The Star Child short story Learn English through story level 1

[Music]

the star child

two woodcutters were going home through

the forest

it was winter and very cold

there was thick snow on the ground and

on the trees the river was frozen

the snow was very deep and the wood

cutters went slowly

they were careful because it is easy to

lose your way in the snow

at last they saw the lights of their

village far down below them

they laughed because they were glad but

then they were sad

why do we want to live life is so hard

for poor people like

us then a strange thing happened

a very bright and beautiful star fell

out of the sky

it seemed to fall behind some trees

quite near them

they ran towards it perhaps there will

be a pot of gold where it fell

they thought the first woodcutter

reached the place

he saw a coat of gold lying on the white

snow

it had silver stars on it the

woodcutters opened the coat to take the

pieces of gold from it

but there was no gold there was only a

little child

one of the men said this is a sad ending

to our hopes

we do not need a child we are

poor men and we already have children

we cannot give their food to another

child

let’s leave it here the other man said

we cannot leave the child here it will

die in the cold

i am as poor as you are i have many

mouths to feed and not much food for

them

but i will take the child home with me

my wife will look after it

so he picked up the child he put the

coat round it to keep out the cold

then he went down the hill to his

village

when they came to the village his friend

said

you have the child give me the coat

but the other man answered that coat

isn’t ours

it belongs to the child then he went to

his house

his wife opened the door and kissed him

he said

i have found something in the forest and

i have brought it to you

i know that you will look after it what

is it

she asked we need many things

he opened the coat and showed her the

sleeping child

oh she said we have enough children

why have you brought this strange child

to live here

it is a star child he said and he told

her about it our children haven’t enough

bread

must we feed another person’s child

a cold wind from the forest came through

the open door

shut the door she said the wind is cold

he said a cold wind always comes into a

house where the heart is cold

she did not answer but went nearer to

the fire

soon she turned round and looked at him

and her eyes were full of tears

he put the child in her arms she kissed

it

and put it in a little bed with her

youngest child

the next day the woodcutter took the

golden coat and put it away in a big box

the star child grew up with the

woodcutter’s children

he sat at the table for meals with them

and played with them

every year he became more and more

beautiful

but the star child was only beautiful on

the outside

he was proud and unkind he thought that

he was better than the village children

they are ordinary people he thought

but i am the child of a star they

are my servants he threw stones at the

poor

and at people who asked for help go to

another

place and ask for bread we have none to

give you

he laughed at people who were weak and

ugly

he loved himself in summer he sat by the

water and smiled down

at his beautiful face the woodcutter and

his wife often spoke to him angrily

we looked after you when you needed our

help why are you

so unkind to people who need your help

the star child did not listen to them he

went back to the other children

he could run fast and dance and make

music

the other children followed the star

child

when he pushed a stick into the eyes of

a little rabbit

they laughed when he threw stones at a

sick man

they laughed their hearts became as hard

as his

one day a poor woman came through the

village

she looked like a beggar her clothes

were old and dirty

and there was blood on her feet she sat

down under a tree to rest

the star child saw her and said

look at that ugly old beggar woman let’s

send her away

so he came near and threw stones at her

she looked at him with fear in her eyes

the woodcutter saw what the star child

was doing

he ran to him and said why is your heart

so cold what has this poor woman done to

you

the star child was angry you cannot

question me

i am not your son that is true

said the woodcutter but i helped you i

was sorry for you when i found you in

the forest

when the old woman heard this she made a

loud noise

then she fell to the ground the

woodcutter carried her into the house to

his wife

they brought food to her but she did not

eat or drink

she asked did you say that the child was

found in the forest

was that ten years ago ten years ago

today

yes said the woodcutter i found him in

the forest

exactly ten years ago

did he have a coat of gold with silver

stars on it

yes said the woodcutter he took the coat

out of the box and showed it to her

he is my little son i lost him in the

forest

i have traveled the world trying to find

him

the woodcutter went out and called to

the star child

come into the house your mother is

