December 16, 2024 • 29 mins
The Old Time Christmas Radio Channel from REL-MAR McConnell Media Company is a delightful auditory journey back to the golden age of radio, where the spirit of the holiday season comes to life through classic broadcasts. This channel features a treasure trove of family-friendly shows that harken back to yesteryear, offering a charming mix of nostalgia and heartwarming tales perfect for listeners of all ages. Listeners can enjoy timeless Christmas favorites that include festive stories, and comedic sketches from beloved classic radio programs. Each broadcast is carefully curated to evoke the magic of Christmas, transporting audiences to a simpler time filled with joy, laughter, and the warmth of family gatherings. Waith a rich library of vintage audio from iconic shows, the Old Time Christmas Radio Channel creates an enchanting backdrop for holiday celebrations. Whether you’re decorating the Christmas tree, wrapping gifts, or enjoying a warm beverage by the fire, this channel provides the perfect soundtrack to make your holiday season even more special. Tune in and let the delightful narratives and jingling tunes rekindle cherished memories and create new traditions for generations to come. For more Old Time Radio and other great programming from REL-MAR McConell Media Company visit www.xzbn.net. Merry Christmas Everyone from REL-MAR McConnell Media Company – www.rel-mar.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
The following is transcribed.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Family Theater presents Ruth Hussy, Roddy McDonnell and Lois Butler.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Ron Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The mutual network and cooperation with Family Theater brings you
a Christmas fantasy set in a framework of Christmas music.
To tell you about our presentation with Charles Taswell's classic
Lullaby of Christmas, we present ruthe Pussey.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Thank you, Tony Lofrano.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
You know, one of the wonderful things about Christmas is
the pretty web of legend, song and story that has
grown up around it without obscuring for any of us.
I hope the truth of the matter. At another time
of year, we might call the joyousness of spirit, way, experience,
and excess. But in the expansive mood that Christmas brings
to everything, I'd use a more gentle word, a more
(01:11):
generous description. Won't you agree that the right word is abundance.
I think it's out of this abundance that most Christmas
fantasy springs, out of the fact that the real truth
of Christmas is so wonderful, so dramatic, so quickening to
the heart and to the imagination, and that leads us
to Lullaby of Christmas, which Roddy McDowell is going to
(01:33):
narrate for us.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
This story is as old as Christmas, and yet it's
neither remembered nor told except by the tungueless ones, the water,
the wind, the rain and the snow, by the grasses,
the trees, the rocks, and the earth. They have told
the story for almost two thousand Christmases passed, and they'll
(02:15):
still be telling it two thousand times two thousand Christmases
to come. It will be told by a wind rustling
a tree of palm or pine, or of maple on Mimosa,
By water, the crowds against the bank or shore of
brook Lake, River and ocean, and all are scattered seven seas,
by rain tiptoeing across the roofs and skylights of every
(02:37):
building northeast, south and west of Greenwich, by the singing
grasses of southern tampers, bush and savannah, and by the
icy twang of sleeated stubble on prairie, heave and plain.
It will be told by the sucking swamp mud and
are hard, ringing frozen earth, and the tumbling rock and
the migrant sand. It will be told whether not men
(03:00):
listen or whether or not there are men to listen,
or As the story tellers are eternal, so is their
story eternal, their story of the Lullaby of Christmas. Whenever
(03:28):
someone looked in his direction and valued, hey, you, he
came running because he was eager to please. But au
wasn't his name. No one knew from when she came,
or when, or how or why. It was quite possible
that he was a forlorn and useless bit of jetson
from one of the caravans that were forever appearing and
disappearing like mirages, with camel.
Speaker 6 (03:50):
Bells, crying of dogs barking, and driver howling the right
of way through the narrow, crowded rover of Betheler. He
might have been a or he could have been nigh
and a childish collection of angles and knobs, with an
animated pipe stem on.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
Each corner for an arm or leg. His clothing was
an assortment of tattered rags fastened together with knots, thorns,
and bits of cord, and it stayed with him when
he ran nearly because his greater speed was never quite
equal to the greater law of gravity, and he was
always running to something from something. His sandals which had
been owned and discarded by three much larger wearers, flapping
(04:26):
up and down and right and left at his bobbing head,
perching precariously on his scrawny little neck, like a fledgling
heron on one leg. And yet there was something about
the boy that made people notice him. There was something
(04:50):
appealing in his dark eyes, and something about his cherub's
mouth that unlocked the heart. Now and then someone along
the street would stop him and ask his name. But
when a try to answer, from out of his cherub's mouth,
instead of words would come a horrible sound, a scourging,
piercing ear scraping, howling and shrieking. Yes, a U was
(05:19):
without the gift of speech. And at night, in the
stable of the inn, where he made his bed, he
would curl up in the fragrant hay and think of
all the beautiful magic words that he would like to say.
