Mas de repente sintieron un rumor que no provenía de ellos. Todos miraron al techo y, como no veían nada, se contemplaban los unos a los otros, riendo. Oíase gran murmullo de alas rozando contra la pared y chocando en el techo. Si estuvieran ciegos, habrían creído que todas las palomas de todos los palomares del universo se habían metido en la sala. Pero no veían nada, absolutamente nada.

Notaron, sí, de súbito, una cosa inexplicable y fenomenal. Todas las figurillas del nacimiento se movieron, todas variaron de sitio sin ruido. El coche del tranvía subió a lo alto de los montes y los reyes se metieron de patas en el arroyo. Los pavos se colaron sin permiso dentro del portal, y san José salió todo turbado, cual si quisiera saber el origen de tan rara confusión. Después, muchas figuras quedaron tendidas en el suelo. Si al principio las traslaciones se hicieron sin desorden, después se armó una barahúnda tal que parecían andar por allí cien mil manos afanosas de revolverlo todo. Era un cataclismo universal en miniatura. El monte se venía abajo, faltándole sus cimientos seculares; el riachuelo variaba de curso y, echando fuera del cauce sus espejillos, inundaba espantosamente la llanura; las casas hundían el tejado en la arena; el portal se estremecía cual si fuera combatido de horribles vientos, y como se apagaron muchas luces, resultó nublado el sol y oscurecidas las luminarias del día y de la noche.

Entre el estupor que tal fenómeno producía, algunos pequeñuelos reían locamente y otros lloraban. Una vieja supersticiosa les dijo:

-¿No sabéis quién hace este trastorno? Hácenlo los niños muertos que están en el cielo, y a los cuales permite Padre Dios, esta noche, que vengan a jugar con los nacimientos.

Todo aquello tuvo fin y se sintió otra vez el batir de alas alejándose.

Acudieron muchos de los presentes a examinar los estragos y un señor dijo:

-Es que se ha hundido la mesa y todas las figuras se han revuelto.

Empezaron a recoger las figuras y ponerlas en orden. Después del minucioso recuento y de reconocer una por una todas las piezas, se echó de menos algo. Buscaron y rebuscaron; pero sin resultado. Faltaban la mula y el buey.

But they are suddenly startled by a sound which does not proceed from them. They all look up at the ceiling; and as they see nothing there, they all look at one another again and begin to laugh. A great rushing sound is heard, the rustle of wings as they brush against the walls and strike the ceiling. Had they been blind, they might have believed that all the doves from all the dovecots in the universe had gotten into the parlor. But they saw nothing; that is, no wings, absolutely none.

What they did see, however, was phenomenal and inexplicable enough in itself. All the figures of the Bethlehem manger began to move; they were all very quietly being changed around. The tram-car made an ascension to the very pinnacle of the mountain; and the Magi walked straight into the river on all fours. The turkeys passed under the arch and entered the stable without saying by your leave; and Saint Joseph stepped out in a state of perplexity, trying to make out what could be the cause of such extraordinary confusion. Then a number of figures were very coolly tumbled off on the floor. At first they had been moved about very carefully, but suddenly there was a great stir, then a perfect hurly-burly, in which a hundred thousand busy hands seemed eager to turn everything topsy-turvy. It was a miniature of the universal cataclysm. Its secular cement giving way, the mountain was levelled ; the river changed its course ; and scattering the broken bits of mirror from its bed, it overflowed the plain disastrously. The very roofs of the cottages were sunken in the sand. The Roman arch trembled as though it were beaten by fierce winds; and as a number of little lights went out, the sun was obscured, and so were the luminaries of the night.

In the midst of the general stupor that such a phenomenon naturally produced, some of the little ones laughed wildly, while others cried. A superstitious old lady said,

"Don't you know who is doing all this? Why, the dead children who are in heaven and whom Father God permits to come down on Christmas Eve and play with the Bethlehem mangers."

After a little it was all over; the rushing sound of beating wings grew fainter and fainter.

Many of those who were present proceeded to investigate the damages. One gentleman said,

"Why, the table has been broken down and all the figures have been upset?"

Then everybody began to pick up the figures and put them in their places. After counting them over and identifying them, it was found that some were missing. They looked everywhere, and looked again, but to no effect. There were two figures wanting, the Mule and the Ox.