The First Herald Angel

                                                                          Synopsis

Late one afternoon, shortly before dusk, in early winter, very long ago, a small child was heard singing not far from the Village of Bethlehem in the hill country of Galilee. As she sang, a poor shepherd, named James, hearing the child’s clear and beautiful voice was drawn to listen.

The First Herald Angel is a short, illustrated children’s Christmas story, that explains two scriptural passages that I have always found somewhat “problematic.” 

In Isaiah 11:6, we are told that “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion ….” Has Isaiah’s prophecy ever come true. Has a lion ever laid down with a lamb, a kid or a calf? If so, when? And how did it happen?

And in Luke 2: 13-15, we hear of angels heralding the birth of the Christ-child in Bethlehem. We encounter angels and archangels throughout the pages of the Bible. But what about “herald angels?”

My little story, designed to be read to a young child, explains — more or less — both phenomenon, while at the same time, gently introducing the child to the story of the first Christmas, and the nature of the child to be born in Bethlehem.     

                                   Genesis of The First Herald Angel — Art Work

I began my literary life, not as an author of books, but as a playwright, when I wrote a short Christmas Play which I called The First Herald Angel. I Eventually submitted it to Theatrefolk, and they chose to publish it. 

In those days, I was also affiliated with the Quad City Music Guild (Moline, IL). The Guild, in those days staged three Broadway musicals each summer. I first became involved with the Guild in the winter of 1967. At the time, I was working as an Assistant State's Attorney in Rock Island, IL for the State's Attorney, the Hon. Richard Stengel. His wife, Lois, learned I could sing and suggested that I audition for the Guild's summer's shows. I auditioned, and was cast as Lun Tha in The King and I, and as Bud Frump in How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying.

I was later elected to the Board of Directors of the Guild. At that time we were doing a fourth show, as a winter fundraiser. At first, the winter show netted about $10,000, but as the years passed, the novelty seemingly wore off, and our last winter show netted only $2000 for some 40 night's work by roughly 40 actors. It was at that time, that I suggested that we try an "off-season mini show" — perhaps a melodrama. Martha Taylor, a friend and board member, suggested I find "a show we can do." 

I went to the Rock Island Public Library to hunt up a suitable melodrama — one that was in the public domain, that we could do without paying royalties. I was unable to find one. And I learned, to my great surprise, that libraries discarded old books!

That led me to write my first play, Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure. I presented it to the QCMG board for approval, and they liked it.

I then cast it, and we did it successfully and frequently around the Quad Cities, and earned $100 per performance. Later, I expanded the play, and offered it to Theatrefolks, a new play-publishing company, and they chose to publish it.  Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure, my play, was my first published work.

I then found we needed a Christmas play, and I wrote one called The Little Herald Angel. It also proved popular, but its popularity created one more new problem. We needed a new Christmas play for the following Christmas. And that is the genesis of The First Herald Angel. Eventually, after we worked out the "bugs," I offered it to Theatrefolks and they chose to publish it. 

Over the years that the Guild used The Little Herald Angel, three young actresses played the part of  "the first herald angel." The third, the youngest, was my daughter, Erin, who has gone on to have a career as a professional actress. 

This book, The First Herald Angel, is a revision or re-write of my play. 

The lovely illustrations that grace my book were done by my faithful illustrator, Jasmine Smith