Just suppose, just suppose the miracle should take place during
the night. Just suppose that he should wake up tomorrow
(05:41):
morning and walk over to that stall and say good morning,
mister cow oh wonderful. And then he'd run outside of
the pen and call out hello, mister she Oh magnever
sent morning.
Speaker 7 (05:50):
He could talk.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
He could say anything and everything that he wanted to say,
And wouldn't the innkeeper's wife be surprised when she handed
out the scraps for his breakfast, and loudly and clearly
he said, said.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
I'm terrible oblige, man, just terrible oblige.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
And then when he was called to do some task
or errand he could tell the inky band his guests
that his name wasn't Au. Why that wasn't any kind
of name at all. It was just an easy and
careless way.
Speaker 8 (06:14):
They all had him shouting, hey you, ay you, my
name isn't Au.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
He kill me, hey you, my name's was Zekiel.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
But the most stupendous, overwhelming thing of all, he would
be able to sing, yes, sing as no one had
ever sung before, with every word and note so clear
and sweet and perfect that everyone in Bethlehem would stand
rock still to listen. He would be able to sing
with the other children when they played their games, and
(06:45):
he would be able to sing right along with the
foreign music maker, the one with the liar and the
tame bear who walked the roadways and sang for coins.
Speaker 9 (06:54):
A love well, the kiss us Up Answer, And at.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Night and evening, when the roaring fire was juggling spat
hot sparks in the black cabin chimney, and the innkeeper
and his guests were overflowing with wine and psalms. He'd
never need hide himself in the darkest corner in fear
that they would make him join in just so that
they could laugh at him. No, he'd be able to
stand right by the fire and listen, because he'd be
(07:24):
able to sing that song much better than anyone in
the room.
Speaker 9 (07:28):
All fail the ball up to the brand and memory
band with wine and great the bories.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
So each night, before Au closed his eyes, he said
a prayer for the gift of speech and psalm, and
faithfully promised that if God saw fit to grant these
great blessings to a small boy, that he would never
use any words that weren't kind and gentle and reverent,
and that he would never sing any songs that were
not beautiful, joyful, and harmonious. Then he burrowed deep into
(08:01):
the hay and fell asleep, warm and content in his
belief that on this night God had heard him. In
the morning, when the rising sun reached through the doorway
and touched his shoulder, to wake him up. He would
open his eyes, and then he'd open his mouth, and
then very loudly and thankfully, he'd.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Say, oh, thank you God, thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
But morning after morning, God disappointed him. And finally, after
months of mornings had vanished into Egypt, au knew that
he would always be just as he was, as inarticulate
as a tumble bug, as a wood take, as a worm.
(08:57):
For a few nights, say you, tried himself to sleep
in blackness chouragement, and then he resolved that he would
never open his mouth again to make people laugh. And
when his work was done, he trudged out of Bethlehem
and wandered over the fields and hills. Travelers sometimes wondered
when they saw his lonely little figure against the sky,
(09:19):
and none of them knew that he really wasn't lonely
at all. Why he couldn't be lonely among friends? For
he discovered that a brook running over its pebbles and
stones could chatter and prattle and sing to him, and
if he answered, or even if he sang, the brook
(09:42):
didn't care a ripple that the noises he made were
strange and unmusical. It went right along singing as loudly
and joyfully as ever yes, and the winds were for
ever whispering, humming, or carroling. Sometimes they were so filled
with music that they shook their great trees and booked
them up, and they tied. The great limbs had made
every leaf and twig join in with the singing. So
(10:05):
Au sang too, And the trees didn't care, and the
winds didn't care. Neither did the rain. When it frommed
on the rocks or stump through the tall grasses, it
went right on, just as though his horrible din was
the most sublime music it has ever heard. And then
when he was tired, A You would lie on the
(10:25):
ground with his ear pressed tight against the moss, and
listen to the small, far away voices, the little, scarcely
audible voices deep in the ever moving, ever singing earth itself.
The song they sang was very sweet, but so faint
and distant. The try as he might, he could never
(10:46):
learn the melody. And so listening to his friends, the
tongueless ones, A You would fall fast asleep. And in
(11:10):
the days that followed he was a little scarecrow, stuffed
with happiness, A standing on tiptoe happiness that was more
prolific than a cottontail rabbit, an invincible, conquering happiness that
could summon up more legiance than the Roman emperor. It
was so far above the miracle he had asked for
in his prayers that Au took a long time every
(11:30):
night to thank God for his generosity. He thanked him
so meticulously and particularly and abundantly that his small fingers
developed a cramp, and on each round nobby knee was
a round.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
No be callous.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
And then without the slightest warning, coming with cock crow
as any other day, wearing the same identical colors of
dawn as yesterday's beneficent morning, came the dreadful day. It
was begun by the innkeeper, kicking methodically at the mount
of Hey, where Au had buried himself, and bawling bil.
