This is Part 2 of the Fanciful Fox Tale begun yesterday. I’ll have to wait until Friday to write the conclusion because the Cozy Critters are due to be here today and Thursday I’ll be telling you what they’ve been up to.
Slipping from bush to rock, Buz followed the shepherds. Every once in a while, the shepherds paused and pointed to the sky. At last, they stopped in front of a stable in Bethlehem. They hesitated, whispering to each other, then slowly and silently stepped within.
Did Buz dare get closer to these people? He had learned in his short life that shepherds did not look kindly on his type .
Curiosity, however, got the better of good judgment and Buz slunk to the stable door. Dropping down on his stomach, he crept inside, keeping close to the dark wall.
The shepherds knelt in front of a feeding trough. A young woman sat looking down into the hay in the trough and a tall man stood beside her. The hay wriggled and a tiny fist waved above the manger.
Buz rubbed his eyes and blinked. Was that a baby inside the trough? Cattle stood around; a few sheep lay near-by, and here was a baby! Babies did not belong in a stable where animals ate and slept.
His eyes widened as a ray of dazzling light radiated from one end of the hay-filled trough. How very unusual! Did the light come from that little Baby?
Forgetting to be cautious, Buz crept ever closer. Strangely, nobody noticed him or, if they did, they did not seem to mind his presence. Buz peeked over the side of the manger just as the Baby turned his head and smiled at him. At that moment, fear left Buz and his whiskers tingled with gladness.
Although the warm, golden light surrounded the Baby’s head and shoulders, the other end of the manger was shrouded in shadows. As Buz gazed at this small person, he noticed something else. The Baby was wrapped in cloths to keep him warm but one small, pink foot kicked free of its bindings.
Expecting at any moment to be caught by the scruff of his neck or to be hit with a shepherd’s staff, Buz inched closer until his nose touched that bare foot. It was cold! The Child who lay there had one cold foot.
He would have to pull the covers over the Baby’s foot. Under cover of darkness, Buz tried to tug the cloth in place but he couldn’t tuck it in. Buz worried. Would the Baby cry from the cold? He knew from experience that the night air could be merciless.
Unmindful of the danger, Buz put his front paws on the side of the trough and jumped inside. He took care to stay way from that golden light surrounding the Baby’s head. He gently lay across the Child’s foot, warming it with his scanty fur.
Moonlight Can Be Murder would be a dandy Christmas gift because it takes place during the month of December. But, for that matter, each of the three Darcy and Flora books, ebooks or paperbacks or the audio book, would be long-lasting Christmas gifts, or birthday gifts or first-snow gifts or “just because gifts” or…
Remember, Pen-L Publishing is offering to pay shipping charges on all the paperbacks ordered from their website. A good time to stock up on books!
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