As he grew up many wondered at his words, and loved him so much that they left all to follow him. At last he laid down his life for us all. Then his children began to understand who he was and how he loved them, and many gladly suffered and died for his sake, and the story of the holy Child is now read by those who love him around the whole world, and they now begin to understand his words when he said, “I and my Father are one.” Is not this the most beautiful Christmas story in the world?
And the hero of this great Christmas story still lives in heaven, and hears our prayers and watches over us so lovingly. He is glad when we are like him and grieved when we forget his teachings.
THE ELEPHANT’S TOOTHACHE.
A dentist tells this story of an elephant that belonged to a circus. He was very good-natured, but one day when his keeper went near him he made a vicious switch at him with his trunk.
The keeper knew the elephant so well that he said at once that the elephant was sick; something was the matter with him. He sat at a safe distance from the elephant and watched him.
The elephant trumpeted loud and acted as though he was very angry, but no one could decide what was the cause of the change in this good elephant’s disposition. This continued for three days. At the end of that time one of the men said, “Why, when Jack” (that was the elephant’s name) “lies down he keeps rubbing one side of his head; I think he has got the toothache;” and everybody immediately said, “Yes, that’s what’s the matter.”
