THE STARCHILD.docx
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THE STARCHILD.docx
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THESTARCHILD
THESTAR-CHILD
[TOMISSMARGOTTENNANT-MRS.ASQUITH]
OnceuponatimetwopoorWoodcuttersweremakingtheirwayhome
throughagreatpine-forest.Itwaswinter,andanightofbitter
cold.Thesnowlaythickupontheground,anduponthebranchesof
thetrees:
thefrostkeptsnappingthelittletwigsoneitherside
ofthem,astheypassed:
andwhentheycametotheMountain-
Torrentshewashangingmotionlessinair,fortheIce-Kinghad
kissedher.
Socoldwasitthateventheanimalsandthebirdsdidnotknow
whattomakeofit.
'Ugh!
'snarledtheWolf,ashelimpedthroughthebrushwoodwith
histailbetweenhislegs,'thisisperfectlymonstrousweather.
Whydoesn'ttheGovernmentlooktoit?
'
'Weet!
weet!
weet!
'twitteredthegreenLinnets,'theoldEarthis
deadandtheyhavelaidheroutinherwhiteshroud.'
'TheEarthisgoingtobemarried,andthisisherbridaldress,'
whisperedtheTurtle-dovestoeachother.Theirlittlepinkfeet
werequitefrost-bitten,buttheyfeltthatitwastheirdutyto
takearomanticviewofthesituation.
'Nonsense!
'growledtheWolf.'Itellyouthatitisallthefault
oftheGovernment,andifyoudon'tbelievemeIshalleatyou.'
TheWolfhadathoroughlypracticalmind,andwasneverataloss
foragoodargument.
'Well,formyownpart,'saidtheWoodpecker,whowasaborn
philosopher,'Idon'tcareanatomictheoryforexplanations.Ifa
thingisso,itisso,andatpresentitisterriblycold.'
Terriblycolditcertainlywas.ThelittleSquirrels,wholived
insidethetallfir-tree,keptrubbingeachother'snosestokeep
themselveswarm,andtheRabbitscurledthemselvesupintheir
holes,anddidnotventureeventolookoutofdoors.Theonly
peoplewhoseemedtoenjoyitwerethegreathornedOwls.Their
featherswerequitestiffwithrime,buttheydidnotmind,and
theyrolledtheirlargeyelloweyes,andcalledouttoeachother
acrosstheforest,'Tu-whit!
Tu-whoo!
Tu-whit!
Tu-whoo!
what
delightfulweatherwearehaving!
'
OnandonwentthetwoWoodcutters,blowinglustilyupontheir
fingers,andstampingwiththeirhugeiron-shodbootsuponthe
cakedsnow.Oncetheysankintoadeepdrift,andcameoutas
whiteasmillersare,whenthestonesaregrinding;andoncethey
slippedonthehardsmoothicewherethemarsh-waterwasfrozen,
andtheirfaggotsfelloutoftheirbundles,andtheyhadtopick
themupandbindthemtogetheragain;andoncetheythoughtthat
theyhadlosttheirway,andagreatterrorseizedonthem,for
theyknewthattheSnowiscrueltothosewhosleepinherarms.
ButtheyputtheirtrustinthegoodSaintMartin,whowatchesover
alltravellers,andretracedtheirsteps,andwentwarily,andat
lasttheyreachedtheoutskirtsoftheforest,andsaw,fardownin
thevalleybeneaththem,thelightsofthevillageinwhichthey
dwelt.
Sooverjoyedweretheyattheirdeliverancethattheylaughed
aloud,andtheEarthseemedtothemlikeaflowerofsilver,and
theMoonlikeaflowerofgold.
Yet,afterthattheyhadlaughedtheybecamesad,forthey
rememberedtheirpoverty,andoneofthemsaidtotheother,'Why
didwemakemerry,seeingthatlifeisfortherich,andnotfor
suchasweare?
Betterthatwehaddiedofcoldintheforest,or
thatsomewildbeasthadfallenuponusandslainus.'
'Truly,'answeredhiscompanion,'muchisgiventosome,andlittle
isgiventoothers.Injusticehasparcelledouttheworld,noris
thereequaldivisionofaughtsaveofsorrow.'
Butastheywerebewailingtheirmiserytoeachotherthisstrange
thinghappened.Therefellfromheavenaverybrightandbeautiful
star.Itslippeddownthesideofthesky,passingbytheother
starsinitscourse,and,astheywatcheditwondering,itseemed
tothemtosinkbehindaclumpofwillow-treesthatstoodhardbya
littlesheepfoldnomorethanastone's-throwaway.
'Why!
thereisacrookofgoldforwhoeverfindsit,'theycried,
andtheysettoandran,soeagerweretheyforthegold.
Andoneofthemranfasterthanhismate,andoutstrippedhim,and
forcedhiswaythroughthewillows,andcameoutontheotherside,
andlo!
therewasindeedathingofgoldlyingonthewhitesnow.
Sohehastenedtowardsit,andstoopingdownplacedhishandsupon
it,anditwasacloakofgoldentissue,curiouslywroughtwith
stars,andwrappedinmanyfolds.Andhecriedouttohiscomrade
thathehadfoundthetreasurethathadfallenfromthesky,and
whenhiscomradehadcomeup,theysatthemdowninthesnow,and
loosenedthefoldsofthecloakthattheymightdividethepieces
ofgold.But,alas!
nogoldwasinit,norsilver,nor,indeed,
treasureofanykind,butonlyalittlechildwhowasasleep.
