WHY BABY JESUS SMILED

It is written in the Bible that Maria and Joseph travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem because Joseph had to state to the authorities that he was a descendant of David. Like us the authorities should have known that because it is explained in the Bible. It would have saved Maria the arduous ride on their donkey through very rough territory because she was pregnant with Jesus.

It so happened at the time that the angel Gabriel had secretly returned to Earth to make sure that all was properly arranged in the manger at Betlehem. Even for an arch angel with his enlightenment it was hard to understand why the son of God should enter this World in a rundown stable and why his baby cot should only be a feeding trough for animals. But Gabriel at least wanted to tell the winds not to blow through the holes in the walls. And the clouds in the sky should not melt for sympathy and pour their tears over the child. As far as the light in the lantern was concerned it had to shine only lightly without blinding Jesus and sparkle like a Christmas star.

The arch angel also removed all small vermin from the stable, like ants and spiders and mice. Impossible to imagine what would happen if Maria would get frightened by a mouse before she gave birth! Only the donkey and an ox were permitted to stay. The donkey would have to be available for the escape to Egypt later on. But the ox was so large and lazy that all the angels of Heaven would have been unable to move him.

  

Last not least Gabriel distributed a number of small angels on the rafters of the roof. They were the small type consisting almost completely of heads and wings, and they were supposed to just sit there and raise the alarm if any danger might threaten the child in its nakedness and poverty. Gabriel had another quick look around and then raised his wings and floated up to Heaven again. So far so good, but not quite good. For a flea was sitting and sleeping in the straw under the crib. This small scoundrel had escaped the strict look of the angel Gabriel. Of course, when did an arch angel ever have anything to do with fleas!

  

When finally the miracle had happened and the newborn child in all its beauty lay in the straw, so lovely to look at in its poverty, the angels on the rafters could not control their excitement and flew around the crib like a flock of pigeons.

Some of them were blowing the smell of balsam at the child. The others pulled the straw and streightened it so it could not press or scratch little Jesus.

However, all this activity woke up the flea in the straw. He became very scared and thought someone wanted to kill him as usual. He rushed about in the crib, fearfully tried to hide or escape, and finally in desperation jumped into the ear of the God child.

"Forgive me!" whispered the breathless flea, "but I have no choice for they will kill me if they catch me. I will move on in a moment my heavenly Lord.  Let me just find out how."

So he was looking around and quickly made a plan. "Listen," he said. "If I gather all my strenght and you don't move, I may be able to jump to the bald head of Joseph, and from there I can reach the window frame and the door..."

"You jump!" said the child Jesus without being heard. "I will not move!" And then the flea jumped. But he could not help but tickle the child when he moved into position and pulled his legs up under his belly.

At this moment the mother of Jesus woke her husband up from his sleep.

"Oh, have a look!" said Maria with a happy face. "He is smiling already!"

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This is my translation of a story by Heinrich Waggerl (1953, Salzburg, Austria)