Celia's Last Nativity

In a classroom, in a corner filled with toys, an old grey teddy bear saw a tiny speck of something glinting on his paw.

‘Ah,’ said old Ted.  ‘It must be Christmas time again.’

‘I suppose they’re making Christmas cards,’ said a lamb with only one eye.

‘Or paper lanterns,’ said a doll, whose name was Jessica.

‘They are making paper chains,’ said Winnie, the soft-bodied rocking horse, who was not only taller than the other toys but also closer to the children.  ‘And they are decorating their strips of coloured paper with different coloured glitter.  They are going to look splendid.’

‘But what a dreadful mess it will make,’ said Ted.

‘I don’t understand,’ said another doll, Annabelle, ‘how it is that the glitter gets all the way over here, when the children are doing their making over there.’

‘We shall keep finding bits of it for weeks afterwards,’ said Jessica, who had been living in the school for much longer than Annabelle.  In fact, this was Annabelle’s first Christmas there.  ‘That is just the way of it.’

‘They must already be planning their nativity play,’ said an old sheep.  Then she looked at the lamb, who was also new, and said, ‘You will probably be in it, dear.  There is quite enough room in the story for more than one sheep.’

‘And I,’ Winnie said grandly, raising his head, ‘will play the donkey, as I always do.’

‘Appalling piece of casting,’ said Ted.  ‘You don’t look anything like a donkey.’

‘Humph!’ snorted Winnie, raising his head even higher.  ‘I look a darn sight more like a donkey than any of you lot!  And besides, who else is big enough to carry Mary on their back?  Six Marys, I have borne across that stage,’ he added, looking at the lamb.  ‘Ever since that beastly girl decided she no longer wanted me.’

‘What about me?’ asked Annabelle, who was a very pretty little doll, and was often fought over by the girls in the class.  ‘Will there be a part in it for me?’

At this Jessica burst out laughing, and said, ‘There is only one part in this story for a doll, dear, and it is a very great responsibility.  It is the leading role, and I always have it.’

‘Why shouldn’t I take it?’ Annabelle asked crossly.  ‘I’m sure I could do it as well as you, if not better!’

‘I don’t think so, dear,’ said Jessica.  ‘I have far more experience.’

‘Well,’ said Ted, ‘if experience is what counts, Jessica, then perhaps Celia should take the role.’

‘Celia?’ shrieked Jessica, and she burst out laughing.  Annabelle laughed with her, and they both looked with scorn at the doll in the darkest corner.

‘I played the baby Jesus for a very long time, you know,’ Celia said, very quietly, for she was usually a quiet doll.  ‘I played him at the very first nativity play here, and I played him every year since until Jessica came.’

‘Exactly,’ said Jessica.  ‘And then I took over, because I really am much more suitable, dear.  I don’t mean to be rude, but your head does have rather a nasty dark stain on it, whereas that can never happen to me with my lovely crop of hair.’

‘I know the story,’ said Annabelle, who had no stain on her own lovely pink head.  ‘You are supposed to be playing a newborn baby.  Do you suppose Jesus was born with as much hair as that?’

‘Some babies are born with a great deal of hair,’ said Jessica.

‘Actually,’ said Ted, ‘since we are discussing it, I always did find Celia rather more convincing.’

‘Yes, indeed, so did I,’ said Winnie.  ‘We only worked together for one year, didn’t we, Celia?  Then Jessica came and took over.  I rather think you aren’t as good, Jessica.’

‘Why, how dare you!’ fumed Jessica.

‘They’ll choose me,’ said Annabelle.  ‘I know they will.’

‘They ought to choose Celia,’ said Ted.  ‘She is much the most suitable.’

‘Hardly,’ said Jessica.  ‘It isn’t just her head, you know.  Having her arms and legs stitched on means that they are coming away, and she has no eyelashes in one eye.’

‘Her arms and legs would be covered by the shawl,’ said Winnie.

‘And I think she has perfectly lovely eyes,’ said Ted.  ‘Celia, you should come out of that dark corner.  Then perhaps Miss Fish will notice you, and remember what a good little Jesus you were.’

‘I doubt it, Ted,’ said Celia.  ‘No one ever plays with me.’

‘Now that isn’t true,’ said Ted.  ‘Someone still plays with you.’

‘Tell me something, Celia,’ Winnie said kindly.  ‘Would you like to play Jesus, just one more time, before your arms and legs really do fall off?’

‘Well,’ said Celia.  ‘Yes, I suppose I would.’

Jessica and Annabelle shrieked with laughter, but after that, nothing more was said about it until playtime.  It wasn’t raining, so the children all went outside in scarves and coats and gloves.  But one stayed behind when Miss Fish asked, ‘Who will stay in and help me to put up the paper chains?’

The child who chose to stay was a girl called Lisa, and she just happened to be the girl who sometimes played with Celia.  She was a very special girl, at least to the toys, because she knew how to play with them in ways that none of the others did.

