"The First Christmas" is an episode of the 1980s incarnation of Superbook.
Synopsis[]
The narrator rhymes in the style of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" in the prologue, beginning in some sort of town and ending with a tree where Christopher Peeper and his dog Ruffles are wishing a certain Christmas wish to the tree. They head home for a surprise from his father, who is concentrating on something unspecific, in which process he is pacing and looking into a book. Because of Professor Peeper not answering sensibly due to this, Chris and Ruffles are about to make decorations. As he is doing so, an excited Ruffles knocks Gizmo and a picture of himself and Mrs. Peeper off. He laments how merry Christmas is not due to his mother's absence. Coincidentally, his friend Joy enters to see what he is doing. But before she can help out, Superbook glows and takes the gang to a timely story. Superbook explains that not everybody knows about the First Christmas, nor does everybody get to witness it first-hand, so they are taken into the book.
They then encounter a traveling duo of Mary and Joseph (trio, including the donkey she is riding). The 20th century trio (Chris, Joy, and Gizmo) are taken there, but Mary and Joseph provide them food and water on the way. They stay with the couple as they stop for camp. Mary and Joseph explain to the trio about the former's pregnancy, and she herself says an angel told her that it would be a boy. She was between the Sea of Galilee and Mount Carmel when she got a visit from this angel, Gabriel. Joseph explains his side of the story: an angel visited him, too (in a dream), revealing he was a descendant of King David, and that he shouldn't be afraid to take Mary as his wife. Joy expresses having an idea of marrying a man as handsome as Joseph, but an angel had not told her so. When, upon asking, Chris answers that Superbook brought them here, Joseph doesn't understand, but Joy mentions it is a secret. She then confirms the couple's destination: the City of David called Bethlehem. Joseph says it is because Caesar Augustus said all Jews had to go to the city of their forefathers to be counted and taxed. When they leave, the children and Gizmo follow. They, however, end up losing Mary and Joseph upon entering Bethlehem, only they find every inn possible full. Gizmo manages to find a place: fields, to work with shepherds, whom he and Chris thank for their hospitality. Gizmo witnesses Mary and Joseph entering a stable, but Joy reveals to the guys that the shepherds left them bread and cheese to eat.
As Joseph is setting up a haystack, Mary is about to have her baby.
Back to the sleeping shepherds, a light comes from Heaven, waking them up into fear. An angel calms them down and tells them about Jesus' birth. Unseen other angels chant, "Glory!" three times, and "Glory to God…!" The children and Gizmo, thinking they heard music, catch up to them. Chris, sure of where the manger is, leads Joy, Gizmo, and the shepherds to the stable. Joseph and Mary are happier to be in a stable than in a noisy inn. The group visits and witnesses the birth of baby Jesus, but then Chris walks out in frustration, punching a tree, but denies any problem. But when Joy mentions that his mother probably misses him, he comes to his senses. Joy reminds him not only that all mothers miss their children when they are away, but that she is away helping her sister have a baby. Gizmo witnesses and points out to Chris that there is a bright star. Joy remembers that three wise men witnessed that same star, and decides (correctly) that they are on their way now. But before getting there, they go to Jerusalem to pay their respects to the evil King Herod (the Great). Herod tells the wise men to find the newborn king in Bethlehem and bring him word about it so he won't miss the opportunity to worship him. Unfortunately, as they leave, it is shown that Herod denies there being any king but himself. He then sends two soldiers to follow the wise men, and then to kill the newborn king when they find him.
Meanwhile, the wise men arrive at the stable and bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh, as a symbol of love and devotion. Outside in a tree, Chris wishes on the star, but before he can make his wish, he hears the footfalls of the soldiers. He spies, finding that they are looking for babies. The soldiers argue over which one lost track of the wise men and reveal the idea of killing the baby, much to Chris's dismay. In an attempt to go warn Joseph and Mary about the search for the baby Jesus, he sets off to shoot them with a slingshot, and so they chase after him into a dead end. Gizmo, however, runs into them and pushes them off the ledge. But before Chris and Gizmo can go protect Jesus, Mary thanks the former, but reveals it is not necessary. Joseph reveals he and the family are headed to Egypt. Chris and Gizmo lament that they are leaving, but Joy tells them to smile because it means Jesus will be safe, so the groups part. The children decide this adventure is the best Christmas present they ever had, and so they are then returned to their own time and place. Ruffles tries to wake them, and Chris smells something burning. Then he finds there was a surprise: his father had set up the tree Chris had brought home. The scent was from a cake that Mrs. Peeper had sent Professor Peeper while she was away so that Chris could still have a merry Christmas. With help from Chris and Joy, the narrator wishes the viewers a merry Christmas.
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