Page 17 - Highlights for Children (December 2017)

pocket. “We can use mine, too.”
“But those are your birthday
candles! Are you sure you want
to use them?” said Grand-père. “Can we tell the
Charles looked at the candles
he’d saved for so long. He Christmas story,
knew he could put them back Grand-père?”
into his treasure box and his
mother and grandfather would
understand. “I’m sure,” he said.
Charles and his grandfather
set to work, dropping the
villagers’ candle scraps into a
melting pot. The colors were
bright against the dark iron. found Mary and Joseph, with friends would see it and believe
“Can we tell the Christmas the baby lying in a manger.” Christmas was coming after all.
story, Grand-père?” Charles Grand-père poured the very This is what Christmas is all
asked. He dropped three of his last drops of wax. about, thought Charles. “The
birthday candles into the pot. candles are beautiful, aren’t
Grand-père smiled. As he That Sunday, Charles and his they, Grand-père?”
poured wax into a mold, he mother and grandfather walked Grand-père nodded.
began. “For many years, God to the church. It felt warm and “Beautiful!”
promised a special gift for the good inside. They took their
world. Then one day, an angel seats as the choir sang That Sunday, Charles
appeared to Mary and told her Christmas hymns.
she was going to have a baby.” At the front of the church and his mother and
“Baby Jesus,” Charles said. were the four candles Charles grandfather walked
“Yes! Then a census was had made with Grand-père. He
called for, so Mary and Joseph stretched his neck to see them. to the church.
had to travel to Bethlehem.” They were small, and they were
Grand-père poured melted wax not the purple and pink of
into a second candle mold. regular Advent candles. Each
Charles dropped three more was a blend of different colors.
birthday candles into the pot. One of the candles glowed bright
“When they arrived, no one had for the first week of Advent.
room for them to sleep!” he said. Charles smiled, knowing his
Grand-père nodded. “The only
place left was a stable, and the
baby was born there. Angels
announced the news to
shepherds in a field nearby.”
Charles dropped three more
birthday candles into the
melting pot, and Grand-père
poured the third Advent candle.
“The happy shepherds rushed
to the stable,” said Grand-père.
Adding his final birthday
candle, Charles said, “They

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