The Star-Step Secret — Behind the last inn of Bethlehem, Sela pressed her toes into the dust and invented Star-Step: one step for every star she could name before the lamps went out. Read the full story →
Behind the last inn of Bethlehem, Sela pressed her toes into the dust and invented Star-Step: one step for every star she could name before the lamps went out. She wanted to count the roofs from the ridge, all the way to the watchtower, and beat her secret record of twenty-seven. The night smelled of olive leaves and donkey hay, and the road made a hush-hush sound under sandals. Then a man with a staff called softly, “Is there a sheltered place?” Beside him, a tired woman sat on a donkey, holding her cloak close against the cold.
Sela knew a back way past the crowded doors, but it dipped through thorny brush. She tugged the blue cord from her own blanket and tied it to a low branch, then another, marking the turns until the stable cave appeared warm and dark. The price was small, except the wind found every gap in her shawl. Still, curiosity ran ahead of her: Why had the biggest star stopped over this road? When she climbed home, she no longer counted roofs. She counted quiet lights, and if you follow the winding road under the stars, you may spot the secret path Sela marked.
