Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка
www.frank lang.ru
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95
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 coming, 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.'
96
'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.'
97
But the leper entreated him, and prayed of him, till the Star-Child had pity, and gave him
the piece of white gold.
98
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.
99
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.'
100
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,
101
And the Hare said to him, 'Why art thou weeping? And what dost thou seek in the
wood?'
102
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.'
103
'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.
104
'How shall I thank thee?' said the Star-Child, 'for lo! this is the second time that you
have succoured me.'
105
'Nay, but thou hadst pity on me first,' said the Hare, and it ran away swiftly.
106
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.'
107
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.'
108
But the leper entreated him sore, so that the Star-Child had pity on him, and gave him
the piece of yellow gold.
109
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