"Santa doesn't have to worry." "I'll watch over his stable till he gets back." "Like I do every year." "Christmas Eve." "The quietest night of the year up here at Santa's castle." "That's because Santa and all the reindeer are off doing their big thing." "But as for Santa's donkey, it's sort of a night off." "What?" "You never knew Santa had a donkey?" "Why, sure." "Who do you think pulls Santa's snowplow?" "And who totes all of the toy carts from one place to the other?" "Me!" "Speiltote!" "Come on, I'll show you around." "Well, this is it." "Not very fancy, but we call it home." "Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen..." "Pretty, isn't it?" "The animals' own Christmas tree, compliments of Mrs. Santa." "The elves made that pretty little manger themselves." "Just about the way the real one looked, I guess, except for the donkey!" "They made him all wrong." "He didn't look like that at all." "How do I know?" "Why, that donkey was my ancestor." "Nestor!" "Yes sir, Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey." "Elves are supposed to carve me a more accurate version." "But you know them elves." "Well, come on, I'll show you the rest." "Here's where Cornet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen sleep." "And, of course, you all know this feller." ""Everyone knows about Rudolph" ""Our fleet-footed friend from the North" ""Who fights Santa's way through the darkness" ""As he drives his sleigh hack and forth" ""But there's someone else we should mention" ""if we want the whole story told" ""He carried the first gift of Christmas" ""More precious than diamonds or gold"" "You want to know more about Nestor?" "Can't say I blame you." "It all happened a long time ago." "When the Great Roman Empire stretched from the lands south of the Mediterranean to the wild countries of the North Sea." "And it was in these frigid climes, in a crude stable on the farm of Olaf, the donkey breeder, that Nestor lived with his mother." "No food for you, Long Ears." "You don't earn your keep!" "Always tripping over your ears and smashing things!" "There's nothing he can do!" "You can have dinner!" "You earn your keep." "Come, Thor." "There's enough for both of us, my dear." "No, I'm really not hungry." "Ears, Nestor." "Those ears!" "Longest darned ears ever grew on a donkey." "Yes sir, from the day he took his first step those ears got him into one pickle after another." ""Nestor was a donkey who seldom laughed or played" ""Cause no one ever used him in the stable where he stayed" ""Everybody teased him and the other donkeys, too" ""They said, 'Look at little Nestor there's nothing he can do" ""'Look at little Nestor he's got ears that drag the ground'" ""They whispered as they mocked him but he heard every sound" ""Nestor's heart was broken and his eyes were full of tears" ""If only there was something he could do about his ears"" "Now in the meanest part of the year when the daylight was as short as the stub of a candle it was the custom on the longest night of winter to hold a celebration!" "And this happy time was called the winter solstice." "Simple gifts were exchanged." "Nestor's mother gave him a bright pair of stockings Olaf's wife had thrown away." "It was a beautiful time full of peace and goodwill." "The others were even friendly to Nestor." "Sorry if I made you feel bad, Nestor." "This is the best day ever." "I'll never forget it." "And when the celebration was over they fell into a deep and contented sleep." "Except for Nestor, who, tired as he was, was just too excited to go to sleep." "Where the blazes are they?" "What's going on?" "The emperor needs donkeys!" "Strong young donkeys!" "Show them to me!" "This way, sir!" "I've got several fine colts." "He was a soldier from the Imperial Roman Army." "Beasts of burden were needed in the south lands!" "Fine young specimens." "They'll do!" "You, too!" "What's he doing?" "Taking us away!" "Away?" "No!" "Momma!" "Come back here, you!" "What the blazes?" "Those ears!" "They're so long they drag the ground!" "You try to cheat the emperor?" "You would sell him imperfect misfits!" "You can have him for nothing!" "Free!" "I'll teach you!" "I'll have them all for nothing!" "And you can keep little droopy ears!" "Forward, slaves!" "For the glory of the Roman Empire!" "You!" "Look what you've done to me!" "No young donkeys!" "No silver coins!" "I'm a Pauper!" "Blast you!" "See?" "You ruin everything!" "I'm done with you!" "Out!" "No!" "Nestor!" "My son!" "I don't care if the storm freezes you!" "Get out!" "And never come back!" "Momma!" "Blast you!" "Nestor, answer me!" "So cold, Momma..." "No more, my darling." "Now we must be brave." "Remember that." "Whatever happens, you must be brave." "Finding a sheltered spot, Nestor's momma dug away the snow till she came to the winter grass underneath." "Lie in there, Nestor." " But, Momma" " Do as you are told, Nestor." "Yes, Momma." "The grass was cold and hard but better than the icy snow." "And Nestor's momma covered his entire body with her own." "Except for..." "Ears, Nestor." "Yes, Momma." "By morning, the storm had gone, and, as savagery often does it left beauty in its wake." "The Good Lord sometimes works in strange ways." "The love of Nestor's mother had saved him." "But in saving Nestor, she had allowed the storm to take her." "And she was gone forever." ""Ears, Nestor."" "And now Nestor was all alone." "Well, Nestor was on his own, but he survived that long winter moving constantly southward through the great dark, barren forests." "Why bother?" "What's the use?" "What good am I anyway with these stupid ears?" "It was then that Nestor's ears, which were as sensitive as they were long, heard the first whispers." "A little girl?" "No!" "You couldn't be a real little girl." "You'd be frozen." "Are those wings?" "Yes, wings." "Do you like them?" "Who are you?" "It's not "who" I am." "It's "what" I am!" "Do you know what I am?" "A cherub!" "Cherub?" "We're supposed to be inspiring." "You are?" "Angels inspire humans and cherubs inspire