Rosemary Lester Cushway - The Angel and The Elephant

7/26/2019 Rosemary Lester Cushway - The Angel and The Elephant

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Rosemary Lester Cushway was born in Essex and grew up in

County Durham. She describes herself as a Southerner from the

North. Now happily settled in Lincolnshire she says, The Lord

paints the most beautiful skyscapes right outside my kitchen

window. Why would I want to live anywhere else?

She attends the village Chapel and is still a Soroptimist.

Well retired, she is surprised at 70+ to have written a first book.

But then, life is full of surprises.


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For all those people who have advised and encouraged me a huge

thank you.


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R o s e m a r y L e s t e r C u s h w a y

T H E N G E L N D T H E

E L E P H N T


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Copyright Rosemary Lester Cushway (2015)

The right of Rosemary Lester Cushway to be identified as author of

this work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or

otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to thispublication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims

for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British

Library.

ISBN 9781786120472 (Paperback)ISBN 9781786120489 (Hardback)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2015)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.

25 Canada SquareCanary Wharf

London

E14 5LQ

Printed and bound in Great Britain


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Preface

The Angel and the elephant came into my life in the autumn of

2007. Some Soroptimist friends had encouraged me to go with them

on a holiday to the Czech Republic whilst I was still recovering

from radiotherapy. One day we visited a castle and I managed to

climb to the top and get down again. This seemed pretty

miraculous at the time so when I found a little angel in the gift shop

I decided to buy it. As I was waiting to pay for it my eye fell on a

little elephant. Now I am fond of elephants so I bought this one as

well.

When I got home and unpacked I put them on my shelf; the

angel and the elephant. It sounded like the title of a story but I

forgot about it until some months later when I was putting away the

Christmas decorations. A story began to unfold and continued bit by

bit for most of that year. I typed it up but it wouldnt have been

distributed so widely had I not broken a bone in my leg. Unable to

go and buy Christmas cards, everybody on my Christmas list

received a story about a baby elephant who took a little angel to

Bethlehem to see Jesus in the manger. There was another story that

Easter, and then quite a different one the following Christmas,

which now appears first. The stories have continued to come at

varying intervals, some months apart, others, like the Cousin John

trilogy, came in quick succession. They seemed too good to be

meant just for me. Good things should be shared. Please share them

and try going back to the source. The original story is the best ever.

Rosemary Cushway


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nother Christmas

Once upon a time there was a really naughty boy. He trod mud into

the house. He tore the new shirt his mother had struggled to buy

him at the beginning of term.I wish youd stop growing, she sighed. The only thing you

dont grow out of is your tie.

He didnt do his homework and then, because he knew there

would be trouble, he didnt go to school. The Community Support

Officer had found him and Mum had had to go to school and

explain why he wasnt there. Now he knew that he could get her

into serious bother. Every other weekend he saw his Dad.

Sometimes they went to the football. Once they had gone fishing.Occasionally they went and had fish and chips, but every now and

again Dad couldnt make it. Then he mooched about, and once he

stole a bike and went for a splendid ride. He felt rotten though,

when he heard about the kid who had saved up his pocket money to

buy the red racer. Somehow things just kept getting worse.

Now Christmas was coming. Why do we have to start getting

excited about Christmas when its only November, he thought

gloomily, and how am I going to buy Mum a Christmas presentwhile Im still paying for that broken window?The stores in town

were full of Christmas stuff. Cards, wrapping paper, fairy lights,

perfume, (sorry, fragrances) which made you wrinkle your nose and

sneeze; ties that made you blink, slippers, bed-socks and strange

furry things.

On a shelf in one of the stores, just where they could catch each

others eye were a little angel and a little elephant. They were

looking down at the crowds of people and they were wondering

what has all this got to do with the birth of Jesus Christ. They

remembered the stable at Bethlehem, heated by the breath of the

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animals, straw on the floor, lit by a few candles, (no Health and

Safety here) and the baby in the manger. Some poor shepherds with

a lamb or two were there, and three rich men with gold,

frankincense and myrrh. Just the thing on a cold winters nightwhen youve nowhere to go. The elephant caught the angels eye

and they shook their heads and looked down on the happy

Christmas shoppers in disbelief.

Into this chaos wandered a scruffy looking lad. He had a 2 coin

in his hand. Go and buy something for your Mum, Dad had saidin response to his wheedling. But what could you get for 2? A fat

lot.

He gazed round the shop at the tinsel-laden shelves when the

little elephant caught his eye. Mums potty about elephants he

thought. Just the job. How much? Just 1. I could get some

chocolate too. Might even have a small piece on the way home. He

went to get the elephant and noticed that it was pointing in a very

determined way at a little angel on a nearby shelf. A thought struckthe lad. You know, Mums my angel. Whenever I go home I get a

smile. Well until she hears what Ive done. But she doesnt whack

me, and she always gives me another chance. Even when I dropped

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her beautiful vase, she only sighed and said, Never mind. It was

only a vase.

So he ended up buying the angel and the elephant and took them

home for Christmas.

When she opened the parcel on Christmas morning Mum looked

really pleased, although the lad was thinking Thats not much to

give your Mum for Christmas, even if you are still paying for the

window. So he went up to her, threw his arms round her and gave

her a huge hug. There was a gulp and a sob, and for a moment he

thought hed hurt her real bad. Mum was crying. Whats up? he

asked.

Nothing, my baby, she whispered. Nothing, my son. and she

put the angel and the elephant on the window sill by the front door

where he would see them every morning as he went off to school.

I really am going to get myself together, the boy thought as

the new term began. After all, Christmas is about a new beginning,

a new life. The angel and the elephant watched him set off down

the road, and wished him well.

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The ngel and the Elephant

There was a real buzz in heaven that morning. Whatever is

happening? asked the little angel as one of the seraphim rushed by.The seraph whirled round.

Havent you heard? he exclaimed. Jesus is going to be born.

You know Gods been talking about it for years. Well, theyve

already hung out a star and the choir has instructions to go and tell

some farming folk on the hills in Judea. Want to come?

Oh yes please, replied the little angel and hurried off with the

choir of angels.

The Heavenly Host were full of excitement and rushed along.

The little angel just couldnt keep up with them and soon they left

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