There's something very special about Christmas pageants, even those in which everything seems to go wrong. Robert Fulghum tells about one such Christmas pageant. Trying to outdo previous years they decided to rent a live donkey for Mary to ride on. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Have you ever noticed that a lot of things "sound like a good idea at the time?"

The day of the pageant arrived. The congregation sang beautifully some Christmas carols and the angel choir, complete with haloes, got through their first big number "almost on key and in unison." The time came for the grand entrance of Joseph and Mary, with Mary riding on the donkey. She was "carrying what later proved to be a Raggedy Andy doll." Then it happened.

The donkey made two hesitant steps through the door of the c…