When Lisa came to put up paper chains in the toy corner, Winnie whinnied her name very softly: ‘Lisa.’

Lisa turned and smiled at him.  ‘Hello, Winnie.’

‘Bring Ted over here,’ said Winnie.  ‘We’d like a word.’

Jessica and Annabelle watched suspiciously as Lisa took Ted towards Winnie, and then the three of them began to whisper.

‘A very long time ago, before you came to this school,’ said Ted, ‘Celia used to play Jesus in the school nativity.  She would like to play the role one more time - for we really do believe she’s getting a bit old now - and Winnie and I agree that she should.  She was a remarkably good Jesus, you know,’ he added solemnly.

‘We know how fond you are of Celia,’ said Winnie.  ‘And between you and me, Lisa, I think you don’t much like those other silly dolls.  I thought that if you were playing Mary, you could insist upon Celia playing Jesus.’

‘Has the play already been cast?’ Ted asked hopefully.

‘Ages ago,’ said Lisa.  ‘We’re doing it tomorrow, and I’m not playing Mary.  Never wanted to.  You know me - I wanted a speaking part.’

‘And did you get one?’ asked Winnie.

‘Yes,’ said Lisa.  ‘I’m the narrator.’

‘Congratulations,’ said Winnie.

‘And who is playing Mary?’ asked Ted.

‘Katie Price,’ said Lisa.

‘Oh dear,’ sighed Winnie.  ‘She’s never even looked at poor Celia since she got here.  But at least she is only a very small little girl,’ he added thoughtfully, ‘and will not be too much of a strain on my poor old back.’

‘Well,’ said Lisa, ‘I suppose I could - ’

‘Lisa!’ called Miss Fish.  ‘I asked you to put up those chains.’

‘Better get on,’ whispered Lisa, picking up a paper chain and rising to her feet.  ‘But don’t worry about Celia.’

Now Celia hadn’t heard a single word of the hushed conversation, and didn’t know that Lisa meant for her to be in the nativity play.  She lay all night in her darkened corner, wishing she was still young enough to play Jesus and wondering what would become of her if her arms and legs really did fall off.

‘Oh well,’ she said to herself, when someone came to turn on the lights in the morning.  ‘I did play Jesus for a very long time, and I suppose every doll must fall to bits eventually.  I must be happy to let the other dolls have their turn.’

So Celia didn’t feel sad anymore when the afternoon came, and it was time to prepare for the play.  A boy came to collect the toys.  He took the sheep, the lamb and Annabelle.

‘Well, I never!’ cried Jessica, as the boy walked away.

‘Well now, you had five years,’ said Winnie, smiling at Jessica in a most annoying way as Miss Fish picked him up and carried him away to the hall.

Soon after that the children began putting on their costumes.  Celia wished she could see the play, but comforted herself with the knowledge that it would be very much like all the other school nativities of the past.

‘Quietly!’ Miss Fish shouted over the children’s chatter.  ‘Get in a nice straight line!  Nobody is going in until you are in a nice, straight and quiet line!’

In a few moments Annabelle, the lamb, the sheep, Winnie, Miss Fish and all of the children had gone.

‘Well,’ said Jessica.  ‘It’s going to be a complete disaster.’

‘I’m sure Annabelle will play the part beautifully,’ said Ted.  ‘But I’m very sorry that Celia didn’t get one last stab at it.’

‘I’m sorry too,’ said Celia.  ‘But perhaps it’s for the best.  I feel that my leg will fall off at any moment.’

Celia was looking sadly at her leg, and listening to the distant sound of ‘When Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night’, when Lisa came back.

‘What are you doing here?’ cried Ted.  ‘You’re supposed to be narrating!’

‘It’s all right, they’re still doing the carols,’ said Lisa.  ‘I told Miss Fish I needed to go to the toilet.’

‘What have you got under your jumper?’ asked Ted.

‘This,’ grinned Lisa, pulling out a big white shawl.  ‘You’re playing Jesus, Celia.’

Lisa picked Celia up, wrapped her in the shawl (it completely covered her hanging leg) and stuffed her underneath her jumper.

‘Oh,’ said Jessica, ‘no one will ever notice that!’

‘What can they do about it?’ said Lisa, grinning.

It was of course very dark underneath Lisa’s jumper.  Celia heard the classroom door shut, and then felt herself being carried towards the singing.  The children’s voices grew louder and louder until suddenly, it was light again.  Celia was in the crowded hall, and being placed on the floor beside Annabelle, who was completely naked.

‘What’s going on?’ cried Annabelle.  ‘That girl stole my shawl!’

‘Oh dear,’ said Celia.  ‘I am sorry, Annabelle.’

‘Oh well.’  Annabelle let out a sigh.  ‘I suppose you’ll have to be Jesus now.  Well, I mustn’t grumble.  I’m going to have so many more chances to be Jesus.’