Speaker 7 (12:10):
Come on, crawl out of learn, get the work, find
your finger.
Speaker 9 (12:14):
And slice out your tongue and cellar callow.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Then the dreadful day was helped along by the Innkeeper's
fat and fuming white. At mid morning, when AU's stomach
was tied in a double bone knot with hunger, he
stuck one eye around the frame of the kitchen door
to let it beg for his breakfast, and the innkeeper's
wife doused him with slimy dishwater and screamed, do Tom,
grunting and.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Screaming for scraps at my door when I'm busy a
miserable dollar rubbish.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
With the rest of the swine. And in the afternoon,
as Au was racing through the town on one of
his endless errands, a tired thong snapped on one of
his oversized sandals, and.
Speaker 8 (12:52):
The sandal went skippering through the air.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
Purposely ignoring half a dozen people who would have nearly
scowled or scolded, and dropped deliberately andciously on the proud
and helmeted head of a swaggering centurion. The centurion plucked
You out of the crowd by his rags and lifted
him up off the ground and held him dangling at
arm's length, demanding his name at his dwelling place. And
(13:16):
when a You tried to answer but only made meaningless sounds,
the centurion shook him until he flipped and flopped like
a limp grief stricken starfish.
Speaker 9 (13:24):
Had he bellowed, look at me or you dribbling, babbling,
voiceless offshoot of a scurvy dribble mouth dalairat. If ever
again you'll foul my eyes, I'll change you and send
you the room to feed the Emperor's lions.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
And through the remaining hours of the dreadful days afternoon,
no matter how fast a you ran, the story of
his affliction and humiliation always ran faster. It was a street,
an alley, or even a doorway ahead of him. He
seemed to run through a forest of pointing fingers that threatened,
a pillin wall, under a sky of leering eyes that
(14:02):
fell and clung to.
Speaker 6 (14:04):
Him like cha by endless.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
Craters of jeering mouths that shouted laughter like bottomless pushkin water.
And that night, as each hour slowly yielded to an
older one, and a dreadful day near its end, Au
(14:28):
was kept late at his casts. In the end, anyone
could believe that half the known world had journeyed to Bethlehem,
and the Inn was so crouded that the ancient floor
seemed to sag from the mouth weight of weary bone
and unwashed by the f Au longed to bury his
chain and tears in the nestling warmth of the stable hay.
But his tired, trembling legs, carried him about with staggering armor,
(14:51):
with steaming.
Speaker 6 (14:52):
Bowls and slapping mugs pick him.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
Upper hands flapped his ears to ringing, and his knees
jolted his aching ribbons. The one who discovered and recognized
the us was a huge mountain of a man whose
eyes rolled like cooked silver in their beep beds of
jelly fat.
Speaker 6 (15:10):
One hairy poor crushed a dedrummer.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Stew from his beard, while the other fastened on AU's
hair and lifted him his legs still running desperately in
the air.
Speaker 6 (15:19):
To the table top.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
Then, in a voice that would have silenced Ballam's donkey,
he brayed the listening ears.
Speaker 7 (15:25):
Oh, my friend, the old is miserable insect that I
have captured for your examination and amusement.
Speaker 10 (15:34):
Ah.
Speaker 7 (15:35):
Oh, you must not laugh, my friends, You must gather
close with ears agape, because this struggling thing here's a
wondrous golden voice lever equal Lando sea.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Or up in heaven.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
Why twice where this is true?
Speaker 7 (15:52):
I Sentorion made it up today, and this music was
so sweet it broke my heart and made the angels
we beene.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
Tell me, would you like to hear it change, man.
Speaker 7 (16:12):
I've got a lot good mellori bout for No, you're
not hearing when you're saying I shall I stretch your
tongue like a cruise, tell you I can't speak like
are you? And he sang, I tell you.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Shame, shame.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
And so, standing on the table a you tried to sing.
And at every cuneless howl, the crowd sucked its mockery,
at every unmelodious screech, it roared its derision, at every
discordant squeak, it loosed a thunderbolt of laughter that crashed
and splintered on his head. And his mind was fear,
and his body was shame, that his blood was tears.
(17:02):
But he went on. He went on until the crowd
had rung the last outstanding afore the final satisfying chuckle,
the ultimate forced snigger from his wretched little body. And
when it released him, he ran blindly off through the
dark labyrinth of Bethlehem, a terror stricken shadow, racing for
the quiet hills and the warm, comforting voices of the tongueless.
