by Mitch
Another hooded head appeared, it was likely its mate, but she quickly disappeared back into the den, for what, who knows? Careah knew death would come as certainly as night follows day. Her terror grew as she watched one after another painted malicious cobra slither out of the den and coil upon the mound next to the King of the cobras. It became obvious that the larger cobra was definitely the lord; the King coiled on his throne. His head was painted in many colors: vermilion, trimmed in yellow, green, shades of brown, speckled with black and white markings. Their hissing was like whips slashing through the air striking upon a naked back.
It was so vivid Kedar imagined he was feeling the stings. Each hiss grew louder with every crack, making them flinch and jerk. The King’s hiss was like a hissing cat yet ringing out in a shrill scream. Their eyes were flashing with tempered rage and undisciplined surge of hot anger. Cobras have a poisonous pouch from which their cruel fangs inject a highly toxic venom into their victim. The venom is so deadly that it can paralyze and kill the largest animal in the world. So, paralyzing and killing a small person would be of no consequence. Contrary to belief, no amount of enchantment can charm the cobras of Israel. The King Cobra’s mate emerged again. She slithered slowly, like lava bubbling out of a hot pit, burning with revenge. Her instincts kicked in as she coiled tightly, head elevated, ready to strike, then uncoiled slowly, aroused as if something was sneaking up on her. In a moment of time, her body twisted, became ridged and motionless, eyes rolled in their sockets, burning with intense hate. The Queen’s tongue protruded with rage, tasting the scent in front of her. Anger burned within her like an inextinguishable fire.
Without a doubt the King and Queen’s dynasty had been threatened. A plan for battle formed in their minds with sarcasm and nothing would deprive them of their prize. The Queen began to hiss, ready for battle, a raucous gurgle in her throat came effortlessly. She called more of her hooded friends out of the den. The heat of combat burned within each of the ungodly terrors, all hissing like a cornered rat snarling madly.
Kedar and Careah were completely surrounded. You could see the despair in their eyes. In the past, they had talked about how they would feel, if one or the other died, but hoped they would die together. Not many get that kind of a wish, it sure looked like it was about to happen. Careah turned and looked at Kedar with her soft, gentle, loving eyes. In that brief space of time, they mentally spoke a million “I love you” to each other. They had been through so much danger and escaped, but now there was no escape, who would come to their rescue? What would save them this time? Snarling, wild, ferocious beasts? A rushing, raging flood? Hot flames of lightning? There was no help in view to rescue them from this plight. Careah was praying as she never had before.
Did God forsake them, leaving them in a fate as bad as Hades itself? “Lord, I beseech you, be our shield now. Tomorrow will be too late.” She hoped this was only a bad dream. Their reward for taking the shortcut and traveling through the day turned out to be a fatal mistake. How many times had they discussed that the best time for traveling was at night?
The Cobras began slithering toward them. Careah screamed, crying uncontrollably. Kedar tried to comfort her, but he was nearly in a state of shock. His mind whirling, he could not come up with any ideas to save them. As hard as he tried to convince himself that things weren’t as bad as they looked, his sense of reality told him he was being ridiculous. The situation was futile, there is no defense against the enemy when you’re outnumbered twenty to one and no weapons to defend yourself. He and Careah were holding each other, saying how much they loved each other. She turned her head and pressed her face into his shoulder. He did his best to shield his eyes from the cobras bombarding of virulent venom. The venom was hitting all around them, striking their bodies waist high. They were ready to meet the Lord.
Unseen in the brush, a five-foot chameleon had been watching and evaluating the scene. The cobras were so focused on the Wees that the chameleon saw its chance and charged to the center of the mound. Its head elevated on a short neck, it charged like a mad bull elephant. The eyes were moving independently, selecting its prizes. The tip of its agile tongue was covered with adhesive, enabling it to capture and hold its prey. Its legs stiffened, raising its body from the ground. It flexed its four sets of toes, now ready to work. The toes on each foot had one forward and the others backward, each having the power to grasp like a hand. Its prehensile tail wrapped several and held them high in the air. What a spectacle: a cobra gripped in each hand and one in its mouth, the others getting a whiplash from the champion’s tail.