The singing stopped, and Lisa stepped onto the stage, standing in front of Mary so that most of the mums and dads couldn’t see her.

‘Our story begins with a young girl called Mary,’ said Lisa, ‘who was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter.  One day Mary was visited by an angel.’

Lisa stepped aside, and the Angel Gabriel stepped onto the stage.

‘I bring you good tidings!’ shouted Gabriel.  ‘You will bring forth the son of the Lord, and you shall call his name Jesus!’

The Angel Gabriel then turned round and walked off.

‘And so it was decreed,’ said Lisa, ‘that all men should be taxed, and must return to their place of birth, there to be registered.  Joseph lived many miles away in Bethlehem, and Mary was big with child.  She had to travel those long miles on the back of a donkey.’

This was Winnie’s big moment.  Joseph dragged him up and down the stage, with Mary on his back, while the children all sang ‘Little Donkey’.

After the song, the Innkeeper appeared, and Joseph asked him, ‘May we have a room for the night?’

The Innkeeper didn’t answer.  He was struck with stage fright.

‘But the Innkeeper said,’ Lisa said loudly, ‘that there was no room at the inn.’

No one spoke.

‘So then Joseph said…!’ shouted Lisa, looking rather cross.

‘Oh,’ said Joseph.  ‘Er… but sir, my wife is big with child.’

Lisa looked very hard at the Innkeeper, who mumbled something that ended with ‘stable’ and then shuffled off the stage.

‘Well,’ said Annabelle to Celia, ‘you can’t be much worse than him.’

‘That night,’ said Lisa, ‘Mary brought forth the son of the Lord, Jesus Christ.’

Celia was suddenly very nervous.  What if she had forgotten how to play the part?

Katie, the little girl playing Mary, came over to where the dolls were lying.  She looked startled for a moment, not knowing which one to pick up.  But then she picked up the doll who was wearing the shawl: Celia.

‘In a field not far away,’ said Lisa, smiling at Celia, ‘the angel visited some shepherds…’

Once she was on stage, Celia remembered everything.  She was brought sheep by the shepherds, and gold, frankincense and myrrh by the three Wise Men.

‘That night,’ said Lisa, ‘Joseph was visited by an angel, for King Herod had decreed that every baby boy in Bethlehem must be killed.’

There was a great hurry when Mary, Joseph and Jesus had to escape from Herod.  Mary stood up suddenly, still holding the baby Jesus, and that was when Celia’s leg fell off.  It dropped right through her shawl and plopped onto the stage.  Everyone stared at it.  All the children, all the teachers and all the mums and dads.  Miss Fish went purple.

Even Lisa was lost for words.  But then she kicked the leg off the stage and said, ‘And so Mary and Joseph escaped with the precious baby, but all the other baby boys in Bethlehem were killed, because the angel didn’t bother warning their mums and dads.’

‘LISA!’ hissed Miss Fish.

After the play had finished, there was tea and biscuits for the mums and dads.  Katie just left Celia on the stage, so Lisa went and picked her up.

‘You were brilliant,’ said Lisa.

‘Yes, very good,’ said Annabelle.  ‘I’m glad I saw you do it.  Now I’ll know what to do for next time.’

‘But my leg fell off,’ said Celia.

‘Never mind,’ said Lisa.  ‘You were better than the Innkeeper.’

‘Bad luck about the leg, Celia,’ said Winnie.  ‘Did it hurt?’

‘No,’ said Celia.  ‘But I’m afraid nobody will want to play with me now.’

‘Rubbish,’ said Lisa.  ‘I’ll ask Miss Fish if I can take you home with me.  She won’t mind.’

‘She’ll be glad to get rid of me,’ said Celia.  ‘She looked terribly cross when my leg fell off.’

‘She looked even crosser when you added that bit at the end, Lisa,’ said Winnie.  ‘I’m glad you did, though.  That part of the story has always bothered me somewhat.’

‘Lisa,’ said Celia.  ‘Before you take me home, can you take me to say goodbye to Ted and Jessica?  I’ll miss them.  Even Jessica.’

‘Ted’s getting old too,’ said Lisa.  ‘Perhaps you’ll see him again one day.’

‘But won’t you grow out of wanting to take all of us old toys home?’ asked Celia.

‘Of course not,’ said Lisa.  ‘You only came here in the first place because your owners didn’t want you.  I think that’s awful.  You’re going to stay with me and my other toys from now on.  Do you want your leg?’ she added.

‘Well,’ said Celia, ‘I’d like to have it.’

Lisa bent down and picked up the leg.

‘Goodbye, Celia,’ said Winnie, Annabelle and the two sheep.

‘It has been a pleasure working with you again,’ said Winnie.  ‘I am sure that there never has been, and never will be a finer baby Jesus.’