(17:32):
But to night there were no voices. Even though you
held his breath, even though he strained his ears, he
could hear no sound from the tongueless ones. Even when
he threw himself down and laid his ear to the ground,
there was no small sound to hear. Even the little
voices deep in the earth had stopped there whispering and
(17:55):
were quiet. Then ere you howled and babbled and tried
to make the ungless ones answer him, but they only
waited and listened. And he crooked and screamed at them,
But still they waited and listened, and he wept and
shrieked at them, but they kept silent while they waited
and listened, just listened and waited. Then Au rolled over
(18:23):
on his back to listen too, and he saw that
a great white star had risen and were shining over Bethlehem,
a star so bright it blinded him. And so he
closed his eyes, and, exhausted by the dreadful day, he
went to sleep. It was close to morning when Aju
(18:52):
returned to the inn. He tiptoed across the frosty stones
of the dark courtyard and crept into the stable. For
a moment, his fear held him motionless, for the stable
was bathed with a bright, glowing radiance that revealed every
corner and straw and paganed molt of dust, and it
flowed like molten sunlight over a man and a woman
(19:15):
and a manger where a child was cradled. Neither the
man nor the woman appeared surprised to see aol It
was as though they had expected.
Speaker 10 (19:25):
Him to come and were waiting for him. So he
stole nearer, and he looked down at the child, and
the child lifted small hands.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
And smiled at him. Then a youth felt that he
must speak to this child, so he whispered hello there,
and the words he spoke were as clear and melodious
as the water of the brook. Then he said hello, child,
and the words that came from his lips were as
(19:58):
sweet as the wind, as perfect as each raindrow, and
as soft as the long flowing grasses. Then they you
knew why he'd been born, never to speak until this moment,
and why the tongueless ones of God's world of water
and earth and air had all sung to him, And
(20:21):
why tonight they had all been still and silent and waiting.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Now the waiting was over.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
Now they were his voice, and he.
Speaker 8 (20:31):
Was their song, And this was their song to the
child of the manger, precious on.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Sure all.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Laughed.
Speaker 8 (20:58):
All we say.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
To sleep, are Christ.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
All love.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
For the gracious sleepy Coolsal.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
Yes, this story is as old as Christmas, and yet
it's neither remembered nor told except are the tungueless ones,
the water, the wind, the rain and the snow, the grasses,
the trees, the rocks, and the earth. It will be
told this Chris, by a wind rustling a tree of
palm or pine or maple or mimosa. By waters it
(22:06):
crowds against the bank or shore of brook Lake, river
and ocean, and all the scattered seven seas, by rain
as it patters across the roofs and skylights. Yes, and
by the singing grasses of the southern tampess bush and savannah,
and the icy twang of sleeated stubble on prairie, heath
and plain. The few years that listen may wonder at
(22:29):
the strange childlike quality in the voices of all these
story tellers. But that's so very easy to understand. It
is the bright, joyful, exultant tone of the boy who
sang for them one early morning, one Christmas morning, one
glorious morning in Bedland.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
Thank you Roddy for steering us so imaginatively. Christmas time
is associated by all of us with first beginnings and
with the home. It's really a time of return in spirit.
We can all return to that little family of Bethlehem
centered the Christmas Crib. And that's where Lois Butler leads
us as she sings Jesu Bambino, the baby, Jesus.
Speaker 10 (23:51):
Blood, blood, blow our bond.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Are we be not cha not create?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
No row talcky hobl hormon, the docking hock.
Speaker 10 (24:56):
The rod.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Guy said pak, thank you, thank you, Lois Butler. When
(26:51):
Charles Taswell's script said, so.
Speaker 4 (26:53):
Powerfully, is that all creation daily thanks its author in
its mute and mighty ways. Others might see monotony, but
to the discerning eye.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
It's beauty.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Just the other day a.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Friend asked me, isn't prayer a monotonous thing?
Speaker 3 (27:12):
I didn't think so.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
No. On the matter of monotony, I don't think God
blames the levelness of the plain for not being a
solitary mountain peak, or a flight of friendly swallows for
not being lonely eagles. There is beauty in order and
in change, beauty in variety, and beauty in saneness. These
(27:35):
are but some of the reasons. I can't believe that
to God prayer is ever monotonous. I know that to
each new maid Father, the child in his arms is
completely unlike the billions born before him. A family kneeling
together saying the same prayers they get among themselves, not
a feeling of monotony, but a feeling of splendid unity.
(27:56):
That's why Family Theater keep saying, the family the praise together,
stays together.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Of From Hollywood, Family Theater has brought you.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Transcribed Charles Taswell's Lullaby of Christmas, narrated by Roddy mcdowald,
with Ruth Hussey as hostess.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Our soloist was Lois Butner.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Others in our cast were Michael Edwards, Ted Decrsier, Irene Tedrow,
and Bill Johnstone. Music was composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman.