waiting there for you

the star child ran into the house but

when he saw the old woman he laughed

where is my mother he asked i could only

see this dirty old beggar woman the

woman said

i am your mother

he said i am not your son

you are dirty and ugly go away i do not

want to see your face again

but it is true you are my son

she cried she fell on her knees and held

out her arms to him

thieves stole you from me and left you

in the forest

but i knew you when i saw you and i knew

the coat of gold with silver stars

so please come with me for many years i

have tried to find you

come with me my son i need your love

but the starchild did not move

at last he spoke and his voice was hard

and angry if you are really my mother

i do not want to know you i thought that

i was the child of a star

not the child of a beggar so go away

i do not want to see you again

won’t you kiss me before i go she cried

i suffered so much while i was looking

for you

no said the starchild i will not

so the woman went away crying into the

forest

the star child was glad and ran back to

his friends

but when they saw him they said go away

ugly face

you cannot play with us

why did they say that to me thought the

star

child he went to the water and looked

into it

his face was ugly now he fell on the

grass and cried

this has happened to me because i have

done wrong he thought

i have been unkind to my mother and sent

her away

i will go and look for her i will not

rest until i find her so he ran away

into the forest he called for his mother

all day but there was no answer

when the sun went down he slept on the

grass

the animals and birds remembered his

sticks and stones

and they ran away from him

in the morning he walked through the

forest he asked everything he met

have you seen my mother but the animals

said

you pushed sticks into our eyes you

threw stones at us

and the birds said you cut our wings you

stole our eggs

the star child cried and asked them to

forgive him

then he continued walking on the third

day he came out of the forest

and into open country he passed through

villages

and the children threw stones at him the

men sent him away

the star child searched for three years

sometimes he seemed to see his mother on

the road in front of him

he called to her and ran after her but

he never reached her

people told him no we have not seen her

nobody has walked along this road they

laughed at him

one evening he came to the gates of a

great city

the soldier at the gate stopped him what

do you want

here i am looking for my mother

he answered i want to come into this

city please

perhaps she is here your mother will not

be pleased when she sees you

you are uglier than the ugliest animal

go away

another soldier said who is your mother

and why are you trying to find her

he answered my mother is a beggar

i have been very unkind to her i want

her to forgive me

but they stopped him going in he turned

away

crying then an officer came

who is trying to come into this city he

asked

a beggar they answered and he is the

child of a beggar

so we are sending him away no

said the officer laughing we will sell

him as a slave the price will be the

price of a loaf of bread

a strange old man said i will buy him at

that price

he paid the money and took the star

child into the city

they went along many streets and came to

a little door

the old man touched the door with his

ring and it opened

they went down five steps into a garden

then the old man put a cloth over the

star child’s eyes

and pushed him into a building

when the cloth was taken away the child

was in a dark prison

the old man gave him a piece of bread

and said

eat and he gave him a cup of water and

said

drink then the old man went out

he shut and locked the door

the old man was really a clever magician

the next day he came to the star child

and said

there is a forest near the south gate of

the city

in it there are three pieces of gold

one is white gold one is yellow gold

and the third is red gold today

you must bring me the piece of white

gold if you do not

bring it back i will hit you go

this evening i will wait for you at the

door of the garden

he put a cloth over the eyes of the star

child

and took him through the house and the

garden and up the five steps to the door

then he sent him into the street

the star child went out of the gate of

the city and came to the forest

it was a beautiful forest but the plants

under the trees cut his skin

he could not find the piece of white

gold anywhere

he looked for it all day in the evening

he turned back

crying as the star

child came to the end of the wood he

heard a cry

he saw a rabbit help me

free me it cried

i am a slave said the star child but i

can free you

so he freed the rabbit the rabbit

answered

you have helped me what shall i do for

you

i am looking for a piece of white gold i

cannot find it

come with me said the rabbit and i will

take you to it

i know where it is hidden so the star

child went with the rabbit

and found the piece of white gold in a

tree

