Rachel is 8 and for the first time is allowed to join her brothers and sisters to visit their grandfather – Amos, as he carries out his annual ritual of a night in the hills, where he worked as a young shepherd boy. Grandfather is delighted to see the children and a special bond is established between him and Rachel. He tells them how she reminds him of a magical night; he then proceeds to recount it. He explains how, ahead of the other shepherds protecting their flock with him, he is flown away by the Angel Gabriel, to be the first visitor to the newly born Christ child. This magical re-working of the nativity by the leading writer Michael Morpurgo is rich with human poignancy as we share this very special experience.