The den erupted into a flood of enraged cobras, spitting, hissing, and slithering to the rescue of their doomed comrades. The chameleon was a champion in a hopeless engagement. It had no fear of death, because it had no idea what death is about. During the foray, shadows fell across the den and over the throne. Quick as a flash, the cobras whirled, their squirting stopped, and their hissing turned into screams of terror and panic. Becoming reckless, their gruesome bodies tried to leap into the air at the incoming intruders. A flock of mighty eagles came to make the cobras pay for crimes against their young. They buried their talons behind the heads of the retreating, infuriated vipers, preventing the cobras from biting and injecting their deadly venom. Once the talons of the eagles closed around the adder’s body, it was locked in a vice-like grip.
A mongoose and its family also had been watching, waiting for the chance to launch an attack. The time had come, their assault was swift and ferocious. They avoided the poison fangs with great agility. All bedlam had broken loose. There was no cheering section for the cobras, only the executioners. It was unheard of before, but the chameleon, eagles, and mongoose struck as a team against the cobras. The mongoose moved so swiftly that they seemed to be invisible. What a spectacular sight, not one of the cobras (tools of Lucifer) got away.
Kedar and Careah didn’t need any prompting to get out of there; quickly streaking down the steep mound as fast as their little legs could carry them. Never once did they look back, running as though being chased by something out of Hades. In the distance, seeing a dilapidated wooden bridge, they headed for it. They became aware of a raging fire behind, flames licking at their heels. They were doing their best to outrun the fire. He remarked out loud, “Good grief, what else is going to happen?”
Stepping on the bridge, they saw some of the boards were missing. Others cracked under their weight and several broke and fell into the deep ravine. After making it to the other side, they heard loud cracking and crunching timber screaming. The bridge was collapsing. It crashed to the bottom of the ravine. Finally, they were able to sit down to catch their breaths. Looking at each other, they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Careah took her husband’s hand, saying, “If anything like this happens again, you will have the privilege of walking with me to my grave.” They didn’t need to remind each other to stay put until dark.
As night approached, they began their journey again through the low land. They pushed hard to get to the road, and in their rush, they missed the fig tree; the one Agar said to watch for. But for once, it turned out to be in their favor; the road was a few feet away in front of them. They had now been traveling close to two years, but still had a long way to go. Anguish set in, Yesuah and his family would surely be gone long before they reached Bethlehem. The journey had taken more time than anticipated and they didn’t know if they could make it any further.
They were exhausted to the point Careah thought (it was only a moment) that maybe Kedar was right and she should quit. They had to rest, if only for a little while. As usual, Careah removed the knapsack from her back and used it as a pillow. She knew that as long as she was sleeping on it, no one could take it without waking her. Being exhausted, it didn’t take them long to fall into a deep slumber, dreaming of good things to eat. A sweet aroma was wafting through the air. They basked in the savor which touched their memories of spices growing in the hills back home.
Angel Mitchella
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br /> Kedar and Careah both began drifting from their dream world; each wanted to stay, enjoying the tantalizing aroma. Moments after awaking, they realized the aroma was real. A spice peddler, not paying too much attention to his cart, realized his tired donkey had stopped. The cart was loaded with figs, spices, and a special bag of barley to be sold in Bethlehem. Careah whispered to Kedar, “The poor thing looks too tired to go any farther.”
The peddler tried to coax the donkey into moving. “Come, my friend, we will soon be in Bethlehem, you can rest there.”
Careah thought to herself, “If I had to pull that heavy cart load of spices very long, I certainly would want to rest too.”
The donkey stubbornly refused to move. “Okay,” said the peddler, “we both can use the rest. Bethlehem can wait for a little while.” Getting a few figs, the peddler sat by the cartwheel to rest while eating.
Careah said above an excited whisper, “Glory be, did you hear him say they are going to Bethlehem? Only if we could get on the cart and ride to Bethlehem.” A moment later, she spotted a rope hanging down from the cart. Nudging Kedar in the ribs, she whispered, “Look, if we hurry, we may be able to climb up onto the cart and ride to Bethlehem. It would surely be quicker and safer.”
