the star-child-第4节

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gold　that　is　hidden　here；　and　if　I　find　it　not　my　master　will　beat

me；　and　keep　me　as　a　slave。'



'Follow　me；'　cried　the　Hare；　and　it　ran　through　the　wood　till　it

came　to　a　pool　of　water。　　And　at　the　bottom　of　the　pool　the　piece

of　yellow　gold　was　lying。



'How　shall　I　thank　thee？'　said　the　Star…Child；　'for　lo！　this　is　the

second　time　that　you　have　succoured　me。'



'Nay；　but　thou　hadst　pity　on　me　first；'　said　the　Hare；　and　it　ran

away　swiftly。



And　the　Star…Child　took　the　piece　of　yellow　gold；　and　put　it　in　his

wallet；　and　hurried　to　the　city。　　But　the　leper　saw　him　coming；　and

ran　to　meet　him；　and　knelt　down　and　cried；　'Give　me　a　piece　of

money　or　I　shall　die　of　hunger。'



And　the　Star…Child　said　to　him；　'I　have　in　my　wallet　but　one　piece

of　yellow　gold；　and　if　I　bring　it　not　to　my　master　he　will　beat　me

and　keep　me　as　his　slave。'



But　the　leper　entreated　him　sore；　so　that　the　Star…Child　had　pity

on　him；　and　gave　him　the　piece　of　yellow　gold。



And　when　he　came　to　the　Magician's　house；　the　Magician　opened　to

him；　and　brought　him　in；　and　said　to　him；　'Hast　thou　the　piece　of

yellow　gold？'　　And　the　Star…Child　said　to　him；　'I　have　it　not。'　　So

the　Magician　fell　upon　him；　and　beat　him；　and　loaded　him　with

chains；　and　cast　him　again　into　the　dungeon。



And　on　the　morrow　the　Magician　came　to　him；　and　said；　'If　to…day

thou　bringest　me　the　piece　of　red　gold　I　will　set　thee　free；　but　if

thou　bringest　it　not　I　will　surely　slay　thee。'



So　the　Star…Child　went　to　the　wood；　and　all　day　long　he　searched

for　the　piece　of　red　gold；　but　nowhere　could　he　find　it。　　And　at

evening　he　sat　him　down　and　wept；　and　as　he　was　weeping　there　came

to　him　the　little　Hare。



And　the　Hare　said　to　him；　'The　piece　of　red　gold　that　thou　seekest

is　in　the　cavern　that　is　behind　thee。　　Therefore　weep　no　more　but

be　glad。'



'How　shall　I　reward　thee？'　cried　the　Star…Child；　'for　lo！　this　is

the　third　time　thou　hast　succoured　me。'



'Nay；　but　thou　hadst　pity　on　me　first；'　said　the　Hare；　and　it　ran

away　swiftly。



And　the　Star…Child　entered　the　cavern；　and　in　its　farthest　corner

he　found　the　piece　of　red　gold。　　So　he　put　it　in　his　wallet；　and

hurried　to　the　city。　　And　the　leper　seeing　him　coming；　stood　in　the

centre　of　the　road；　and　cried　out；　and　said　to　him；　'Give　me　the

piece　of　red　money；　or　I　must　die；'　and　the　Star…Child　had　pity　on

him　again；　and　gave　him　the　piece　of　red　gold；　saying；　'Thy　need　is

greater　than　mine。'　　Yet　was　his　heart　heavy；　for　he　knew　what　evil

fate　awaited　him。





But　lo！　as　he　passed　through　the　gate　of　the　city；　the　guards　bowed

down　and　made　obeisance　to　him；　saying；　'How　beautiful　is　our

lord！'　and　a　crowd　of　citizens　followed　him；　and　cried　out；　'Surely

there　is　none　so　beautiful　in　the　whole　world！'　so　that　the　Star…

Child　wept；　and　said　to　himself；　'They　are　mocking　me；　and　making

light　of　my　misery。'　　And　so　large　was　the　concourse　of　the　people；

that　he　lost　the　threads　of　his　way；　and　found　himself　at　last　in　a

great　square；　in　which　there　was　a　palace　of　a　King。



And　the　gate　of　the　palace　opened；　and　the　priests　and　the　high

officers　of　the　city　ran　forth　to　meet　him；　and　they　abased

themselves　before　him；　and　said；　'Thou　art　our　lord　for　whom　we

have　been　waiting；　and　the　son　of　our　King。'