Family Theater's director was Joseph F. Mansfield. This is Tony
Lofrano expressing the wish of Family Theater that the blessing
of God may be upon you and your home, and
inviting you to be with us next Sunday at nine
(28:52):
pm Eastern standard time over most of these stations. One
Family Theater will present our special Christmas program, The Joyful
Hour aarring Lechia Albanes and Blyth McDonald, Kerrey, Jeff Chandler,
Gene Cagney, Bing Crosby, Bobby Driscoll, Jimmy Duranty, June Haber,
Rue Pussy, William Ludigan, Patt O'Brien, Rod O'Connor, Maureen O'Hara,
(29:14):
Marin O'Sullivan, Egy Parole, Lanny Ross, Robert Bryan, and Leonard Warren.
And next week Family Theater will present Star of Wonder
starring Pat O'Brien. Join us, won't you? This is the
mutual broadcasting system.
The following is transcribed.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Family Theater presents Ruth Hussy, Roddy McDonnell and Lois Butler.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Ron Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The mutual network and cooperation with Family Theater brings you
a Christmas fantasy set in a framework of Christmas music.
To tell you about our presentation with Charles Taswell's classic
Lullaby of Christmas, we present ruthe Pussey.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Thank you, Tony Lofrano.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
You know, one of the wonderful things about Christmas is
the pretty web of legend, song and story that has
grown up around it without obscuring for any of us.
I hope the truth of the matter. At another time
of year, we might call the joyousness of spirit, way, experience,
and excess. But in the expansive mood that Christmas brings
to everything, I'd use a more gentle word, a more
(01:11):
generous description. Won't you agree that the right word is abundance.
I think it's out of this abundance that most Christmas
fantasy springs, out of the fact that the real truth
of Christmas is so wonderful, so dramatic, so quickening to
the heart and to the imagination, and that leads us
to Lullaby of Christmas, which Roddy McDowell is going to
(01:33):
narrate for us.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
This story is as old as Christmas, and yet it's
neither remembered nor told except by the tungueless ones, the water,
the wind, the rain and the snow, by the grasses,
the trees, the rocks, and the earth. They have told
the story for almost two thousand Christmases passed, and they'll
(02:15):
still be telling it two thousand times two thousand Christmases
to come. It will be told by a wind rustling
a tree of palm or pine, or of maple on Mimosa,
By water, the crowds against the bank or shore of
brook Lake, River and ocean, and all are scattered seven seas,
by rain tiptoeing across the roofs and skylights of every
(02:37):
building northeast, south and west of Greenwich, by the singing
grasses of southern tampers, bush and savannah, and by the
icy twang of sleeated stubble on prairie, heave and plain.
It will be told by the sucking swamp mud and
are hard, ringing frozen earth, and the tumbling rock and
the migrant sand. It will be told whether not men
(03:00):
listen or whether or not there are men to listen,
or As the story tellers are eternal, so is their
story eternal, their story of the Lullaby of Christmas. Whenever
(03:28):
someone looked in his direction and valued, hey, you, he
came running because he was eager to please. But au
wasn't his name. No one knew from when she came,
or when, or how or why. It was quite possible
that he was a forlorn and useless bit of jetson
from one of the caravans that were forever appearing and
disappearing like mirages, with camel.
Speaker 6 (03:50):
Bells, crying of dogs barking, and driver howling the right
of way through the narrow, crowded rover of Betheler. He
might have been a or he could have been nigh
and a childish collection of angles and knobs, with an
animated pipe stem on.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
Each corner for an arm or leg. His clothing was
an assortment of tattered rags fastened together with knots, thorns,
and bits of cord, and it stayed with him when
he ran nearly because his greater speed was never quite
equal to the greater law of gravity, and he was
always running to something from something. His sandals which had
been owned and discarded by three much larger wearers, flapping
(04:26):
up and down and right and left at his bobbing head,
perching precariously on his scrawny little neck, like a fledgling
heron on one leg. And yet there was something about
the boy that made people notice him. There was something
(04:50):
appealing in his dark eyes, and something about his cherub's
mouth that unlocked the heart. Now and then someone along
the street would stop him and ask his name. But
when a try to answer, from out of his cherub's mouth,
instead of words would come a horrible sound, a scourging,
piercing ear scraping, howling and shrieking. Yes, a U was
(05:19):
without the gift of speech. And at night, in the
stable of the inn, where he made his bed, he
would curl up in the fragrant hay and think of
all the beautiful magic words that he would like to say.
Just suppose, just suppose the miracle should take place during
the night. Just suppose that he should wake up tomorrow
(05:41):
morning and walk over to that stall and say good morning,
mister cow oh wonderful. And then he'd run outside of
the pen and call out hello, mister she Oh magnever
sent morning.
Speaker 7 (05:50):
He could talk.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
He could say anything and everything that he wanted to say,
And wouldn't the innkeeper's wife be surprised when she handed
out the scraps for his breakfast, and loudly and clearly
he said, said.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
I'm terrible oblige, man, just terrible oblige.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
And then when he was called to do some task
or errand he could tell the inky band his guests
that his name wasn't Au. Why that wasn't any kind
of name at all. It was just an easy and
careless way.