animals." "You do?" "I fell off a cloud and spoiled everything." "My name is Tillie." "Now then, it's up to me to guide you and see that you do what you're supposed to do." "What am I supposed to do?" "Your ears can do a wondrous thing no other ears can do." "The sounds they hear will guide you on a path that's straight and true." "And you will save another as your mother once saved you." "I don't think these silly ears can do anything "wondrous" like you say but I guess if that's why Momma did what she did, I should follow you." "That's right." "Come on." "But where are we going?" "I can never remember names." "Wrote it on my wing." ""Bethlehem!"" "Bethlehem?" "Where's that?" "Far away." "Across many lands and over the sea but I'll get you there." "I don't want to go that far away." "He wants you to." "You know..." "Come on now." "And so they started off on their long, long journey." "Nestor could tell Tillie was a real friend because she was the only one who didn't make him cry by laughing at his ears." ""Don't laugh and make somebody cry" ""Don't make it rain from a sunny sky" ""Sometimes a little holding' in" ""That sly escaping' grin" ""Though funny it may be" ""Will show some sympathy" ""Don't laugh and make somebody cry" ""A little love is not a lie" ""If roles turned suddenly askew" ""And someone laughed at you" ""You'd never laugh again" ""You'd understand it then" ""Don't laugh and make somebody cry" ""There, for the grace of God go I" ""That's something you can keep in mind" ""The next time that you find" ""You've made somebody cry" ""Don't make somebody cry" ""Don't laugh and make somebody cry"" "And here we are." "Is this Bethlehem?" "Almost." "Why don't we go all the way there?" "It's not time yet." "You are to stay here until it's the proper time." " How will I know?" " You'll know." "Good-bye for a while." "Where are you going?" "Home." "Nestor was on his own again." "He was taken in by a desert merchant a dealer in animals, and brought to a stable filled with camels and donkeys." "But he was so funny looking nobody wanted to buy him." "Yeah, it was the same old story." ""Nestor was a donkey who seldom laughed or played" ""Cause no one ever used him in the stable where he stayed" ""All the camels teased him and the other donkeys, too" ""They said, 'Look at little Nestor there's nothing he can do" ""'Look at little Nestor he's got ears that drag the ground'" ""They whispered as they mocked him but he heard every sound" ""Nestor's heart was broken and his eyes were full of tears" ""If only there was something he could do about his ears"" "I'd sure like to get out of this place." "Tillie, when will it be time to go to Bethlehem?" "Bethlehem!" "You wish to buy a donkey to take you all the way to Bethlehem?" "I have many fine specimens." "Come." ""One dark night two strangers gave Nestor a surprise" ""They chose him from all others for they loved his gentle eyes" ""The man was called by Joseph and Mary was his bride" ""She needed help to Bethlehem and Nestor's back to ride"" "Him!" "You actually want him?" "Is he for sale?" "Is he for sale?" "He's not cheap." "Long ears are all in style this season." "Come Joseph, we have not much money." "But Mary, you are heavy with child." "You cannot walk." "Take him." "A gift." "He's yours." "Thank you, sir." "May God bless you." "Now, what made me do that?" "And Nestor, who just a minute before was about to give up suddenly had the strength to carry Mary all the way to Bethlehem." ""They traveled through the desert but hadn't gone too far" ""When winter clouds no longer let them see their guiding star"" "it was a terrible sandstorm." "Nestor realized he could save himself by baking and running for shelter, but then his ears his very special ears, heard..." "Whispers?" "Tillie!" "That little poem of hers!" "Your ears can do a wondrous thing no other ears can do." "The sounds they hear will guide you on a path that's straight and true." ""And you will save another as your mother once saved you."" "I will guide you now, Nestor." "That voice?" "Not Tillie?" "You are..." "Listen to the angels and follow." "I will follow them, Mother." ""You'll hear a choir of angels" ""Follow the sound of the angels"" ""Nestor had a secret only he could hear the sound" ""As the angels gave directions to the ears that dragged the ground"" "And guided by the angels, he gently carried Mary through the blinding storm." "His great ears protecting her and the precious miracle within her." "And, as suddenly as it came up, the storm went away." "And when the desert sands settled..." "Look!" "Bethlehem!" "You've gotten us through!" "Thank you, little donkey." "Nestor took them right into Bethlehem crowded with the multitudes come for the Roman census." "And, as you know, all the inns were full up." "Nestor didn't know what to do." "And then he thought back and he remembered how warm and beautiful a stable could be for a baby, when his mother was close." ""And so it was that Nestor found the manger where they stayed" ""Where kings and wise men bowed before a baby where he lay" ""Mary bore our Savior" ""Nestor brought them there" ""A gift of love from God above" ""For all the world to share"" "Ears, Nestor." "And when Nestor returned, he really was a hero." ""'Look at little Nestor he's got ears that drag the ground'" ""They shouted as they praised him and his friends all gathered 'round" ""Nestor's heart was happy and his eyes held no more tears" ""Now all the world knows Nestor for his laughter and his ears" ""Though, Rudolph, I just love you I know you'd want it said" ""Nestor's ears are lovely as a reindeer's nose is red" ""So children if you're happy when you trim your Christmas trees" ""You might thank a little donkey whose ears hung to his knees" ""'Look at little Nestor he's got ears that drag the ground'" ""They shouted as they praised him and his friends all gathered 'round" ""Nestor's heart was happy and his eyes held no more tears" ""Now all the world knows Nestor" ""For his laughter and his ears"" "Merry Christmas!"