes someone a friend? The donkey persisted.

“A friend is, well, a friend is when someone is nice to you. They do things that make you happy. They try to help you, but they like you just the way you are.”. Ethan thought about his friends. Yes, they were his friends, even if they weren’t as smart as he was. Maybe being smart didn’t matter that much. Maybe it was more about what God had given each of them and how they used that gift. Mahlon may have eaten the wrong things too often, but he was so gentle and caring. Dov and Zev were constantly battling with each other, but never were there more loyal friends. They would do anything to help one another. Jadan was loud and annoying, but he had a contagious enthusiasm for life. And Goliath might be slow and clumsy, but he was always ready to share what he had.

Ethan thought about it. He wasn’t sure he had done a very good job of being a friend. He had acted superior because he was so clever, but he really hadn’t done anything nice for someone else.

Ethan snuck back to the manger. Several shepherds had arrived, and outside, he could hear the grunting of camels as they knelt down for their riders to dismount.

“Well, so much for privacy,” he smiled. “But who wouldn’t want to see the new king?” He sighed and looked at the baby again. This time, the little one opened his eyes and looked at the faces gathering around him. When he smiled, Ethan thought the love that poured out included him.

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