“Upon a time—­so long ago that I can’t tell how long ago it was—­I fell upon a hill-side.  It was in a far distant country; this I know, because, although it was the Christmas time, it was not in that country as it is wont to be in countries to the north.  Hither the snow-king never came; flowers bloomed all the year, and at all times the lambs found pleasant pasturage on the hill-sides.  The night wind was balmy, and there was a fragrance of cedar in its breath.  There were violets on the hill-side, and I fell amongst them and lay there.  I kissed them, and they awakened.  ‘Ah, is it you, little moonbeam?’ they said, and they nestled in the grass which the lambs had left uncropped.

“A shepherd lay upon a broad stone on the hill-side; above him spread an olive-tree, old, ragged, and gloomy; but now it swayed its rusty branches majestically in the shifting air of night.  The shepherd’s name was Benoni.  Wearied with long watching, he had fallen asleep; his crook had slipped from his hand.  Upon the hill-side, too, slept the shepherd’s flock.  I had counted them again and again; I had stolen across their gentle faces and brought them pleasant dreams of green pastures and of cool water-brooks.  I had kissed old Benoni, too, as he lay slumbering there; and in his dreams he seemed to see Israel’s King come upon earth, and in his dreams he murmured the promised Messiah’s name.

“‘Ah, is it you, little moonbeam?’ quoth the violets.  ’You have come in good time.  Nestle here with us, and see wonderful things come to pass.’

“‘What are these wonderful things of which you speak?’ I asked.

“‘We heard the old olive-tree telling of them to-night,’ said the violets.  ‘Do not go to sleep, little violets,’ said the old olive-tree, ’for this is Christmas night, and the Master shall walk upon the hill-side in the glory of the midnight hour.’  So we waited and watched; one by one the lambs fell asleep; one by one the stars peeped out; the shepherd nodded and crooned, and crooned and nodded, and at last he, too, went fast asleep, and his crook slipped from his keeping.  Then we called to the old olive-tree yonder, asking how soon the midnight hour would come; but all the old olive-tree answered was ‘Presently, presently,’ and finally we, too, fell asleep, wearied by our long watching, and lulled by the rocking and swaying of the old olive-tree in the breezes of the night.

“‘But who is this Master?’ I asked.

“‘A child, a little child,’ they answered.  ’He is called the little Master by the others.  He comes here often, and plays among the flowers of the hill-side.  Sometimes the lambs, gambolling too carelessly, have crushed and bruised us so that we lie bleeding and are like to die; but the little Master heals our wounds and refreshes us once again.’

“I marvelled much to hear these things.  ’The midnight hour is at hand,’ said I, ’and I will abide with you to see this little Master of whom you speak.’  So we nestled among the verdure of the hill-side, and sang songs one to another.