So if she was an angel, why had Miss Carter told her that she couldn’t be an angel?

They had been rehearsing for the school Nativity play for two weeks, they had learnt all the Christmas songs, and Miss Carter had read the Christmas story to them THREE times. Ruby was sure that she would be chosen as the angel, but no! Miss Carter had chosen Jodi to be the angel and Ruby who was clearly far more suitable to be the angel, had been told she was to be a SHEEP! Imagine a sheep! She had no words to say, just “baa” and the costume she had to wear was woolly and itchy, Ruby was furious!!

It wasn’t that she didn’t like Jodi, in fact Ruby and Jodi were best friends, they had been at nursery together and their Mums were best friends too. But Jodi an angel and Ruby a sheep - that was just ridiculous!

When Ruby’s Mum arrived to collect her from school, she was still cross:

“Whatever’s wrong Ruby, where’s your smile gone?” asked her Mum.

Miss Carter saw Ruby’s Mum and asked Ruby to go and play for five minutes while she had a chat with her Mum.

When Ruby and her Mum got home they sat on the sofa with a drink and a biscuit: “Miss Carter told me all about the Nativity play and how disappointed you were about not being the angel” said her Mum. “But Miss Carter explained that both you and Jodi would have been perfect angels, it’s just that Jodi has been feeling sad recently because her Mum is in hospital. She is going to have a baby but Jodi is really missing her Mum, so Miss Carter thought it would help to cheer her up and take her mind off things by letting her be the angel”.

Ruby hung her head; she was starting to feel ashamed for making such a fuss and for being so silly.

“You know being a sheep is very special as well, when baby Jesus was born the Shepherds gave him a baby lamb as a present, and of course you know that a lamb is just a baby sheep” said Ruby’s Mum as she cuddled her close.

When Ruby went to bed that night all she could think about was poor Jodi missing her mum, she was so sorry she had been cross and would be extra nice to her, and she thought about how special it would be to be a little lamb visiting the baby Jesus.

On the day of the Nativity play, all the children were excited, the Mums and Dads were there to watch. Jodi was a brilliant angel even though she was sad because her Mum was not there to see her.

When the play was over and all the parents were clapping and cheering, Miss Carter came over and whispered something in Jodi’s ear. A big smile spread across her face and Miss Carter took her hand and helped her to take her wings off – she had been a great angel. Ruby’s Mum also came to the classroom to help Ruby change out of her sheep costume:

”I’ve got a surprise for you” said Ruby’s Mum as they walked to the car.

“Where are we going?” Ruby asked

“You’ll soon see,” answered Ruby’s Mum.

A little later Ruby and her Mum arrived at the hospital, Ruby’s mum took her into a room and there she saw Jodi and her Mum and Dad all standing around a babies cot. As Ruby ran up to them she saw a tiny blue bundle with a little pink face, it was Jodi’s brand new baby brother.

Ruby’s Mum handed her a present to give to the baby, Jodi said she would open it for him and there inside was a beautiful cuddly toy lamb.