“Some books are so familiar that reading them is like being home again.” — Louisa May Alcott in Little Women
Many Christmas Eve celebrations are defined by Biblical accounts as well as classic and popular literature being read aloud to gathered family. Favorite stories that span generations.
Several of the dads in our extended family included Clement Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” “A Very Special Baby” by Carole Woodard with its beautiful illustrations was one of our favorites when our sons and then grandchildren were preschoolers.
Often, such literature makes it into homemade Christmas greeting cards.
Louis Cassels’ Parable of the Birds was a favorite of our family. We used the story as our Christmas card one year with a blue Origami crane included. The original story by Louis Cassels appeared in the United Press International publications in 1959. Louis Cassels was their religion editor and author of the parable, credited with the copyright.
The original is no longer available, but many versions appear throughout the media, always crediting Louis Cassels. Our version came to us in the ‘80’s. Have you heard of that parable? Our ‘80’s version is offered here.
THE PARABLE OF THE BIRDS
Once upon a time there was a man who looked upon Christmas as a lot of humbug. He wasn’t a Scrooge. He was a very kind and decent person.
But he didn’t believe all that stuff about an Incarnation which churches proclaim at Christmas. And he was too honest to pretend that he did.
He simply could not understand the claim that God became man. It didn’t make any sense to him.
On Christmas Eve, his wife and children went to church for the midnight service, but he stayed home. It began to snow.
“If we must have Christmas,” he thought, “it’s nice to have a white one.”
He sat down by the fire to read the newspaper.
A few minutes later he heard a thudding sound, followed by another and another.
Birds, caught in the storm, and in desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his window.
Now they lay huddled miserably in the snow.
“The poor creatures will lie there and freeze,” he thought. “But what can I do?”
He thought of the barn. It was a warm shelter.
He put on his coat and overshoes and tramped out through the deepening snow to the barn.
He opened the doors wide and turned on a light.
But the birds didn’t come in.
“Food will bring them in,” he thought.
So, he sprinkled a trail of breadcrumbs from the birds to the sheltering barn.
To his dismay, the birds ignored the crumbs and continued to flop around helplessly in the snow.
He tried shooing them into the barn.
They scattered in every direction — except to the warm, lighted barn.
“They find me a strange creature,” he said to himself, “and I can’t seem to think of any way to let them know they can trust me.”
“If only I could be a bird myself for a few minutes, perhaps I could lead them to safety.”
Just at that moment, the church bells began to ring.
He stood silently for a while, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas.
Then he sank on his knees in the snow.
“Now I understand,” he whispered. “Now I see why you had to do it.”
Louis Cassels
With blessings to you and those you love this Christmas.
Judy Harris is well established in Northern Kentucky life, as a longtime elementary and university educator. A graduate of Thomas More, she began her career there in 1980 where she played a key role in teacher education and introduced students to national and international travel experiences. She has traveled and studied extensively abroad. She enjoys retirement yet stays in daily contact with university students.