ame up and made inquiry of the soldiers who it was who had sought entrance。 And they said to him， “It is a beggar and the child of a beggar， and we have driven him away。”
“Nay， ” he cried， laughing， “but we will sell the foul thing for a slave， and his price shall be the price of a bowl of sweet wine。 ”
And an old and evil…visaged man who was passing by called out， and said， “I will buy him for that price，” and， when he had paid the price， he took the Star…Child by the hand and led him into the city。
And after that they had gone through many streets they came to a little door that was set in a wall that was covered with a pomegranate tree。 And the old man touched the door with a ring of graved jasper and it opened， and they went down five steps of brass into a garden filled with black poppies and green jars of burnt clay。 And the old man took then from his turban a scarf of figured silk， and bound with it the eyes of the Star…Child， and drave him in front of him。 And when the scarf was taken off his eyes， the Star…Child found himself in a dungeon， that was lit by a lantern of horn。
And the old man set before him some mouldy bread on a trencher and said， “Eat， ” and some brackish water in a cup and said， “Drink，” and when he had eaten and drunk， the old man went out， locking the door behind him and fastening it with an iron chain。
And on the morrow the old man， who was indeed the subtlest of the magicians of Libya and had learned his art from one who dwelt in the tombs of the Nile， came in to him and frowned at him， and said， “In a wood that is nigh to the gate of this city of Giaours there are three pieces of gold。 One is of white gold， and another is of yellow gold， and the gold of the third one is red。 Today thou shalt bring me the piece of white gold， and if thou bringest it not back， I will beat thee with a hundred stripes。 Get thee away quickly， and at sunset I will be waiting for thee at the door of the garden。 See that thou bringest the white gold， or it shall go ill with thee， for thou art my slave， and I have bought thee for the price of a bowl of sweet wine。 ”And he bound the eyes of the Star…Child with the scarf of figured silk， and led him through the house， and through the garden of poppies， and up the five steps of brass。 And having opened the little door with his ring he set him in the street。
And the Star…Child went out of the gate of the city， and came to the wood of which the Magician had spoken to him。
Now this wood was very fair to look at from without， and seemed full of singing birds and of sweet…scented flowers， and the Star…Child entered it gladly。 Yet did its beauty profit him little， for wherever he went harsh briars and thorns shot up from the ground and enpassed him， and evil tles stung him， and the thistle pierced him with her daggers， so that he was in sore distress。 Nor could he anywhere find the piece of white gold of which the Magician had spoken， though he sought for it from morn to noon， and from noon to sunset。 And at sunset he set his face towards home， weeping bitterly， for he knew what fate was in store for him。
But when he had reached the outskirts of the wood， he heard from a thicket a cry as of some one in pain。 And forgetting his own sorrow he ran back to the place， and saw there a little Hare caught in a trap that some hunter had set for it。
And the Star…Child had pity on it， and released it， and said to it， “I am myself but a slave， yet may I give thee thy freedom。 ”
And the Hare answered him， and said： “Surely thou hast given me freedom， and what shall I give thee in return？”
And the Star…Child said to it， “I am seeking for a piece of white gold， nor can I anywhere find it， and if I bring it not to my master he will beat me。 ”
“e thou with me， ” said the Hare， “and I will lead thee to it， for I know where it is hidden， and for what purpose。 ”
So the Star…Child went with the Hare， and lo！ in the cleft of a great oak…tree he saw the piece of white gold that he was seeking。 And he was filled with joy， and seized it， and said to the Hare， “The service that I did to thee thou hast rendered back again many times over， and the kindness that I showed thee thou hast repaid a hundred…fold。 ”
“Nay，” answered the Hare， “but as thou dealt with me， so I did deal with thee， ” and it ran away swiftly， and the Star…Child went towards the city。
Now at the gate of the city there was seated one who was a leper。 Over his face hung a cowl of grey linen， and through the eyelets his eyes gleamed like red coals。 And when he saw the Star…Child ing， he struck upon a wooden bowl， and clattered his bell， and called out to him， and said， “Give me a piece of money， or I must die of hunger。 For they have thrust me out of the city， and there is no one who has pity on me。 ”
“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 I am 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 ing， 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 ing， 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 eliness had e 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 e 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