WHO STOLE BABY JESUS ?

Years ago, besides one cat, we also had a dog. Her name was Bianca, as she was completely white and white in Italian means bianco. She was a very intelligent little dog and we all loved her very much. She lived for 9 years and died in 1988. But never ever we would forget her.

One Christmas as usual my parents arrived with an overloaded car full of gifts. My father getting out of the car looked around to be sure that the neighbors were watching and slowly unloaded the car. He wanted that everybody saw how generous he was with his daughter. Yes, that was my father always thinking what other people would think of him.

We had put up a big Christmas tree as every year and underneath the tree, was the big nativity scene, Mr G. had gotten when he was two years old. It was all handmade had a big stable with Josep, Maria and baby Jesus in his crip. On the top of the stable stood an angel with a trompet and farm houses and handmade ceramic people were standing around. There was also a fountain and little trees and bushes. Sheeps, cows, chickens and even an Elephant completed the peaceful village scene.

One year my mother had the good idea to replace the ceramic baby Jesus with a marzipan one. She had bought six of them in case somebody wanted to eat a baby Jesus. She put one in the crip and the next day the crip was empty. Of course she suspected me ! (as if I would steal and eat a baby Jesus over night) and then Mr. G. who also claimed his innocence. Of course she never suspected her beloved grandson. So with a sigh, she put a new baby Jesus in the crip. The next morning Baby Jesus had disappeard again !

Finally she suspected her little grandson, but he didn't like marzipan and whould never have eaten baby Jesus and he was very offended. The whole thing repeated itself for 3 days. My mother was afraid of running out of marzipan Jesus. After the last marzipan Jesus had disappeared, she reluctantly put the ceramic one back in the crip. And then we saw it all in the evening. Doggy Bianca, made herself a way through houses, cows, sheeps and chickens and sniffed at the crip. Then, disappointed turned around and looked at us with big disappointed eyes. Her little treat was gone. And we all had a good laugh, even my mother.

Bianca the innocent dog