A Camel's Word

A story about Jesus's birth from a camel's point of view.

            My throat felt as dry as the scorching sand below my feet. My legs felt like they would collapse at any given moment. I struggled under the weight of my master, Jabari. He was a caring man and didn’t work me too hard, but we had been traveling for miles. He had told his friends, Arastoo and Jabez that we needed to reach the Herodian palace before the star disappeared. Yes, I meant to say star. It was a beautiful sight, soaring high in the sky as the sun does in the day, except it was midnight. Unlike the sun, this star didn’t give light to all, it was like every other star, except bigger and brighter. Jabari mentioned that it didn’t fit into his chart of stars, which is interesting, because he has studied the stars for most of his aging life. He also told his friends that he hasn’t seen anything like it.

            “Steady there.” I heard the man on my back say as he patted my neck. I lowered myself to the sand, tucking my legs underneath my body, so Jabari could slip off my back. He then guided me gently to a water trough where I stood and drank my fill.

As I looked back at my past and all Jabari and I had gone through, I realized that I would never give up a chance to be with him. I loved my master and vice-versa. He had been my master for more years than I can count.

Jabari called for Arastoo and Jabez to follow him and disappeared into the palace. I hated when he left me, especially since I knew no one here in the stables or in the palace.

Slowly, I walked to the edge of the stable yard and tried to view my surroundings. That is when I heard a commotion in one of the rooms of the palace. In one of the rooms, someone was yelling, but they yelling stopped almost as soon as it had begun. Maybe it was nothing, but it still made me nervous.

I looked at one of the many windows and could make out figures and hear low murmuring voices.

“Farewell, then. Don’t forget! Tell me where this ‘King of the Jews’ is!” I looked up and noticed a man who had a white beard and hair. He was draped in purple robes and wore some kind of sash around his waist. I didn’t glimpse his face, but I assumed it was Herod.

Jabari, Arastoo and Jabez walked over to the stables, laughing and talking in hushed voices. They were each carrying some kind of jar.

“Come on, Mathis,” Jabari told me. “We just need to ride over to Bethlehem.” I gave a complaintive groan, but stood at my master’s command.

It was a ways yet to Bethlehem. I just hope that it isn’t a false alarm like last time.

We started the time-consuming journey ten minutes later.

When we reached Bethlehem, and after a little incident that involved a sand snake and Arastoo’s camel, Jewel, we began looking for the Messiah.

I wanted so badly to lay down and rest. Miserably, I pulled against the reins of my master and headed for a stable by an inn. Jabari sighed and let me.

I knelt down by the stable and let Jabari off, then I walked into the small structure. Inside, there was a man and a woman. The man was tall with dark hair. He was clean-shaven, unlike most in Israel, and he wore a long brown shirt with the usual baggy pants and robe. The woman was laying in some hay, her face as pale as the moon, and her dark hair pulled back in a bun. She wore a simple grey dress with a brown sash tried around her waist.

I lumbered over to the feeding trough and bent down to sample the hay, only to find that there was a baby there. I stepped back in surprise, almost stepping on a sheep. The man got up and gently pushed me away from the baby.

“Sorry, but I don’t want you to accidentally bite my new son,” the man laughed. That is when Arastoo, Jabari, and Jabez stepped forward. They stood there awkwardly for a moment, before walking over to the lady and giving their congratulations.

“We have come to look upon the baby.” Arastoo told the woman. She raised a tired hand and pointed to the trough. The three men crowded around the baby and set the jars they had been carrying by his little feet. Then with a bow from each of them, they left. I trailed behind them, wishing to be back in my stable stall.

That night, Jabari and his two friends set up tents. Outside Jabari’s tent I stood, slowly drifted off to sleep.

I awoke with a start when Jabari’s hand touched my shoulder. Then I bent down. “We need to leave. Herod is going to kill Jesus if we tell him where Jesus is.” Jabari whispered.

Arastoo and Jabez came out of their tents. “So that was Jesus, the Messiah, the Chosen one!” Jabez exclaimed. Slowly, Jabari nodded.

That is when I realized the full meaning of this all. The Messiah! The Chosen one of God! He was the one who we had been waiting for!

Author's Note

I know that some people don't like religous stuff, but I decided that it might be cool if I kind of wrote this story with my own twist. I tried not to stray too far from the truth, and I hope you who are reading this don't mind how it's written.