A Child’s Bedtime Story By DavidOriginalRWGathmanIllustrationsLathamMcSweenwww.ChristmasOfTheKing.com
The Global Evangelical Outreach Of The Himmelreich Memorial Christian Library.
Published by Anlacata Books New York, New York Anlacata is an imprint division of USAgency, Incorporated
For more information: www.TheAwakeningWorldwide.com www.TheHimmelreich.com
Second Printing 2022 Special “Signature Edition” For www.TheAwakeningWorldwide.com The Himmelreich Memorial Christian Library
Proceeds from this "Special Signature Edition" of "Christmas Of The King" benefit "The Awakening In America"
All Story & Words © 1977 2017 by RWGathman Original Illustrations & Artwork by David Latham McSween ISBN 9 7 8 0 9 7 6 9 4 8 4 2 1
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Library of Congress Gathman, Richard W. 1951 Christmas Of The King/RWGathman Includes story, title, audio, film, video, narration, original music, original illustrations, and multi media. Story originally published in the 2003 anthology collection “The Long Road Home” by RWGathman, Anlacata www.ChristmasOfTheKing.comPress.©RWGathmanAllrightsreservedworldwide
By
DavidOriginalRWGathmanIllustrationsLathamMcSweenANLACATABOOKS
A Child’s Bedtime Story This BelongsBookTo
A Child’s Bedtime Story
On the Night Before Christmas Once Upon A Time
– four happy young children asked their Father if he would please read to Christmas“...athem,scarystory withaHappyending...!”
Now, their Father told them that he did not know many scary Christmas stories with Happy endings – so that very evening he sat down and wrote his Children this special Christmas story of their very own.
When he read it to them, it soon became one of their favorites –– and now it’s yourstory,too!
Come gather ‘round, Children the tree is near’ trimmedt he the rooftops are covered with snowt he Snuggle up by the fire I’ll tell you the Tale of A Christmas Eve long, long ago Christmas of the KingA Child’s Bedtime Story Prologue
The Story and The Legend Start Here
...
‘Twas way and away way far away in a Land never touched bytouchedTimebyTime There once lived a King just a Legend some say with a story for your Heartw ith and mine
The Legend Begins
‘Twas deep in the Mountains deep in the Past and deep in the depths DDespairof–espair–
– there dwelt a Good King whose heart had grown coldg rown cold with a sadnessw ith too dreadful to bear
Now, it never had been this way in the Past and indeed, just one Christmas beforea nd His Joy was the pride of the whole CountrysideHis His Good Heart could not have loved moreHis
The object of all his Affections, you see were his Son, and his Daughter, and they were Happy as ever a family could be And grew HappierA nd Day by day
And the Forests would sing and the Mountains would ringa nd with their rich, royal, Kingly delightw ith
The Summers would pass like Sands through the Glassl ike slipping slowly from Morning to Night
Then the Summers would change as the Leaves would arrange to wear Colors of bright Red and Gold
And never a Kingdom could match the content of that Merriest Kingdom of Olde
As Autumn would draw to its Krinkly close thed raw white Winter Skies would appear
And the Hearts of the Children grew Happier still for they knew now that Christmas was neart hat
Oh, Christmas was special, the Children all knewt he the most Specialt he Season of all There were Cookies to make and Cakes to be bakeda nd Presentsandand bothPresents Great and smallsmall
Their Gladness would grow to a feverish pitch as The Grand Celebrations drew neard rew near
And Everyone knew as The Good King did too ‘twas the most precious‘t was Time of the Yearof the Year
But –Out of the shadows one dark, cloudless night on that lone Longest night of the year with the Children asleep in the low winter’s lightw ith
That first night of Winter a Wind chilled the Nighta and a Wintertime Beast did appear –a nd in rode KnightThTherodeBlackeBlackof FearK night of
TheForeverBlack Knight has wandered the Land seeking out whom to Destroy
He hated the Heart of the Good Christmas Kingt he he hated the young girl and boya nd inLosthisheMadnessdrewup his Planhe drew up to come in the Night to their beds and from their glad Hearts Hearts he’d steal their young Joy and replace it with Cold Fear insteadFear
Now Fear is an Evil that knows no good Thing like Darkness, it comes in the Nightl ike and hides where Confusion anda nd Hopelessness reign Then lingers long into the Lightlingers long into the Light
With sun settled back behind curtains of Blackcurtains with thew ith DarktheWinter’s Moon in its placeDark Winter’s as the Children lay sleeping he came in the Night
He came hhiswwithoutcameshowingithoutshowingFaceisFace
Like a Thief he came crawling as snarling he Crept “I’llCreptend all their FFearoutHeChristmasyoungJoy!”reachedoneClawastheyoungChildrensleptandgrippedtheeargrippedtheyounggirlyounggirlandboy
The Dark Deed was doneDark Deed was done each Child lay Frozen like Ice
The Black Knight of Fear stole away in the Dark Darkand
There in the Blackness
The King paidKing paid a terriblea terriblepriceprice
He found them next morning so Quiet – so Still not laughing nor breathing a word The Good King cried out in thec ried gray Morningg ray
ChillChillMorningbutnoonenoonecouldhelphimcouldhelphimwhoheardwhoheard
The Good King kneltGood King knelt close by their side
But nothing could melt their Dark Icy stares or the Fear that kept growing insidekept
All through the Day and all through the Night
The King felt more Lost and Alone and His Own Fear now grew for the Children he Loved
More than anyone else he had known
Night after night – day after Day
Then on the Third Night came his Servants to say “Tomorrow ‘tis Christmas,“ Tomorrow Good King...!” But with white Wintry eyes the King loudly proclaimed,t he “Nay, nevermore say“ Nay, nevermore say such a thing! “Throughoutthing!allmy Kingdom my Word shall go forth to Everyone – every ChristmasDecember!shall nevermore here in this Land be a day we shall ever RRemember!”everemember!”
