The Curmudgeon – Winsome Smith

I make it my business to keep to the outskirts of the flock. Sheep don’t wander much in the night, they like to stay together, but there could often be a half grown ram who will decide to be adventurous and explore a bit.

I knew there was a disturbance that night. I saw a glow in the sky and heard some weird sound, something like distant singing. I didn’t take any notice because I was trying release a stupid old ewe that had caught her wool in a thorn bush.

I circled the flock again and when I got back to the other shepherds they were gabbling on about stars and an angel. Superstitious rot, I called it. The three of them decided they must go into the village to see a baby. A baby, of all things! The less I see of babies the better.

They begged me to go with them but I refused point blank. We can’t go traipsing off in the middle of the night. We are supposed to be here watching sheep – that’s what we are paid for, little as it is.

So they went off. Idiots! I stayed here on the cold hillside, but I was used to the weather outdoors.

When they came back they carried on as though they had seen a king. There’s only one king here, Herod, and he’s not really a king, he does as the Romans tell him.

Their talk went on through the rest of the night. I left them a couple of times and did my usual rounds.

When a glimmer of silver lined the horizon it was nearly time to go home and I got to feeling curious. They had told me exactly where they had gone in the village, so I trundled off to have a look for myself.

There were no stars, no angels, of course. They sky was pinkish grey by the time I got there. I couldn’t believe it – I had come to a stable.

I went inside anyway. Dirt floor, smell of hay, feed boxes. A man and woman were there, plain country folk, just going about ordinary morning tasks. I discovered that one of the feed boxes was occupied by a baby.

Reluctantly I continued to gaze into the box. I looked at the woman and saw her look of love. Love is something I’ve got no time for but I seemed to feel it, or something like it. There was peace about that baby and a look of pride on the man’s face. I’ve never bothered with things like atmosphere or feelings but something happened in that stable.

They can keep their stars and angels. I know the new feeling I had.

I suddenly discovered I was kneeling and my head was bowed.