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