Star Over Bethlehem is an illustrated book of poetry and short stories on a religious theme by crime writer Agatha Christie.

For instance, in the story The Water Bus, Mrs Hargreaves's cleaner tries to offload her woes to her employer, the main one of which is that her daughter is dying in hospital after an illegal abortion went wrong.

Inspecting the presents left by the three wise men for something to eat, the baby Jesus touches the donkey's ear and its character is transformed.

It becomes the donkey that takes Joseph, Mary and Jesus into Egypt, once knowing by instinct when Herod's soldiers are near and hiding them.

Craving isolation she takes a water bus to Greenwich and on the journey touches the woven cloak-like coat of an Arabic-looking man sat in the bow of the boat.

The Captain tells the mate who collected the tickets that he must have just missed him disembarking as he couldn't walk on water… Major Rodney Grierson and his wife, Janet, are at Evensong.

Part frog, it has wings and feathers and is a mutation caused by a leak some time ago from a local research station on the downs.

After supper, Alan asks permission to go back down to the bottom of the garden and help his "friend" continue to name the new species.

In the dead of night, a drunken man, Jacob Narracott, sees a strange procession making its way down the hill from the church.

Narracott tells the local police constable of his sighting, feeling that he has seen them somewhere before… The fourteen are saints who walk the earth again on their way back to heaven.

They stand before the recording angel and tell him of their guilt that they attained eternal life when they feel they did not do enough to deserve such a reward.