Speaker 8 (06:14):
They all had him shouting, hey you, ay you, my
name isn't Au.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
He kill me, hey you, my name's was Zekiel.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
But the most stupendous, overwhelming thing of all, he would
be able to sing, yes, sing as no one had
ever sung before, with every word and note so clear
and sweet and perfect that everyone in Bethlehem would stand
rock still to listen. He would be able to sing
with the other children when they played their games, and
(06:45):
he would be able to sing right along with the
foreign music maker, the one with the liar and the
tame bear who walked the roadways and sang for coins.
Speaker 9 (06:54):
A love well, the kiss us Up Answer, And at.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Night and evening, when the roaring fire was juggling spat
hot sparks in the black cabin chimney, and the innkeeper
and his guests were overflowing with wine and psalms. He'd
never need hide himself in the darkest corner in fear
that they would make him join in just so that
they could laugh at him. No, he'd be able to
stand right by the fire and listen, because he'd be
(07:24):
able to sing that song much better than anyone in
the room.
Speaker 9 (07:28):
All fail the ball up to the brand and memory
band with wine and great the bories.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
So each night, before Au closed his eyes, he said
a prayer for the gift of speech and psalm, and
faithfully promised that if God saw fit to grant these
great blessings to a small boy, that he would never
use any words that weren't kind and gentle and reverent,
and that he would never sing any songs that were
not beautiful, joyful, and harmonious. Then he burrowed deep into
(08:01):
the hay and fell asleep, warm and content in his
belief that on this night God had heard him. In
the morning, when the rising sun reached through the doorway
and touched his shoulder, to wake him up. He would
open his eyes, and then he'd open his mouth, and
then very loudly and thankfully, he'd.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Say, oh, thank you God, thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
But morning after morning, God disappointed him. And finally, after
months of mornings had vanished into Egypt, au knew that
he would always be just as he was, as inarticulate
as a tumble bug, as a wood take, as a worm.
(08:57):
For a few nights, say you, tried himself to sleep
in blackness chouragement, and then he resolved that he would
never open his mouth again to make people laugh. And
when his work was done, he trudged out of Bethlehem
and wandered over the fields and hills. Travelers sometimes wondered
when they saw his lonely little figure against the sky,
(09:19):
and none of them knew that he really wasn't lonely
at all. Why he couldn't be lonely among friends? For
he discovered that a brook running over its pebbles and
stones could chatter and prattle and sing to him, and
if he answered, or even if he sang, the brook
(09:42):
didn't care a ripple that the noises he made were
strange and unmusical. It went right along singing as loudly
and joyfully as ever yes, and the winds were for
ever whispering, humming, or carroling. Sometimes they were so filled
with music that they shook their great trees and booked
them up, and they tied. The great limbs had made
every leaf and twig join in with the singing. So
(10:05):
Au sang too, And the trees didn't care, and the
winds didn't care. Neither did the rain. When it frommed
on the rocks or stump through the tall grasses, it
went right on, just as though his horrible din was
the most sublime music it has ever heard. And then
when he was tired, A You would lie on the
(10:25):
ground with his ear pressed tight against the moss, and
listen to the small, far away voices, the little, scarcely
audible voices deep in the ever moving, ever singing earth itself.
The song they sang was very sweet, but so faint
and distant. The try as he might, he could never
(10:46):
learn the melody. And so listening to his friends, the
tongueless ones, A You would fall fast asleep. And in
(11:10):
the days that followed he was a little scarecrow, stuffed
with happiness, A standing on tiptoe happiness that was more
prolific than a cottontail rabbit, an invincible, conquering happiness that
could summon up more legiance than the Roman emperor. It
was so far above the miracle he had asked for
in his prayers that Au took a long time every
(11:30):
night to thank God for his generosity. He thanked him
so meticulously and particularly and abundantly that his small fingers
developed a cramp, and on each round nobby knee was
a round.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
No be callous.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
And then without the slightest warning, coming with cock crow
as any other day, wearing the same identical colors of
dawn as yesterday's beneficent morning, came the dreadful day. It
was begun by the innkeeper, kicking methodically at the mount
of Hey, where Au had buried himself, and bawling bil.
Speaker 7 (12:10):
Come on, crawl out of learn, get the work, find
your finger.
Speaker 9 (12:14):
And slice out your tongue and cellar callow.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Then the dreadful day was helped along by the Innkeeper's
fat and fuming white. At mid morning, when AU's stomach
was tied in a double bone knot with hunger, he
stuck one eye around the frame of the kitchen door
to let it beg for his breakfast, and the innkeeper's
wife doused him with slimy dishwater and screamed, do Tom,
grunting and.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Screaming for scraps at my door when I'm busy a
miserable dollar rubbish.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
With the rest of the swine. And in the afternoon,
as Au was racing through the town on one of
his endless errands, a tired thong snapped on one of
his oversized sandals, and.
