The Old Gentleman liked his little garden. It wasn't very big, but just big enough for him to grow the herbs he liked to use in his cooking in its borders. And it was long enough, and wide enough, to be able to hang out his washing. The centre he kept clear of grass by laying down old pieces of carpet, as the Green Book had said. There weren't many flowers, only two rose trees that had been planted by the previous owner of the house some thirty years ago, and a few flowers which seemed to come and go every year at their own whim. One of these flowers whose name he did not know came around Christmas time.

A small dark green plant on the edge of one of the borders grew every year three fine flowers. These were of the purest white with a centre of radiant gold. About four o'clock on Christmas Eve, the Old Gentleman went into the garden to gather in some laundry he had hoped would dry in the light breeze and the quiet winter sun. He bent down to pick up a clothes peg which had fallen near the dark green plant, whose flowers had opened that Christmas Eve morning, for the first time. Something shone in the centre of the middle flower of the three flowers. It was like a little pearl, shining white, with golden strands tracing delicately around the outside. It reminded the Old Gentleman of the cocoons of the moths he had sometimes found in the Rosemary bush. But it was much smaller and so much more beautiful. The Old Gentleman reached down as if to pull the small round pearl out of the centre of the flower, but something stopped him, and he decided instead to go back into the kitchen to get a pair of scissors and to cut out carefully the white flower containing the pearl.

He knew where he was going to put this...in a little dish filled with water in the centre of his crib where he would place the Baby Jesus and his cradle as he had always done when he came home after Midnight Mass, the early morning of Christmas Day. But for some reason which he would never able be comprehend, the Old Gentleman came home from Midnight Mass and went straight to bed, and forgot to put the Baby Jesus in the centre of the crib as he had done so faithfully every year of his long life! Perhaps it was the solo singing he had to do with the choir, which once he found so easy and enjoyable but now in older age, simply hard work, that had made him so tired and so - unfortunately - forgetful.

The Old Gentleman, however, did not sleep for long. He woke, without understanding why; just before dawn, and as he was unable to sleep, went downstairs to make himself a milky drink in the hope that would put himself in the mood for sleep again. He made his milky drink and went into his front room to sit in his favourite armchair to drink it. The room was quite dark but the Old Gentleman did not switch on the electric light, but moved carefully across the floor of the room to open the curtains of the bay window to allow the new light of the Christmas dawn to enter in. Slowly the weak winter sun arose and a long ray of golden sunshine pierced the dimness of the room, and shone directly onto the centre of the crib. When it struck the pearl, a small soft white light radiated outwards filling the room with its magical glow, and the room was filled with the most exquisite perfume, and a soft mysterious sound.

Slowly, the golden threads that were wrapped around the pearl began to unfold. Then, the petals of the pearl fell open as the flower itself had done before, and there curled up in the centre of the pearl was the most beautiful little child, no bigger than a sage seed. Like a prima ballerina, the little creature unfolded herself gently with grace and charm. And when she stood, the Old gentleman could see that she possessed two pairs of the most delicately fashioned wings, which began to sense and feel, then slowly vibrate in the winter air. Softly and quietly as her wings vibrated she began to grow with the energy the sunbeam gave to her, until she was the same size as the Baby Jesus would be when He was placed with his cradle in the crib.

'I am Innocentia', the Old Gentleman heard the child say 'and I am your child, because through you, I have been brought to life. I have been waiting for so many hundreds of years to be born but no one until now was able to see me and help me, but you were, because of your love for the Baby Jesus'.

And the Old Gentleman, felt a very great joy because it had always been his hope that he would marry and have a child of his own, but God had plainly not willed it that way.

Then the Old Gentleman went over the sideboard and pulled out the middle drawer in which was kept the Baby Jesus in his cradle. And he unwrapped the Baby Jesus and his cradle carefully and brought the Baby Jesus and his cradle to place Him in the centre of the crib. And as he did, Innocentia rose gently into the air singing, 'Gloria, Gloria in excelsis Deo', with the most sweetly sonorous sound. Then she circled softly upward to rest at the top of the crib, where she remained continuing to praise God.

And Innocentia remained with the Old Gentleman quietly praising God for the Baby Jesus for the rest of Christmas Day. As midnight approached, Innocentia said to the Old Gentleman, 'You have made me so very very happy but now, I must go to Heaven for I am only allowed to stay here one day on Earth; to be with you for Christmas Day.'

'And you', said the Old Gentleman, 'have give me the happiest day of my life, because now I have a child of my own. And I know now that there is a heaven for me to go to one day; where you and I, and the Baby Jesus can be happy together forever'.

'God be with you always', said little Innocentia, as she danced gracefully into the centre of the sunbeam. 'And, God be with you, too, my little Innocentia' said the Old Gentleman with great tears flowing from his eyes as he watched the Christmas Fairy ascend slowly up the sunbeam into heaven. And the Old Gentleman gave thanks to God every day for the rest of his life, for the birth that Christmas Day of Innocentia, the Christmas Fairy.