SR • December 2015
5
H
ave you ever gotten caught with your hand in the cookie
jar? I almost did and, while trying to hide, I wound up taking a
long ride in a sack of grain. In the end I met the most amazing
human, a baby who would forever change the world.
My day started like any other with a slice of mom’s barley
bread for breakfast. Mom always mixed in just the right
amount of honey, making hers the best barley bread in all of
Galilee. Like any other young mouse, I would have liked to
have slept in late...but not if it meant missing out on a slice
of barley bread.
“Zacharias,” my mom called as I finished my last bite, “your
father and I will be busy today gathering the supplies we will
need while the humans are in Bethlehem.”
“I still don’t understand why they are leaving. I’ll miss
watching Mr. Joseph working in his shop.”
“I know. We will all miss them while they’re gone. But
they have to go to Bethlehem by order of the emperor.”
Wiping her paws on her red apron, she gave me
the look
...the kind moms give when they want to
make sure their children are paying attention. “Make
sure you stay out of trouble Zacharias.” Mom was the
only one who called me by my full name, which was the
Greek version of Zechariah. I was named after one of Ms.
Mary’s relatives whose name meant “God has remembered.”
“The people will be busy getting ready for their trip,” mom
continued. “Please stay out of their way.”
“I will.”
I put my plate in the sink and headed to my room to get my
favorite red cape. My shield, made from a coin which had
been dropped by one of Mr. Joseph’s customers, was under my
bed. The shield and cape make me look like a Roman soldier.
Unfortunately, while I had my uniform I did not have my sword.
My original sword got broken when I stepped on it by accident.
Good thing we live in a carpenter’s home. There are always
small scraps of wood on the floor so I knew I would have no
trouble finding a replacement sword. With sword in hand I
would be dressed for battle, ready to defeat the fiercest of
dust bunnies.
I made my way out of our nest and into the kitchen that Mr.
Joseph was making for Mary. They were just recently married
and were still working to set up the house to Mary’s liking.
From there I had hoped to make my way to the shop but my
plans were interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Hello, Mary,” said the woman visitor, “I wish I could stay
awhile but the animals are loaded and we are ready to start our
journey. I just wanted to drop off these Teiglach.”
Teiglach! Just hearing the name made my mouth water. You can
keep your chocolate chips. No other cookie compared to a
fresh warm Teiglach. Teiglach are small balls of dough boiled in
honey. Normally we would only eat them during Rosh Hashanah,
the Jewish New Year, and they were best eaten before the
honey became brittle. It was not the season for Teiglach...but
hey, who’s complaining!
“I thought,” the visitor continued, “these might sweeten your
journey. Are you sure you will be okay taking such a long ride?”
“I’ll be fine,” Mary answered with a slight giggle. “I just hope
the baby can wait until after we return. Having a baby on the
road would not be much fun.”
I missed the rest of their conversation because the smell of
warm honey filled the house. I had to have at least one Teiglach
before Mary and Joseph left.
Mary and the woman said their goodbyes and Mary carried the
bag of cookies over to the table. Then she returned to the task
of packing clothes for the trip. That’s when I made my move.
I scurried across the room and over to the table. Joseph had
carved decorations into the table’s leg making it easy to climb,
even with my cape trailing behind. A bag of barley sitting near
the table kept me hidden from view on my way up.
Zach in
the Sack
By Dennis Coleman
SDB Church of Shiloh, NJ
Continued on next page..
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