The Star Child : Part 1

One winter night in a big forest of pine trees, two woodcutters were

walking home. It was very, very cold and there was snow on the ground. The

trees were cold, the birds were cold and the animals were cold. The rabbits

stayed in their rabbit holes and the squirrels stayed in the trees.

But the two woodcutters continued their journey. They prayed to Saint

Martin the protector of travellers and finally they saw the lights of their little

village in the distance. They were very happy and laughed. The Earth now

seemed like a flower of silver and the moon seemed like a flower of gold.

But soon they became sad again. "Why were we so happy?" asked one

woodcutter. "Life is for rich people, not poor people like us. It is better if we

die in the snow or if a wild animal eats us."

Suddenly, something very strange happened. A very bright and beautiful

star fell from the sky into the snow.

"Look," said one of the woodcutters to his friend, "perhaps we will find a

pot of gold. Let's go and see!"

When they arrived they found a thing of gold on the white snow. But it

wasn't the treasure they wanted. It was a golden cloak with golden stars on

it. They opened the cloak and inside they saw a little baby, sleeping. Round

the baby's neck was a chain of amber.

"This is not good," said one of them. "Let's leave the baby here. We have

too many children and not enough money to buy food. I don't want another

child."

"But we can't leave this little baby here alone." said the other woodcutter.

"He will surely die. I will take him home with me. We have many children

and not enough food, but my wife will look after him." And the good

woodcutter took the baby in his arms and continued his journey home.

When they arrived at their village the first woodcutter said, "You have the

child so you must give me the cloak of gold."

But his friend answered, "No, this cloak is not yours or mine. It is the

baby's cloak. It must stay with him."

The woodcutter's wife was very happy to see her husband. She put her

arms round him and kissed him.

"I found something in the forest and I brought it home for you," he said.

"Good, what is it? We are very poor and we need many things." But she

was very angry when she saw the baby. "We have too many children already

and not enough money to buy food. I don't want another child," she said. But

then she looked at the baby and her heart was full of pity.

"He is a Star-Child," said her husband. "We must love him." So the

woman put the baby in a little bed to sleep. She put the cloak and the chain

into a chest. "Yes, we will love him," she answered.