This was the spot where Christ was born. Think how poor a place!--but
Mary was glad to be there, after all; and when the Christ-child came,
he was like other babies, and had so lately come from heaven that he
was happy everywhere.

There were mangers all around the cave, where the cattle and sheep
were fed, and great heaps of hay and straw were lying on the floor.
Then, I think, there were brown-eyed cows and oxen there, and quiet,
woolly sheep, and perhaps even some dogs that had come in to take care
of the sheep.

And there in the cave, by and by, the wonderful baby came, and they
wrapped him up and laid him in a manger.

All the stars in the sky shone brightly that night, for they knew the
Christ-child was born, and the angels in heaven sang together for joy.
The angels knew about the lovely child, and were glad that he had come
to help the people on earth to be good.

There lay the beautiful baby, with a manger for his bed, and oxen and
sheep all sleeping quietly round him. His mother watched him and loved
him, and by and by many people came to see him, for they had heard
that a wonderful child was to be born in Bethlehem. All the people in
the inn visited him, and even the shepherds left their flocks in the
fields and sought the child and his mother.

But the baby was very tiny, and could not talk any more than any other
tiny child, so he lay in his mother's lap, or in the manger, and only
looked at the people. So after they had seen him and loved him, they