The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas. Fog sets in and all radio communication is lost.

As we have nearly every Christmas Eve since 1979, As it Happens presents a classic reading of Frederick Forsyth's The Shepherd by our late host "Fireside" Al Maitland.

To hear The Shepherd, tune in to CBC Radio 1 on Tuesday Dec. 24 at 6:30 p.m. (7 p.m. in Newfoundland) stream it live on CBC Listen page or CBC Listen app, or listen in the player at the top of this story.