Kedar wasted no time heading for the cart, but Careah, being tired, lagged behind. Kedar was frustrated, “Why don’t you get rid of that heavy load you’re carrying? We’ll be able to make better time if you do!”
Careah stopped, exasperated, “This is the last time I want to hear anything about this present for Yesuah, and I mean it! I’m the one carrying it, not you!”
Kedar knew by the tone in her voice that he best not say another word about the knapsack. “Sorry, let’s go.”
They headed toward the rope; hopefully, the donkey wouldn’t move until they had a chance to get on the cart. Because of the heavy load Careah was carrying, Kedar had to help her up the rope inch by inch, near exhaustion, they made it into the cart. Finding a safe place on the cart to ride, they hugged each other, sighed with relief, and laid down to a peaceful rest. It had been a long time, being able to rest without watching for danger.
The donkey sounded a little bray, arousing the peddler. It was really strange, as if the donkey knew they were safely on the spice cart. The peddler got up, yawned while stretching, petting the donkey, “Well, my friend, now that you are rested, you want to get moving.” He began using flattery on his donkey, “Only a strong donkey can pull this heavy cart of spices and my special bag of barley. When we get home, you will be rewarded with fresh grass and rest in a field outside of Bethlehem.” Coming to a slight downgrade, the peddler climbed on the cart and fell asleep, sleeping all the way to his spice store in Bethlehem.
Careah, deep in thought, asked, “Did you see someone in white standing in front of the donkey? Someone or something kept the donkey from moving?”
Kedar replied, “No, you were so tired you were seeing things.”
“Hey, please stop telling me that,” she scolded.
“Telling you what?” Kedar asked.
“Don’t be cute with me, telling me I’m always seeing things. That kind of remark is uncalled for.”
“I’m sorry. I should not have said it that way and it wasn’t very nice either,” apologized Kedar.
The wheels of the cart made soft rhythmic sounds, lulling Kedar and Careah into a peaceful sleep. As Careah lay asleep, the cartwheels bouncing, on and off stones, jarred the last seeds loose from the Awn, and they fell from the knapsack. It was not by chance the barley seeds fell into the open sack of barley.
Later, the Golden Barley seeds were planted, and they multiplied into billions of seeds over the years. This was the grain which was harvested and ground into flour to make five loaves of barley bread. The bread that Yesuah broke to feed a multitude of people. On that day, no one went away hungry, all because of Careah’s loving gift of the Awn of Golden Barley.
As they came to a cobblestone street, the tempo of the cartwheels changed, awaking them in the town of Bethlehem. It took two years getting here, now if they can find the lambing house. Kedar and Careah both were glad it was just getting dark. Unfortunately, most of the houses looked alike in the dark. Many questions were going through their minds. Where would they start to look? Would the donkey stop long enough for them to get safely off the cart? Were they in time to see baby Yesuah? The donkey sauntered along the narrow streets. Entering a scenic part of Bethlehem, the donkey stopped in front of one of the beautiful buildings. Careah wondered, “is this the lambing house of the shepherds where the baby was born?”
Climbing down the rope, Kedar kept worrying, hoping the donkey would not move before they were done getting off. As they reached the ground, Careah looked in the direction of the donkey. She gasped, holding her breath, eyes staring at an unbelievable heavenly being. She gave a high-pitched squeal and whispered, “Look, Kedar! Hurry, look! I did see someone in white standing in front of the donkey, and there she is again…an angel!”
Kedar turned around in disbelief. His mouth opened; he too saw the angel. Smiling, she looked in their direction, “I am Mitchella, a servant of the Lord.” Unknown to them, the Angel Mitchella, one of the persuasive angels, was sent to keep the donkey from moving. In the next second, the Angel disappeared. The donkey looked around; his master was still sound asleep. With a soft bray, it pulled the cart down the street and out of sight.