Speaker 8 (12:52):
The sandal went skippering through the air.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
Purposely ignoring half a dozen people who would have nearly
scowled or scolded, and dropped deliberately andciously on the proud
and helmeted head of a swaggering centurion. The centurion plucked
You out of the crowd by his rags and lifted
him up off the ground and held him dangling at
arm's length, demanding his name at his dwelling place. And
(13:16):
when a You tried to answer but only made meaningless sounds,
the centurion shook him until he flipped and flopped like
a limp grief stricken starfish.
Speaker 9 (13:24):
Had he bellowed, look at me or you dribbling, babbling,
voiceless offshoot of a scurvy dribble mouth dalairat. If ever
again you'll foul my eyes, I'll change you and send
you the room to feed the Emperor's lions.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
And through the remaining hours of the dreadful days afternoon,
no matter how fast a you ran, the story of
his affliction and humiliation always ran faster. It was a street,
an alley, or even a doorway ahead of him. He
seemed to run through a forest of pointing fingers that threatened,
a pillin wall, under a sky of leering eyes that
(14:02):
fell and clung to.
Speaker 6 (14:04):
Him like cha by endless.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
Craters of jeering mouths that shouted laughter like bottomless pushkin water.
And that night, as each hour slowly yielded to an
older one, and a dreadful day near its end, Au
(14:28):
was kept late at his casts. In the end, anyone
could believe that half the known world had journeyed to Bethlehem,
and the Inn was so crouded that the ancient floor
seemed to sag from the mouth weight of weary bone
and unwashed by the f Au longed to bury his
chain and tears in the nestling warmth of the stable hay.
But his tired, trembling legs, carried him about with staggering armor,
(14:51):
with steaming.
Speaker 6 (14:52):
Bowls and slapping mugs pick him.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
Upper hands flapped his ears to ringing, and his knees
jolted his aching ribbons. The one who discovered and recognized
the us was a huge mountain of a man whose
eyes rolled like cooked silver in their beep beds of
jelly fat.
Speaker 6 (15:10):
One hairy poor crushed a dedrummer.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Stew from his beard, while the other fastened on AU's
hair and lifted him his legs still running desperately in
the air.
Speaker 6 (15:19):
To the table top.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
Then, in a voice that would have silenced Ballam's donkey,
he brayed the listening ears.
Speaker 7 (15:25):
Oh, my friend, the old is miserable insect that I
have captured for your examination and amusement.
Speaker 10 (15:34):
Ah.
Speaker 7 (15:35):
Oh, you must not laugh, my friends, You must gather
close with ears agape, because this struggling thing here's a
wondrous golden voice lever equal Lando sea.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Or up in heaven.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
Why twice where this is true?
Speaker 7 (15:52):
I Sentorion made it up today, and this music was
so sweet it broke my heart and made the angels
we beene.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
Tell me, would you like to hear it change, man.
Speaker 7 (16:12):
I've got a lot good mellori bout for No, you're
not hearing when you're saying I shall I stretch your
tongue like a cruise, tell you I can't speak like
are you? And he sang, I tell you.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Shame, shame.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
And so, standing on the table a you tried to sing.
And at every cuneless howl, the crowd sucked its mockery,
at every unmelodious screech, it roared its derision, at every
discordant squeak, it loosed a thunderbolt of laughter that crashed
and splintered on his head. And his mind was fear,
and his body was shame, that his blood was tears.
(17:02):
But he went on. He went on until the crowd
had rung the last outstanding afore the final satisfying chuckle,
the ultimate forced snigger from his wretched little body. And
when it released him, he ran blindly off through the
dark labyrinth of Bethlehem, a terror stricken shadow, racing for
the quiet hills and the warm, comforting voices of the tongueless.
(17:32):
But to night there were no voices. Even though you
held his breath, even though he strained his ears, he
could hear no sound from the tongueless ones. Even when
he threw himself down and laid his ear to the ground,
there was no small sound to hear. Even the little
voices deep in the earth had stopped there whispering and
(17:55):
were quiet. Then ere you howled and babbled and tried
to make the ungless ones answer him, but they only
waited and listened. And he crooked and screamed at them,
But still they waited and listened, and he wept and
shrieked at them, but they kept silent while they waited
and listened, just listened and waited. Then Au rolled over
(18:23):
on his back to listen too, and he saw that
a great white star had risen and were shining over Bethlehem,
a star so bright it blinded him. And so he
closed his eyes, and, exhausted by the dreadful day, he
went to sleep. It was close to morning when Aju
(18:52):
returned to the inn. He tiptoed across the frosty stones
of the dark courtyard and crept into the stable. For
a moment, his fear held him motionless, for the stable
was bathed with a bright, glowing radiance that revealed every
corner and straw and paganed molt of dust, and it
flowed like molten sunlight over a man and a woman
(19:15):
and a manger where a child was cradled. Neither the
man nor the woman appeared surprised to see aol It
was as though they had expected.
