Before the annual St. Mark’s Christmas pageant about 10 years ago, the pageant directors asked my daughter if Naomi, her toddler, would be interested in being in the show. Against her better judgment, Faith agreed and outfitted Naomi in a leftover Halloween chicken costume.

On the Sunday of the show Naomi joined the other animals in the stable scene. While the sheep and donkeys were placid, the chicken soon grew bored listening to the older kids say their lines and set off to explore the church, despite the best efforts of angels and shepherds to contain her.

To the back of the church and into the choir pews went the young chicken. She would have fallen on her head while leaning over a pew if one of the choristers hadn’t caught her! Eventually she returned to the stable, as chickens are wont to do.

I suspect this is the only Christmas pageant where Mary got upstaged by a free-range chicken!

By the way, eventually, some years later, Naomi got the chance to portray Mary.

Robert F. Welt is a retired Groton Public Schools teacher who lives in Mystic.