Legend of the Christmas Robin
One Christmas night, it was extrememly cold and a cold breeze constantly blew into the stable where Mary lay with the baby Jesus. The fire in the stable, the only source of heat for the baby, was about to go out so Mary asked the nearby animals for help.
She asked the sleeping ox, the tired donkey and the sheep, but they were either asleep and couldn't be woken or they just refused to help.
Suddenly, Mary heard the sound of flapping wings. A robin had heard Mary's cry for help and had flown to the stable to see how he could assist.
The robin noticed the fire about to go out and began flapping his wings hard at the dying embers of fire. He flapped and flapped until the fire was rekindled and bright with red and yellow flames. He continued to fan the flame, flapping hard so that the fire never went out and it kept baby Jesus warm.
To be sure the fire stayed alive, the robin used his beak and dropped some dry sticks into the fire. This caused the fire to suddenly rise and it burnt the birds breast.
But, despite the burns he received, the bird continued fanning so that the Christ Child could be kept warm and sleep comfortably.
Mary humbly thanked the robin for his effort and looked at his breast, which by now was red with the burn, and she blessed him for his deed of valor and selflessness.
FAST FACT: Robins are regarded as the traditional symbol of the UK and can often be found on greeting cards and gift wrappings.
