This is an amusing and memorable story about an outrageous family of children who discover Christmas and help everyone rediscover its message.....
Taking on the responsibility of the annual Christmas pageant was a huge undertaking for Alice's mother, but as the story goes, word was out that the Herdsman children were going to be in this play. Thus, no-one tried out for any part, out of fear of the children who would pull any prank, draw horrible pictures and put worms in your coat pocket. So, who would blame the children...
Imogene wanted to be Mary, Ralph to be Joseph and little Gladys, the Angel of the Lord. Wise Men were Leroy, Claude and Ollie. They had never been to church, thus, did not know one thing about the Christmas story.
On the night of the play, Alice's mother forgot to cook supper! "We have never gotten through the whole play! It may be the first Christmas Pageant in history where Joseph and the Wise Men get in a fight and Mary runs away with the baby.."
As it turned out, it was the best Christmas Pageant ever, but no one knew why. When it concluded, people stood in the lobby talking about what was different-it was something they could not put their finger on.
Says one, "Well, Mary the mother of Jesus had a black eye, that was something special, but only what you would expect. " She meant it was the most natural thing that a Herdsman would have that, but no one hit Imogene and she didn't hit anyone. Her eye was black, puffy and swollen. She had walked into the choir-robe cabinet - in a daze - as if she had caught onto the idea of God and the wonder of Christmas.
As for ruining the whole thing, it seemed that the Herdsmen family improved it by doing what came naturally-like burping the baby or thinking a ham might be a better present than perfumed oil.
As the play was closing, something unexpected happened. Imogene was crying. She did not bother to wipe the tears, but sat there, Imogene in her crooked veil-crying. When she had asked what the pageant was about, she was told it was about Jesus, a new baby, his mother and father who were in alot of trouble-no money-no place to go and no doctor.
When sister Gladys came from behind the angel choir, pushing people out of the way and stepping on everyone's toes, and hollered out the good news, she made the most of it. "Hey! Unto you a child is born!' The shepherds trembled, sore afraid-of Gladys, mainly, but it looked good anyway.
So, what if the three Wise Men, the Herdsmen, sat and gazed all about them instead of rising. Think about it-it would be natural to take all of this wonder in.
Leaving the church, everyone was still amazed.
"Hey!" Unto you a child is born!"
Taken from "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson
