On this glorious Christmas day, I thought I’d share my two favorite Christmas stories. The first one is the original, which is not very poetic, but it reminds us what we’re actually celebrating. The second one is an epic poem written a couple thousand years later, meant to serve as a humorous and gentle reminder of the exact same thing – what we’re celebrating today.
Enjoy!
Luke Chapter 2, 1-20
Christ Born of Mary
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out
from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census
first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be
registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of
Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because
he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his
betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there,
the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her
firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
Glory in the Highest
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in
the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of
the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and
they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid,
for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe
wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into
heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and
see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And
they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told
them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those
things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things
and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and
praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told
them.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
By Dr. Seuss
Every Who Down in Who-ville Liked Christmas a lot...
But the Grinch,
who lived just north of Who-ville,
did NOT!
The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
may have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
But,
whatever the reason,
his heart or his shoes,
he stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos,
staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown
at the warm lighted windows below in their town.
For he knew every Who down in Who-ville
beneath,
was busy now, hanging a mistletoe wreath.
"And they're hanging their stockings!" he snarled
with a sneer.
"Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!"
Then he growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming,
"I MUST find some way to stop Christmas from
coming!"
For,
Tomorrow, he knew…
…all the Who girls and boys
would wake bright and early. They'd rush for their toys!
And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the Noise! Noise! Noise!
Noise!
That's one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!
NOISE!
Then the Whos, young and old, would sit down to a feast.
And they'd feast! And they'd feast!
And they'd FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!
They would feast on Who-pudding, and rare Who-roast
beast.
Which was something the Grinch couldn't stand in the least!
And THEN They'd do something He liked least of all!
Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the
small,
would stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing.
They'd stand hand-in-hand. And the Whos would start
singing!
They'd sing! And they'd sing!
And they'd SING! SING! SING! SING!
And the more the Grinch thought of this Who-Christmas-Sing,
the more the Grinch thought, "I must stop this whole
thing!"
"Why, for fifty-three years I've put up with it
now!"
"I MUST stop this Christmas from coming!
…But HOW?"
Then he got an idea! An awful idea!
THE GRINCH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
"I know just what to do!" The Grinch
laughed in his throat.
And he made a quick Santy Claus hat and a coat.
And he chuckled, and clucked, "What a great Grinchy
trick!"
"With this coat and this hat, I look just like Saint
Nick!"
"All I need is a reindeer..."
The Grinch looked around.
But, since reindeer are scarce, there was none to be found.
Did that stop the old Grinch…?
No! The Grinch simply said,
"If I can't find a reindeer, I'll make
one instead!"
So he called his dog, Max. Then he took some red thread,
and he tied a big horn on the top of his head.
THEN He loaded some bags and some old empty sacks,
on a ramshackle sleigh and he hitched up old Max.
Then the Grinch said, "Giddap!" And the sleigh
started down,
toward the homes where the Whos Lay a-snooze in their
town.
All their windows were dark. Quiet snow filled the air.
All the Whos were all dreaming sweet dreams without
care
when he came to the first little house on the square.
"This is stop number one," the old Grinchy Claus
hissed,
and he climbed to the roof, empty bags in his fist.
Then he slid down the chimney. A rather tight pinch.
But, if Santa could do it, then so could the Grinch.
He got stuck only once, for a moment or two.
Then he stuck his head out of the fireplace flue
where the little Who stockings all hung in a row.
"These stockings," he grinned, "are the first
things to go!"
Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant,
around the whole room, and he took every present!
Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums!
Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums!
And he stuffed them in bags. Then the Grinch, very nimbly,
stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimbley!
Then he slunk to the icebox. He took the Whos' feast!
He took the Who-pudding! He took the roast beast!
He cleaned out that icebox as quick as a flash.
Why, that Grinch even took their last can of Who-hash!
Then he stuffed all the food up the chimney with glee.
"And NOW!" grinned the Grinch, "I will stuff
up the tree!"
And the Grinch grabbed the tree, and he started to shove,
When he heard a small sound like the coo of a dove.
He turned around fast, and he saw a small Who!
Little Cindy-Lou Who, who was not more than two.
The Grinch had been caught by this tiny Who daughter,
who'd got out of bed for a cup of cold water.
She stared at the Grinch and said, "Santy Claus, why,”
"Why are you taking our Christmas tree?
WHY?"
But, you know, that old Grinch was so smart and so slick,
he thought up a lie, and he thought it up quick!
"Why, my sweet little tot," the fake Santy Claus
lied,
"There's a light on this tree that won't light on one
side."
"So I'm taking it home to my workshop, my dear."
"I'll fix it up there. Then I'll bring it back here."
And his fib fooled the child. Then he patted her head,
and he got her a drink and he sent her to bed.
And when Cindy-Lou Who went to bed with her cup,
HE went to the chimney and stuffed the tree up!
Then the last thing he took was the log for their
fire!
Then he went up the chimney, himself, the old liar.
On their walls he left nothing but hooks and some wire.
And the one speck of food that he left in the house,
was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.
Then he did the same thing to the other Whos' houses
leaving crumbs much too small for the other Whos'
mouses!
It was quarter past dawn... all the Whos, still
a-bed,
all the Whos, still a-snooze when he packed up his
sled,
packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The
wrappings!
The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings!
Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt. Crumpit,
he rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it!
"Pooh-Pooh to the Whos!" he was grinch-ish-ly
humming.
"They're finding out now that no Christmas is
coming!"
"They're just waking up! I know just what
they'll do!"
"Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
Then the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry BOO-HOO!"
"That's a noise," grinned the Grinch, "That I
simply MUST hear!"
So he paused. And the Grinch put his hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow...
But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!
He stared down at Who-ville! The Grinch popped his
eyes!
Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the
small,
was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be
so?"
"It came without ribbons! It came without tags!"
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't
before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't
come from a store."
"Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit
more!"
And what happened then…? Well... in Who-ville they
say,
that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,
he whizzed with his load through the bright morning light,
and he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!
And he…
…HE HIMSELF…! The Grinch carved the roast beast!
Merry Christmas, to all, and to all a good night!
See you soon,
-Smidge
Copyright © 2024 Marc Schmatjen
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