The Child Manuela (Das Mädchen Manuela)

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The Child Manuela (Das Mädchen Manuela)
Manuela was a longed-for child, a child beloved in advance. Manuela ought to be born. Manuela ought to be a girl. Before she was born, a house was ready. A father who was already becoming impatient. A mother—deeply familiar with this child—even before she held her in her arms. Two brothers were certain comrades. A little patronising, but proud of her—now that she was really here.
Manuela had to be born on Sunday—it also had to be Christmas. When the two brothers returned home from the Children’s Christmas Theatre, she was in the cradle. She had arrived like a Christmas present. The two brothers were not surprised. They had just seen the Christ Child lying in the cradle in the stable of Bethlehem. So that five-year-old Bertram said to ten-year-old Alfred in a confusion of thoughts, “Let’s carry her into the stable; this will be fun for her.” Only the objection that there were neither cows nor a donkey in the stable, but only horses—which did not exist in Bethlehem—made him abandon the plan.