Speaker 10 (19:25):
Him to come and were waiting for him. So he
stole nearer, and he looked down at the child, and
the child lifted small hands.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
And smiled at him. Then a youth felt that he
must speak to this child, so he whispered hello there,
and the words he spoke were as clear and melodious
as the water of the brook. Then he said hello, child,
and the words that came from his lips were as
(19:58):
sweet as the wind, as perfect as each raindrow, and
as soft as the long flowing grasses. Then they you
knew why he'd been born, never to speak until this moment,
and why the tongueless ones of God's world of water
and earth and air had all sung to him, And
(20:21):
why tonight they had all been still and silent and waiting.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Now the waiting was over.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
Now they were his voice, and he.
Speaker 8 (20:31):
Was their song, And this was their song to the
child of the manger, precious on.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Sure all.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Laughed.
Speaker 8 (20:58):
All we say.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
To sleep, are Christ.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
All love.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
For the gracious sleepy Coolsal.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
Yes, this story is as old as Christmas, and yet
it's neither remembered nor told except are the tungueless ones,
the water, the wind, the rain and the snow, the grasses,
the trees, the rocks, and the earth. It will be
told this Chris, by a wind rustling a tree of
palm or pine or maple or mimosa. By waters it
(22:06):
crowds against the bank or shore of brook Lake, river
and ocean, and all the scattered seven seas, by rain
as it patters across the roofs and skylights. Yes, and
by the singing grasses of the southern tampess bush and savannah,
and the icy twang of sleeated stubble on prairie, heath
and plain. The few years that listen may wonder at
(22:29):
the strange childlike quality in the voices of all these
story tellers. But that's so very easy to understand. It
is the bright, joyful, exultant tone of the boy who
sang for them one early morning, one Christmas morning, one
glorious morning in Bedland.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
Thank you Roddy for steering us so imaginatively. Christmas time
is associated by all of us with first beginnings and
with the home. It's really a time of return in spirit.
We can all return to that little family of Bethlehem
centered the Christmas Crib. And that's where Lois Butler leads
us as she sings Jesu Bambino, the baby, Jesus.
Speaker 10 (23:51):
Blood, blood, blow our bond.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Are we be not cha not create?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
No row talcky hobl hormon, the docking hock.
Speaker 10 (24:56):
The rod.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Guy said pak, thank you, thank you, Lois Butler. When
(26:51):
Charles Taswell's script said, so.
Speaker 4 (26:53):
Powerfully, is that all creation daily thanks its author in
its mute and mighty ways. Others might see monotony, but
to the discerning eye.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
It's beauty.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Just the other day a.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Friend asked me, isn't prayer a monotonous thing?
Speaker 3 (27:12):
I didn't think so.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
No. On the matter of monotony, I don't think God
blames the levelness of the plain for not being a
solitary mountain peak, or a flight of friendly swallows for
not being lonely eagles. There is beauty in order and
in change, beauty in variety, and beauty in saneness. These
(27:35):
are but some of the reasons. I can't believe that
to God prayer is ever monotonous. I know that to
each new maid Father, the child in his arms is
completely unlike the billions born before him. A family kneeling
together saying the same prayers they get among themselves, not
a feeling of monotony, but a feeling of splendid unity.
(27:56):
That's why Family Theater keep saying, the family the praise together,
stays together.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Of From Hollywood, Family Theater has brought you.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Transcribed Charles Taswell's Lullaby of Christmas, narrated by Roddy mcdowald,
with Ruth Hussey as hostess.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Our soloist was Lois Butner.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Others in our cast were Michael Edwards, Ted Decrsier, Irene Tedrow,
and Bill Johnstone. Music was composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman.
Family Theater's director was Joseph F. Mansfield. This is Tony
Lofrano expressing the wish of Family Theater that the blessing
of God may be upon you and your home, and
inviting you to be with us next Sunday at nine
(28:52):
pm Eastern standard time over most of these stations. One
Family Theater will present our special Christmas program, The Joyful
Hour aarring Lechia Albanes and Blyth McDonald, Kerrey, Jeff Chandler,
Gene Cagney, Bing Crosby, Bobby Driscoll, Jimmy Duranty, June Haber,
Rue Pussy, William Ludigan, Patt O'Brien, Rod O'Connor, Maureen O'Hara,
(29:14):
Marin O'Sullivan, Egy Parole, Lanny Ross, Robert Bryan, and Leonard Warren.
And next week Family Theater will present Star of Wonder
starring Pat O'Brien. Join us, won't you? This is the
mutual broadcasting system.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com