Syne it cam’ aboot that Augustus, the imperor, sought a’body in his kingdoms tae ging tae their ain toon and register.

Noo Joseph wisna verra weel suitit, ha’ein’ tae traivel a’ the road till Bethlehem, wi’ Mary bein’ muckle-boukit, and nae far aff her time. Bit onywye, he hid tae ging, and fan they cam’ intae Bethlehem, the toon wis fair steeerin’ wi’ fowk. They chappit on this door, and cried inbye that ain, bit the answer wis aye the same. “Nae room here, maister” or “Nae eese comin’ in here, Mistress.” Puir Mary wis sair made. Forfochen wi’ the traivellin, and fleggit wi’ a’ the fremmit faces, the quine wis like tae greet. Bit something in her hairt gaed her the courage tae gang on. Syne, at the hinmost meenits o’ the day, the young fowk fun’ a spacie tae themselves, oot at the back o’ an inn, far the beasts bade.

An’ there Mary brocht hame her baby. And the saft warm breath o’ the kye wis a handsell tae the bairn, whaur, happit in clouts, he lay in a foresta’.

Ootbye, hine up in the hills abeen the toon o’ Bethlehem, the shepherds sat aroon, watchin’ ower the flocks. Then sic a begeck! A great licht shone a’ roon aboot them. The lift wis a bleeze o’ glory. The shepherds coorie’d doon, fair fleggit. Syne a v’ice spak’, oot o’ the licht, and it said “Dinna be feeart! This is the nicht ye’ve a’ been witin’ for, the nicht that the Son o’ God , wha his been lang promised, has come tae save the wardle. Ging ye doon intae Bethlehem, and fin’ the bairn, new-born, lyin’ oot in a byre, wi’ his mither and his faither.”

Syne a’ the hivvens rang wi’ a glorious soun’, and the licht gaed back intae the mysterious place far it hid come frae. The shepherds lookit at ane anither, syne they began tae traivel doon the hill tae the toon. And a’wyte, they fun’ the bairn, and boo’t doon afore him. Syne they gaed back, tellin’ a’ man they met aboot the winnerfu’ things they hid seen that nicht. But Mary thocht aboot the ferlies she hid seen and heard, and in her hairt she hained her thochts and keepit them til hersel’.