Andoneofthemsaidtotheother:
'Thisisabitterendingtoour
hope,norhaveweanygoodfortune,forwhatdothachildprofitto
aman?
Letusleaveithere,andgoourway,seeingthatweare
poormen,andhavechildrenofourownwhosebreadwemaynotgive
toanother.'
Buthiscompanionansweredhim:
'Nay,butitwereanevilthingto
leavethechildtoperishhereinthesnow,andthoughIamaspoor
asthouart,andhavemanymouthstofeed,andbutlittleinthe
pot,yetwillIbringithomewithme,andmywifeshallhavecare
ofit.'
Soverytenderlyhetookupthechild,andwrappedthecloakaround
ittoshielditfromtheharshcold,andmadehiswaydownthehill
tothevillage,hiscomrademarvellingmuchathisfoolishnessand
softnessofheart.
Andwhentheycametothevillage,hiscomradesaidtohim,'Thou
hastthechild,thereforegivemethecloak,foritismeetthatwe
shouldshare.'
Butheansweredhim:
'Nay,forthecloakisneitherminenor
thine,butthechild'sonly,'andhebadehimGodspeed,andwentto
hisownhouseandknocked.
Andwhenhiswifeopenedthedoorandsawthatherhusbandhad
returnedsafetoher,sheputherarmsroundhisneckandkissed
him,andtookfromhisbackthebundleoffaggots,andbrushedthe
snowoffhisboots,andbadehimcomein.
Buthesaidtoher,'Ihavefoundsomethingintheforest,andI
havebroughtittotheetohavecareofit,'andhestirrednot
fromthethreshold.
'Whatisit?
'shecried.'Showittome,forthehouseisbare,
andwehaveneedofmanythings.'Andhedrewthecloakback,and
showedherthesleepingchild.
'Alack,goodman!
'shemurmured,'havewenotchildrenofourown,
thatthoumustneedsbringachangelingtositbythehearth?
And
whoknowsifitwillnotbringusbadfortune?
Andhowshallwe
tendit?
'Andshewaswrothagainsthim.
'Nay,butitisaStar-Child,'heanswered;andhetoldherthe
strangemannerofthefindingofit.
Butshewouldnotbeappeased,butmockedathim,andspoke
angrily,andcried:
'Ourchildrenlackbread,andshallwefeed
thechildofanother?
Whoistherewhocarethforus?
Andwho
givethusfood?
'
'Nay,butGodcarethforthesparrowseven,andfeedeththem,'he
answered.
'Donotthesparrowsdieofhungerinthewinter?
'sheasked.'And
isitnotwinternow?
'
Andthemananswerednothing,butstirrednotfromthethreshold.
Andabitterwindfromtheforestcameinthroughtheopendoor,
andmadehertremble,andsheshivered,andsaidtohim:
'Wilt
thounotclosethedoor?
Therecomethabitterwindintothe
house,andIamcold.'
'Intoahousewhereaheartishardcomeththerenotalwaysa
bitterwind?
'heasked.Andthewomanansweredhimnothing,but
creptclosertothefire.
Andafteratimesheturnedroundandlookedathim,andhereyes
werefulloftears.Andhecameinswiftly,andplacedthechild
inherarms,andshekissedit,andlaiditinalittlebedwhere
theyoungestoftheirownchildrenwaslying.Andonthemorrow
theWoodcuttertookthecuriouscloakofgoldandplaceditina
greatchest,andachainofamberthatwasroundthechild'sneck
hiswifetookandsetitinthechestalso.
SotheStar-Childwasbroughtupwiththechildrenofthe
Woodcutter,andsatatthesameboardwiththem,andwastheir
playmate.Andeveryyearhebecamemorebeautifultolookat,so
thatallthosewhodweltinthevillagewerefilledwithwonder,
for,whiletheywereswarthyandblack-haired,hewaswhiteand
delicateassawnivory,andhiscurlswereliketheringsofthe
daffodil.Hislips,also,werelikethepetalsofaredflower,
andhiseyeswerelikevioletsbyariverofpurewater,andhis
bodylikethenarcissusofafieldwherethemowercomesnot.
Yetdidhisbeautyworkhimevil.Forhegrewproud,andcruel,
andselfish.ThechildrenoftheWoodcutter,andtheother
childrenofthevillage,hedespised,sayingthattheywereofmean
parentage,whilehewasnoble,beingsprangfromaStar,andhe
madehimselfmasteroverthem,andcalledthemhisservants.No
pityhadheforthepoor,orforthosewhowereblindormaimedor
inanywayafflicted,butwouldcaststonesatthemanddrivethem
forthontothehighway,andbidthembegtheirbreadelsewhere,so
thatnonesavetheoutlawscametwicetothatvillagetoaskfor
alms.Indeed,hewasasoneenamouredofbeauty,andwouldmockat
theweaklyandill-favoured,andmakejestofthem;andhimselfhe
loved,andinsummer,whenthewindswerestill,hewouldlieby
thewellinthepriest'sorchardandlookdownatthemarvelofhis
ownface,andlaughforthepleasurehehadinhisfairness.
OftendidtheWoodcutterandhiswifechidehim,andsay:
'Wedid
notdealwiththeeasthoudealestwiththosewhoareleft
desolate,andhavenonetosuccourthem.Whereforeartthouso
crueltoallwhoneedpity?
'
Oftendidtheoldpriestsendforhim,andseekt
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