Family Theater: Lullaby of Christmas

The following is transcribed. that has grown up around it without obscuring for any of us, I hope, the truth of the matter.

At another time of year, we might call the joyousness of spirit we experience an excess, but in the expansive mood that Christmas brings to everything, I'd use a more gentle word, a more generous description.

Won't you agree that the right word is abundance? I think it's out of this abundance that most Christmas fantasy springs, out of the fact that the real truth of Christmas is so wonderful, so dramatic, so quickening to the heart and to the imagination. And that leads us to lullaby of Christmas, which Roddy McDowell is going to

narrate for us. This story is as old as Christmas, and yet is neither remembered nor told except by the tungless ones. The water, the wind, the rain, and the snow, by the grasses, the trees, the rocks and the earth. They have told the story for almost 2,000 Christmases past, and they'll still be telling it 2,000 times, 2,000 Christmases to come.

It will be told by a wind rustling a tree of palm or pine, or of maple or mimosa. By water as it crowds against the bank or shore of Brook, Lake, River and Ocean and all the scattered seven seas. By rain, tiptoeing across the roofs and skylights of every building north, east, south, and west of Greenwich. By the singing grasses of southern Pampos,

bush, and savannah, and by the icy twang of sleeted stubble on prairie, heath, and claim, it will be told by the sucking swamp mud and a hard-ringing frozen earth and the tumbling rock and the migrant sand. It will be told whether or not men listen, or whether or not their army to listen or as the storytellers are eternal so is their story

We get among themselves not a feeling of monotony, but a feeling of splendid unity. That's why family theatre keeps saying, the family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.

From Hollywood Family Theatre has brought you transcribed Charles Tazwell's Lullaby of Christmas, narrated by Roddy McDowell with Ruth Hussey as hostess. Our soloist was Lois Buckler. Others in our cast were Michael Edwards, Ted DiCossia, Irene Tedro, and Bill Johnstone.

Music was composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman. Family Theatre's director was Joseph F. Mansfield. This is Tony Lothrano expressing the wish of Family Theatre that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home and inviting you to be with us next Sunday at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time or the most of these stations when Family Theatre will present our special Christmas