Little Teegan Benson couldn’t wait to get on stage to play the role of “sheep” in the First Baptist Church of White Pine’s nativity scene.
“They were all eager to get upstairs so they could dance along to the music,” Teegan’s mother, Tana Benson, told TODAY.com at the time.
But Teegan, who was two at the time, had bigger plans than just dancing. The toddler, who according to her mother had been singing the songs and talking about Baby Jesus in the car for weeks, was determined to get her hands on the doll in the daycare. “She just really wanted that baby Jesus,” her mother recalled.
What happened next at the Tennessee church in December 2017 went viral.
When Teegan, dressed as a sheep, left with baby Jesus mid-song, her 3-year-old co-star, who played the role of Mary, took matters into her own hands, retrieved the doll and returned baby Jesus to his bed. Teegan grabbed the doll again, and that’s when a big brawl broke out at the kindergarten during the church nativity contest. The rest of the kids continued singing “Away in a Manger” without missing a beat.
Benson posted the video to her Facebook page, where it was viewed by millions of people.
“Teegan loves being the center of attention, so the more people laughed, the more excited she was to strut her stuff,” her mom explained. Everyone in the audience laughed so hard, she said, that they had trouble eating at the church fundraiser afterward.
“These children are such blessings to all of us, and we are thrilled to share our joy and laughter,” said Tana Benson, pictured in 2017 with her daughters Teegan and Taylor.
“The little girl who plays Mary is a middle child and very rule-abiding, and she knew this wasn’t supposed to happen,” Benson said. “When I went up to take Teegan’s hand and walk her off stage, the little girl playing Mary said, ‘She touched the baby Jesus! We weren’t supposed to touch the baby Jesus!’ I told her we were sorry!”
Benson is overwhelmed by the response to her daughter’s antics. “I’m really happy that a video like this can bring some light to the season,” she said. “This is a great way to share the message and remind everyone of the reason for this season, which is Jesus.”
Her daughter clearly understands that very well.
This story originally appeared in December 2017, but we bring it back every year because it’s HILARIOUS.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
