Magyar Egyház, 1984 (63. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)

1984-11-01 / 5. szám

4. oldal

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

to the Boy that she wasn’t from the land. More clear was this from the mushrooms she picked: red-headed ones with hig white spots and saffron yeloow ones. The Boy grabbed at the woman’s basket and threw all the mushrooms to the ground. “For heavens sake,” he cried, “you could kill a whole village with these toadstools.” The woman, frightened from the Boy’s cry stammered: “I didn’t know, I just wanted to get some delicacies for the Christmas table. Oh, my God. How shall I thank you young man?” She took a silver coin from her packet, “Here, and remember you did a good deed.” The Boy was reaching for the coin but hearing the words ‘good deed’ the Christmas Angel’s face flashed before his eyes. Hurriedly he said: “No, no, please. I’m glad I could be of some help.” And he ran away.

He was thinking of the Christmas Angel all day, and the next, and the next, too, when heavy snow fell. The Christmas Angel decided to send his second little angel along. The Boy was deep in the forest when he saw this second angel — who, by now of course, was an old man. The old man was trying to pull a sleigh loaded with freshly cut Christmas trees. He couldn’t even move it. “Let me help you,” said the Boy. And as long as the sleigh got moving the Boy continued to pull the sleigh. It took quite a while to the city-line. While pulling, between gasps, the man told the Boy that he had to get the trees in and sell them or else there will be no Christmas for his family. At last they arrived and the Boy said good-bye. The man handed him two silver coins, “It’s just a small thank you for your good deed.” The Boy was just reaching for the coins but hearing the words ‘good deed’ again he saw the Christmas Angel’s face before his eyes: “No, no, please. I’m glad I could be of help. Have a blessed Christmas.” And he ran away.

Then came the afternoon of Christmas Eve. The Christmas Angel dispatched his third little angel: “By the time you get down you’ll be a little bird. Be very careful, you must follow my directions to the tee. When you get to the Boy’s house just drop in front of their kitchen door. There will be a big yellow tomcat. You should look as if you had hurt your wing and cry as loud as you can.”

So the little angel, I mean the little bird did: it broke into a heartbreaking twittering-chirping cry. The tomcat was there all right and was ready to jump for a delicious evening meal. But the Boy heard the bird crying ,rushed from the house, drove the cat away and picked up the little bird. Holding the small warm creature, feeling its tiny heart pound he was just so happy that he could save it. Suddenly the bird stopped chirping, it began to talk — the Boy couldn’t believe his ears: “I thank you for saving my life. Reach down under my wing, you’ll find a ring there; take it.” The Boy did as told and there it was: a golden ring with a sparkling diamond. He touched the ring but swiftly pulled back his hand: he knew at once this was the Christmas Angel’s third condition. Just as swiftly the little bird fluttered its wings and flew straight upwards dropping the ring into the Boy’s hand. The Boy cried: “I don’t want it, please, I don’t want it. I want my little sister get well. Please, dear Christmas Angel, take the ring back.” As he looked up with tears in his eyes, he heard the same voice as the one which spoke to him a week before: “Don’t be afraid, I tell you of great joy and it will be the joy of this entire house. Take the ring. It is not for you. You have fulfilled my conditions. The ring belongs to your little sister. Go into the house and put it on her fingtr.”

Trembling the Boy went into the house. There in the living room in front of the Christmas tree was his sister in the midst of soft cushions as always, silently watching the

angel on the top of the tree. The Boy took her hand and put the ring on her finger: “This is a gift from the Christmas Angel. I just met him.” The little girl just stared at her brother. Then, she didn’t know how and why, she leaped from her cushions: and there she was standing, straight as a reed, her hand outstretched; the diamond sparkled on her finger but her eyes sparkled even more.

By now the angels were back in heavens. They told the story to the donkey and to the cow and to the dove; they understood. Then the Christmas Angel said: “I’m going to tell Jesus he was right; there are whose heart is pure. I’m also going to tell the Lord: it’s worth having Xmas.”

This is the story, exactly as it happened. If you don’t believe me, go, ask the angels.

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