‘What’s different about them?’ asked Harry looking down at his brightly coloured top. The animals quietly chuckled. ‘I’ll tell you’ began the cat, in his element as the centre of attraction. ‘No-one can see you’. Dan looked rather sarcastically at the cat. ‘So how can we see each other? And how can the animals see us?’ he asked. ‘All animals can see you’ said the cat in a ‘what a stupid boy’ voice. ‘And of course you can see each other, you are all wearing the same sort of clothes, aren’t you?’ He sighed, ‘Really’ he thought, ‘human beings can be so silly at times, if only they had the intelligence of cats!’ Then he realised that if they were as clever as cats then he wouldn’t feel so superior! He smiled, he was content with things as they were! The children were chatting between themselves ‘I’d love to wear these clothes at school’ Harry was saying. ‘Yes, just imagine the fun we could have’ agreed Dan and was just about to tell the others exactly what he would do when the cat interrupted. ‘That’s exactly why you humans will never get these clothes, you couldn’t be trusted to act wisely’. ‘Are they magic?’ asked Charlotte. ‘Certainly not!’ the cat was most annoyed. ‘They are soaked in a special solution - a solution you will never have’. He turned to the eagles ‘Have you chosen the way to go?’ he asked. ‘Yes, we were thinking of .....’ and as they discussed the route with the cat, Rachel turned to Charlotte and asked ‘That story about Balaam and his donkey, how did you know it?’ ‘It’s in the Bible’ Charlotte answered. ‘A talking donkey in the Bible? You’re joking!’ Rachel couldn’t believe it. ‘It is, and other animal stories too. Lions, ravens, doves ...’ ‘Time to go’ called the lead eagle. ‘Hop aboard all of you’. ‘I’ll tell you more later’ Charlotte promised as Rachel was still looking at her in amazement. Dan, of course, was first on his eagle’s back. ‘This is super’ he shouted. ‘Hurry up, we’re off to the Treasure!’ ‘Aren’t we too heavy?’ worried Charlotte. ‘Of course not, they are special eagles’ the owl assured her. ‘Don’t worry’. ‘Are we all ready? called the lead eagle. ‘Yes’ they answered . ‘Then hold tight all of you, we are going back in time’. The children only had a moment to give each other a rather startled glance before the eagles rose into the air, higher and higher they went, faster and faster until the sky flashed by, clouds and stars, light and dark streamed past at a breathtaking speed, it became a blur, night and day mingled together, stars and sun were almost as one, they were fascinated. Slowly the clouds ceased scudding by, the stars settled down into their pattern, the sun then shone, they had arrived. But where? ‘We’ll drop you here, then come back later’ the lead eagle told them as the four slowly climbed down. ‘Where are we?’ Dan asked. ‘Where your Treasure is’ the eagle smiled. He turned to Harry and Charlotte ‘And where your Millennium Project began.’ he said. And the four eagles rose into the air and soon disappeared from their sight. ‘Have you any idea where we are?’ Dan asked his question again. ‘I think I have’ Harry answered. ‘We are in Bethlehem’. ‘That’s what the eagle meant when he said we are where our Millennium Project began’ Charlotte said excitedly. ‘Come on, let’s find the stable’. But where to begin? They looked around, it was a very old town surrounded by fields, olive groves and hills. ‘Look, they must be the fields where the angels sang to the shepherds telling them that Jesus was born’. Charlotte was awe-struck. ‘And the Star’ Harry took up the story. ‘It must still be here!’ ‘Do you really believe the story of the Star?’ Dan asked. ‘Yes’ they said. ‘Definitely, and you will, too, when you see it.’ ‘Let’s find it then’ said Rachel. They looked up at the sky, and there was no doubt, it was there! It was Dan who spoke first. ‘It’s the Star, isn’t it?’ he said quietly. ‘Its’ the Star’ they agreed. Without another word they began to walk towards it. For the first time since they had known him, Dan was silent, he was deep in thought. Down the streets they walked through the alleyways, past the stalls selling all sorts of fruits, household goods, clothes and jewellery. Many times they would have loved to take their time looking at the stalls but the Star seemed to urge them on. They came to a well near a gate, and Charlotte stood still. ‘I know what this is’ she whispered. ‘It’s a well!’ said her brother, wondering what she was meaning. ‘It’s the well David wanted to drink from, remember? We learnt about it in Sunday School two weeks ago’. ‘Well why didn’t he get a drink?’ asked Dan. ‘Because the Philistines had captured Bethlehem and he was in hiding’ Harry finished the story. ‘I remember it now’. ‘It’s so strange to see it, it’s like living in a history book’ Charlotte said. ‘Like living in the Bible you mean’ Harry said as he leaned over and drew some water to drink. ‘Don’t forget the Star’ Rachel reminded them. ‘No fear of that’ said Dan as he looked up again at the biggest Star he had ever seen. ‘Time to move’ Charlotte said as Harry began to take another drink. Quickly he replaced the drinking cup and they set off again. I feel as if we’ve been walking for hours’ Harry said some time later. ‘Surely the stable can’t be much further. And it wasn’t! Turning a corner they saw an Inn, could this be the one? Charlotte looked at the sky, and the Star shone directly above a stable next to the Inn. ‘The Star’ she said quietly ‘It’s right above the stable’. They all looked up. ‘It’s true’ said Dan. He was stunned. ‘It’s true’ he repeated. His search for the Treasure had almost ended. Elizabeth Aynsley 1995 ©