And　the　Star…Child　answered　them　and　said；　'I　am　no　king's　son；　but

the　child　of　a　poor　beggar…woman。　　And　how　say　ye　that　I　am

beautiful；　for　I　know　that　I　am　evil　to　look　at？'



Then　he；　whose　armour　was　inlaid　with　gilt　flowers；　and　on　whose

helmet　crouched　a　lion　that　had　wings；　held　up　a　shield；　and　cried；

'How　saith　my　lord　that　he　is　not　beautiful？'



And　the　Star…Child　looked；　and　lo！　his　face　was　even　as　it　had

been；　and　his　comeliness　had　come　back　to　him；　and　he　saw　that　in

his　eyes　which　he　had　not　seen　there　before。



And　the　priests　and　the　high　officers　knelt　down　and　said　to　him；

'It　was　prophesied　of　old　that　on　this　day　should　come　he　who　was

to　rule　over　us。　　Therefore；　let　our　lord　take　this　crown　and　this

sceptre；　and　be　in　his　justice　and　mercy　our　King　over　us。'



But　he　said　to　them；　'I　am　not　worthy；　for　I　have　denied　the　mother

who　bare　me；　nor　may　I　rest　till　I　have　found　her；　and　known　her

forgiveness。　　Therefore；　let　me　go；　for　I　must　wander　again　over

the　world；　and　may　not　tarry　here；　though　ye　bring　me　the　crown　and

the　sceptre。'　　And　as　he　spake　he　turned　his　face　from　them　towards

the　street　that　led　to　the　gate　of　the　city；　and　lo！　amongst　the

crowd　that　pressed　round　the　soldiers；　he　saw　the　beggar…woman　who

was　his　mother；　and　at　her　side　stood　the　leper；　who　had　sat　by　the

road。



And　a　cry　of　joy　broke　from　his　lips；　and　he　ran　over；　and　kneeling

down　he　kissed　the　wounds　on　his　mother's　feet；　and　wet　them　with

his　tears。　　He　bowed　his　head　in　the　dust；　and　sobbing；　as　one

whose　heart　might　break；　he　said　to　her：　　'Mother；　I　denied　thee　in

the　hour　of　my　pride。　　Accept　me　in　the　hour　of　my　humility。

Mother；　I　gave　thee　hatred。　　Do　thou　give　me　love。　　Mother；　I

rejected　thee。　　Receive　thy　child　now。'　　But　the　beggar…woman

answered　him　not　a　word。



And　he　reached　out　his　hands；　and　clasped　the　white　feet　of　the

leper；　and　said　to　him：　　'Thrice　did　I　give　thee　of　my　mercy。　　Bid

my　mother　speak　to　me　once。'　　But　the　leper　answered　him　not　a

word。



And　he　sobbed　again　and　said：　　'Mother；　my　suffering　is　greater

than　I　can　bear。　　Give　me　thy　forgiveness；　and　let　me　go　back　to

the　forest。'　　And　the　beggar…woman　put　her　hand　on　his　head；　and

said　to　him；　'Rise；'　and　the　leper　put　his　hand　on　his　head；　and

said　to　him；　'Rise；'　also。



And　he　rose　up　from　his　feet；　and　looked　at　them；　and　lo！　they　were

a　King　and　a　Queen。



And　the　Queen　said　to　him；　'This　is　thy　father　whom　thou　hast

succoured。'



And　the　King　said；　'This　is　thy　mother　whose　feet　thou　hast　washed

with　thy　tears。'　　And　they　fell　on　his　neck　and　kissed　him；　and

brought　him　into　the　palace　and　clothed　him　in　fair　raiment；　and

set　the　crown　upon　his　head；　and　the　sceptre　in　his　hand；　and　over

the　city　that　stood　by　the　river　he　ruled；　and　was　its　lord。　　Much

justice　and　mercy　did　he　show　to　all；　and　the　evil　Magician　he

banished；　and　to　the　Woodcutter　and　his　wife　he　sent　many　rich

gifts；　and　to　their　children　he　gave　high　honour。　　Nor　would　he

suffer　any　to　be　cruel　to　bird　or　beast；　but　taught　love　and

loving…kindness　and　charity；　and　to　the　poor　he　gave　bread；　and　to

the　naked　he　gave　raiment；　and　there　was　peace　and　plenty　in　the

land。



Yet　ruled　he　not　long；　so　great　had　been　his　suffering；　and　so

bitter　the　fire　of　his　testing；　for　after　the　space　of　three　years

he　died。　　And　he　who　came　after　him　ruled　evilly。







End