So he came near and threw stones at her, and mocked her, and she looked at him with terror in her eyes, nor did she move her gaze from him. And when the Woodcutter, who was cleaving logs in a haggard hard by, saw what the Star-Child was doing, he ran up and rebuked him, and said to him: “Surely thou art hard of heart and knowest not mercy, for what evil has this poor woman done to thee that thou shouldst treat her in this wise?”
And the Star-Child grew red with anger, and stamped his foot upon the ground, and said, “Who art thou to question me what I do? I am no son of thine to do thy bidding. ”
“Thou speakest truly, ” answered the Woodcutter,“yet did I show thee pity when I found thee in the forest.”
And when the woman heard these words she gave a loud cry, and fell into a swoon. And the Woodcutter carried her to his own house, and his wife had care of her, and when she rose up from the swoon into which she had fallen, they set meat and drink before her, and bade her have comfort.
But she would neither eat nor drink, but said to the Woodcutter, “Didst thou not say that the child was found in the forest?And was it not ten years from this day?”
And the Woodcutter answered, “Yea, it was in the forest that I found him, and it is ten years from this day.”
“And what signs didst thou find with him?” she cried. “Bare he not upon his neck a chain of amber? Was not round him a cloak of gold tissue broidered with stars?”
“Truly,” answered the Woodcutter, “it was even as thou sayest.” And he took the cloak and the amber chain from the chest where they lay, and showed them to her.
And when she saw them she wept for joy, and said,“He is my little son whom I lost in the forest. I pray thee send for him quickly, for in search of him have I wandered over the whole world.”
So the Woodcutter and his wife went out and called to the Star-Child, and said to him, “Go into the house, and there shalt thou find thy mother, who is waiting for thee. ”
So he ran in, filled with wonder and great gladness. But when he saw her who was waiting there, he laughed scornfully and said, “Why, where is my mother? For I see none here but this vile beggar-woman.”
And the woman answered him, “I am thy mother. ”
“Thou art mad to say so,”cried the Star-Child angrily. “I am no son of thine, for thou art a beggar, and ugly, and in rags. Therefore get thee hence, and let me see thy foul face no more. ”
“Nay, but thou art indeed my little son, whom I bare in the forest,” she cried, and she fell on her knees, and held out her arms to him. “The robbers stole thee from me, and left thee to die,” she murmured, “but I recognised thee when I saw thee, and the signs also have I recognised, the cloak of golden tissue and the amber chain. Therefore I pray thee come with me, for over the whole world have I wandered in search of thee. Come with me, my son, for I have need of thy love.”
But the Star-Child stirred not from his place, but shut the doors of his heart against her, nor was there any sound heard save the sound of the woman weeping for pain.
And at last he spoke to her, and his voice was hard and bitter. “If in very truth thou art my mother,” he said, “it had been better hadst thou stayed away, and not come here to bring me to shame, seeing that I thought I was the child of some Star, and not a beggar’s child, as thou tellest me that I am. Therefore get thee hence, and let me see thee no more. ”
“Alas! my son, ” she cried, “wilt thou not kiss me before I go?For I have suffered much to find thee.”
“Nay,” said the Star-Child, “but thou art too foul to look at, and rather would I kiss the adder or the toad than thee.”
So the woman rose up, and went away into the forest weeping bitterly, and when the Star-Child saw that she had gone, he was glad, and ran back to his playmates that he might play with them.
But when they beheld him coming, they mocked him and said, “Why, thou art as foul as the toad, and as loathsome as the adder. Get thee hence, for we will not suffer thee to play with us,” and they drave him out of the garden.
And the Star-Child frowned and said to himself, “What is this that they say to me? I will go to the well of water and look into it, and it shall tell me of my beauty.”