At that very Moment each Servant grew cold Stone Cold at his HiscommandAngrywords fell like Ice over each Hopeful Heart –
–Land!thethroughallsweptDarknessand
Yet, sadly –understandhheAAtFFinallypainfullyhesawinallyhesawlasttlastcouldnowecouldnow
The King watched in Horror –his Kingdom was Lost!h is He buried his face in his hands
There at their bedsides he dropped to his knees and lifted his eyesa nd to the Sky
He opened his arms and He opened his Hearta nd as a Tear gently ran from his eyef rom
“My Lorddear in Heaven...”L ord he whispered so soft “Yourlowlylow servant Forgive!lowly for I hold no power or strength on my own own My kingdomisYoursisYourswhileIwhileIlive
Forgive, please my Anger – my Fear and Lost Hope for now, Lord, I finally see ‘Tis only Your Love which brings Power and Peace return now Your Peace uponPeaceme and Lord should you find that it pleases Your Heart – dear Lord, set my Little Ones free – Please, Lord...!”
Then –The Skies opened up as the Darkness gave way to a AndLight!shimmeringglimmeringtheysayto this day that the Sun’s brightest ray never shone as the Heavens that night
There midst the brilliance a Child appeareda as the Babe in the Mangerthe of OldeManger And a couldVoicebe heardcould be which spoke loud a word and The Worda nd which it “Behold!”spokespokewas
“Here is my Son who well pleases my Heart and who all His Lifea nd I have Loved whoI’mLikeLovedyou,aFatheroncelostMyChild and I feel your Pain here above...”
“Now you my Good King do a very Good Thing And Believe in your Heart what is ChristmasSoTruethis Morn on the Night He was Born toyourIreturndearChildrenyou...”
– at that very Moment the Children breathed deep their icy starest heirmeltedstaresaway and Choirs of Angels were heard from afar singing “Peace to All Men on this Day...!”
– that very same Moment the King’s Heart was changed and never againa nd was the same
He gathered his Children and hugged them with Joy – then to his whole Kingdom proclaimed:
“The Winters may come. The Winters may go. And the Snows and the Seasons depart! But I’ll ever hold dear this One Day of the Year –And keep Christmas here in My Heart!”
And so ever more like that Kingdom of yorel ike ‘tis a Child who shows‘t is us the Way His MessageandMagicandMagicshallnotbe Forgotshall not be nornorThe Meaning of eachThe Meaning of each Christmas Day
T’was way and away way far away in a Land never touched by Time
The Legend Lives On
There once lived a King just a Legend ssomeLegendsay–omesay–
learned–who well the Reason for this Joyous Season TheTheStoryofChristmasStoryofPeaceAstoryAstoryforyourHeartforyourHeartandmine–andmine
The Legend ContinuesThe Legend Continues... www. www.ChristmasOfTheKing ChristmasOfTheKing.com .com
AVAILABLE NOW – FOR CHURCHES & CHURCH CHOIRS COMPLETE SHEET MUSIC & PERFORMANCE MATERIALS FOR “CHRISTMAS OF THE KING – THE CHRISTMAS CANTATA” www.ChristmasOfTheKing.com
For more information:
www.TheAwakeningWorldwide.com www.TheHimmelreich.com
The Global Evangelical Outreach Of The Himmelreich Memorial Christian Library.
www.ChristmasOfTheKing.com
Proceeds from this "Special Signature Edition" of "Christmas Of The King" benefit "The Awakening In America"
By DavidOriginalRWGathmanIllustrationsLathamMcSweenANLACATABOOKS9484217809769 ISBN 9780976948421 52499>
