One of the Christmas legends I grew up with that I hear no more and fear is being lost is the story of how the Nightingale learned to sing. Here is how I remember it:

Deep inside the cave where Jesus was born there was a little nest on the ground made of leaves and branches. The creature that lived in that nest was a plain brown bird, shy and afraid, for he had nothing to distinguish him from other birds or to be proud of. He spent his days in the bushes, searching for berries, fruits, insects. At night he returned to to the ramshackle nest in the back of the cave where it was always dark.

One night the brown bird was awakened by a light as bright as sunlight at noon. The cave was filled with the sound of angels singing, and the little brown bird, who had never sung before, joined in with the angels, singing after them the song they were singing.

In some parts of the word it is said, to this day, when the sun goes down and a hush falls on the trees in the garden, one can hear this little brown bird repeating the song it learned from the angels so long ago. And though the bird repeats the same song over and over again, it sounds forever new and different.

The song the Nightingale learned to sing so enchantingly is this: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward all.”  

Thanks to Len Sweet for the story.