They entered the lambing house, finding it incredibly clean and the manger empty. Neither Yesuah, nor his family, were anywhere in sight. In fact, it looked like they had been gone for quite some time. Careah cried, “We missed seeing Yesuah!”
Kedar’s heart ached for Careah, but what else could be said, “I am so sorry. We may as well head home.”
Tears flooding her cheeks, darkness overshadowed her. She wanted to scream. Yet, crying softly, her arms wrapping around her husband, she gasped, “Oh, Kedar, Kedar, I’m so sorry I missed seeing Little Yesuah.” Looking Kedar in his eyes, she sobbed, “I remember Bryji saying he had brought a box of sorrow. I think he gave me that box. Good gracious! Wait a minute, I remember hearing Adji say something about following a star.”
“Oh! Careah, that was so long ago. Do you really believe the star would still be around after all this time? I didn’t see any stars when we got of the cart, did you?”
She shook her head no. It felt like it was the end of the world for her. They had gone through so much coming all this way for nothing. She never felt this low before, her eyes full of tears, head bowed, she whispered, “Please, God, I really wanted to see your Son.”
Something prodded her to look up and she shrieked at the top of her lungs, grabbing and shaking Kedar! Her frightful screaming pierced the air, nearly frightening the daylight out of him. She was excited, no, ecstatic was a better word to describe her emotions. “Glory be, there’s the bright blue star, and its light is shining on the house across the street! It just has to be the blue star Adji spoke about! I hope we aren’t too late. Hurry, let’s go see if Yesuah is there.”
Three camels watched them coming across the street. Careah thought one of them said, “He is expecting you.”
Arriving at the door, Adji, Belji, and Haji, who had said they were going to Jerusalem, were coming out of the house. They turned back facing Joseph and Haji expressed his concern, “We were warned in a dream that Herod is going to have all boys two years of age and under killed.”
Belji placed his hand on Joseph’s shoulder pleading, “Please leave as soon as possible so no harm will come to the child!”
Bowing, Adji wished them well, “God be with you.” They headed east from Bethlehem, praising God for having had the privilege of seeing and worship His Son personally.
Careah and Kedar, upon entering the house, saw Yesuah playing with toys his father, Joseph, had made for his second birthday. “Careah, I feel so inadequate. Here we are in the presence of a great King, and I do not know what to say! I am too afraid, let’s leave.”
Gently, she responded, “I want to give Yesuah his present, then we can leave.” They moved to where Yesuah was playing. He looked down and saw the two little Nano people. Smiling, putting his toys down, he gently picked Careah and Kedar up and placed them in the palm of his hand.
She took the Awn of Barley out of the knapsack, not knowing there were no seeds in it, yet it was full of her love, and offered it to Him. An artist could not have painted, nor sculpted, a more beautiful figure of Careah with the awn in her little hands, offering it to Yesuah. He smiled, thanking her, and gently lifted the awn from her hand. She saw the awn was empty, not one seed was left. Her eyes filled with tears. Yesuah smiled and passed his hand over it. Instantly, the awn was full of golden seeds. Then he whispered, “roo-akh,” and a slight breeze glided over them. In a twinkling of an eye, they had wings. Squealing joyfully, they both raptured up and kissed Yesuah on his cheeks. The room filled with gaiety, laughter, and squealing gleefully as they flew around the room, thanking Yesuah each time they passed by him. Now they could fly and never have to walk getting mud all over themselves. Nor would they have to worry about getting eaten by other big creatures, trampled to death by camels, or caught in floods anymore.
Again, flying around the room, filling it with laughter, singing, rejoicing, and having the time of their lives. Stopping only when Yesuah held out his little hand for them to land and rest. Tired lungs, panting in and out, caused their wings to sway back and forth. Their eyes glistened, watching each other’s wings slowly waving, bringing giggles from deep within. The thought of this fantastic miracle would have never entered their minds that something like this could happen to them, not even in a million years. Careah looked lovingly at Yesuah and knew he was the kindest person alive. She wondered how anyone could harm such a wonderful, pleasant little boy. Again, looking into Yesuah’s eyes, she decided to remind Him of the danger that would soon be upon him.