the rabbit ran away and the star child

went towards the city

at the gate of the city there was a man

his face and skin were eaten away by a

terrible illness

a grey cloth covered his face and there

were two holes in the cloth for his eyes

when he saw the star child he cried out

i have no food give me some money

or i will die i only have one piece of

gold

said the starchild if i do not take it

to my employer he will hit me

the sick man said again sadly

please give me some money or i shall die

the starchild felt sorry for him and

gave him the piece of white gold

when the starchild came to the

magician’s house the magician asked

have you got the piece of white gold

no said the starchild i have not

so the magician hit him then he said eat

but he did not give him any bread he

said

drink but he gave him a cup with no

water in it

the next day the magician came to the

child and said

bring me the piece of yellow gold today

if you do not bring it i will hit you

harder than yesterday

and i will keep you as my slave

the star child went to the forest all

day he tried to find the piece of yellow

gold

in the evening he sat down and began to

cry

the little rabbit came to him

why are you crying asked the rabbit

i am looking for a piece of yellow gold

which is hidden here

if i do not find it my employer will hit

me again

follow me said the rabbit and it ran

through the forest to a little stream

the piece of yellow gold was lying in

the sand at the bottom of the stream

how can i thank you said the star child

this is the second time that you have

helped me

you helped me first said the rabbit

and it ran away the star

child took the piece of yellow gold and

hurried back to the city

the sick beggar saw him he cried out

give me some money or i will die

the starchild said i only have

one piece of gold if i do not take it to

my employer

he will hit me he will keep me as his

slave

the sick man cried and the star child

felt sorry for him

he gave him the piece of yellow gold

when the star child came to the

magician’s house the magician

opened the door have you got the piece

of yellow gold

no said the starchild i have not

so the magician hit him and put him in

the prison

the next day the magician came to him

and said

if you bring me the piece of red gold

today you will be free

but if you do not bring it i will kill

you

the star child went to the forest he

looked for the piece of red gold

all day in the evening he sat down and

cried

the little rabbit came to him the rabbit

said

the piece of red gold is in that hole in

the rock behind you

how can i thank you said the star child

this is the third time that you have

helped me

you helped me first said the rabbit and

it ran

quickly away the star starchild looked

in the hole

and found a piece of red gold he hurried

back to the city

the sick man saw him coming he stood in

the middle of the road and cried out to

him

give me the piece of red gold or i must

die

the star child gave him the piece of red

gold saying

you need it more than i do but he was

very sad

as the starchild walked through the gate

of the city the soldiers greeted him

that is a beautiful young man

they said a crowd of people followed him

shouting nobody in the world is as

beautiful as this man

the star child thought they are laughing

at me because i am so unhappy

he lost his way in the crowd and

suddenly he was in the great square

in that square was the king’s palace

the palace gate opened government

officers ran

out to greet him they said we have

waited for you you are the son of our

king

the star child answered i am not a

king’s son

i am the ugly child of a poor beggar

woman

then an officer held up a mirror and

asked

why do you think you are not beautiful

the star child saw that his face was

beautiful again

but something new shone from his eyes

it was love and kindness

the officers stood in front of him and

said

wise men told us about this day a long

time ago

we are waiting for you for our new king

take this crown and be our king

the star child said i cannot be your

king

because i have been unkind to my mother

i must find her and ask her to forgive

me

i cannot stay here he turned away

towards the city gate

then in the crowd he saw the beggar

woman who was his mother

at her side stood the sick man

he cried out in happiness he ran to them

and threw himself down and kissed his

mother’s feet

mother he said i was proud

and unkind now please forgive me and

take me as your son

he held out his hands and touched the

sick man’s feet

and said i gave you money three times

because i was sorry for you

ask my mother to speak to me

the star child’s mother put her hand on

his head and said

stand up he stood up and looked at them

now they were a king and queen the queen

said

this is your father you helped him

when he was the sick man and the king

said

this is your mother then they kissed him

and took him into the palace

so the star child became king he gave

bread and clothes

to the poor and was kind and good to

everyone

there was happiness in the land