第30章 THE STAR-CHILD(5)

'Alas!'cried the Star-Child,'I have but one piece of money in my wallet,and if I bring it not to my master he will beat me,for Iam his slave.'

But the leper entreated him,and prayed of him,till the Star-Child had pity,and gave him the piece of white 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 white gold?'And the Star-Child answered,'I have it not.'So the Magician fell upon him,and beat him,and set before him an empty trencher,and said,'Eat,'and an empty cup,and said,'Drink,'and flung him again into the dungeon.

And on the morrow the Magician came to him,and said,'If to-day thou bringest me not the piece of yellow gold,I will surely keep thee as my slave,and give thee three hundred stripes.'

So the Star-Child went to the wood,and all day long he searched for the piece of yellow gold,but nowhere could he find it.And at sunset he sat him down and began to weep,and as he was weeping there came to him the little Hare that he had rescued from the trap,And the Hare said to him,'Why art thou weeping?And what dost thou seek in the wood?'

And the Star-Child answered,'I am seeking for a piece of yellow 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.