Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Illustrate the meaning of "Every Dark Cloud has a Silver Lining" (without using the actual phrase or literal example). (02/28/08)
TITLE: Davey Robinson's Stable
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Every year at Christmas time for at least the last thirty, old Davy Robinson, the last Blacksmith, on the Mab Hill, cleans his forge and stables, and decks it with winter flowers, lights and Moss Garlands (a local Christmas decoration made from Holly, Pine cones ribbon and Copper Beech bark). In another, closely related tradition, for roughly the same time period, somebody has approached Davy in the public bar of the Farmers Arms and asked him why he did his spring cleaning at Christmas. Ok so in most cases the person asking has been goaded, prompted, or just plain bribed, to ask him, but the minute Davy put down his beer glass to answer, a silence descended on the room, I have witnessed this several times and that silence comes as natural as sunset. The last time I saw it Davy was old, possibly seventy, he was a big powerful man with a head of curly grey hair and a full beard, yet his eyes are the brightest blue and sparkle with a youthful spirit. On being asked the question Davy would look at the questioner and in a soft yet commanding voice simply say "Because My lord and Saviour will be born there very soon now, what sort of host would I be if I didn’t have it ready for him?” The questioner is usually at this point, speechless with embarrassment, or incredulity and before they can recover Davy carry’s on “I believe that Jesus my saviour was born in a stable, God chose a stable for his son to be born in and I am the owner of a stable, The greatest child ever born,spent his first nights on earth in a place where I have spent my whole life working and every year I decorate my stable so that the Lord knows that it is ready and clean if he needs it.” Then he would invite the questioner to buy him a pint.
We thought he was indestructible, that he would never die, we were wrong, Davy died of Cancer in August, so you can imagine my surprise when I walked down from the hill this evening past the forge and stable to find it cleaned and decorated with lights burning, all ready for Davy’s Lord and Saviour, I think I was witnessing one man’s tradition being carried on by his local community. When you consider that quite a number of that community are not only not Christian but are active members of other faiths. I think I was also witnessing a wonderful affirmation of the respect and love they had for Davy Robinson, the last Blacksmith on Mab Hill.
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