English Original
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.
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 couched 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 comeliness had come 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 come 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 not a word.
And he reached out his hands, and clasped the white feet of the leper, and said to him: 'Thrice did I give thee of my mercy. Bid my mother speak to me once.' But the leper answered him not a word.
And he sobbed again, and said: 'Mother, my suffering is greater than I can bear. Give me thy forgiveness, and let me go back to the forest.' And the beggar-woman put her hand on his head, and said to him, 'Rise,' and the leper put his hand on his head, and said to him 'Rise,' also.
And he rose up from his feet, and looked at them, and lo! they were a King and a Queen.
And the Queen said to him, 'This is thy father whom thou hast succoured.'
And the King said, 'This is thy mother, whose feet thou hast washed with thy tears.'
And they fell on his neck and kissed him, and brought him into the palace, and clothed him in fair raiment, and set the crown upon his head, and the sceptre in his hand, and over the city that stood by the river he ruled, and was its lord. Much justice and mercy did he show to all, and the evil Magician he banished, and to the Woodcutter and his wife he sent many rich gifts, and to their children he gave high honour. Nor would he suffer any to be cruel to bird or beast, but taught love and loving-kindness and charity, and to the poor he gave bread, and to the naked he gave raiment, and there was peace and plenty in the land.
Yet ruled he not long, so great had been his suffering, and so bitter the fire of his testing, for after the space of three years he died. And he who came after him ruled evilly.
中文翻译
但那麻风病人苦苦哀求，星孩怜悯他，便把那一块黄金给了他。
当他来到魔法师家时，魔法师开门让他进去，对他说：“你拿到那块黄金了吗？”星孩回答：“没有。”魔法师便扑向他，殴打他，给他戴上镣铐，再次将他投入地牢。
次日，魔法师来到他面前，说：“如果你今天给我带来那块红金，我就放了你；如果你带不来，我定会杀了你。”
于是星孩前往树林，一整天都在寻找那块红金，却遍寻不着。傍晚时分，他坐下来哭泣，正哭着，那只小野兔来到了他身边。
野兔对他说：“你要找的那块红金就在你身后的洞穴里。所以别再哭了，高兴起来吧。”
“我该如何报答你，”星孩喊道，“看啊！这已是你第三次救助我了。”
“不，是你先怜悯我的，”野兔说完，便飞快地跑开了。
星孩进入洞穴，在最远的角落里找到了那块红金。他把它放进钱包，匆忙赶往城里。麻风病人见他来了，站在路中央，大声喊道：“把那块红钱给我，否则我必死无疑。”星孩再次怜悯他，把红金给了他，说：“你的需要比我大。”然而他心情沉重，因为他知道厄运在等着他。
但是看啊！当他穿过城门时，卫兵们鞠躬向他致敬，说：“我们的主人多么英俊啊！”一群市民跟随着他，喊道：“全世界肯定没有比他更英俊的人了！”星孩哭了，自言自语道：“他们在嘲笑我，拿我的痛苦取乐。”人群如此拥挤，他迷失了方向，最后发现自己来到了一个巨大的广场，那里有一座国王的宫殿。
宫门打开了，城里的祭司和高官们跑出来迎接他，他们在他面前俯伏，说：“您就是我们一直等待的主人，我们国王的儿子。”
星孩回答他们说：“我不是国王的儿子，而是一个贫穷的乞丐女人的孩子。你们怎么说我英俊呢？我知道自己相貌丑陋。”
这时，那个盔甲上镶嵌着镀金花朵、头盔上蹲着一只有翅膀的狮子的军官，举起一面盾牌，喊道：“我的主人怎么说自己不英俊呢？”
星孩一看，看啊！他的面容已恢复如初，他的俊美又回来了，他在自己眼中看到了以前从未见过的东西。
祭司和高官们跪下对他说：“古老的预言说，统治我们的人将在今日到来。因此，请我们的主人接受这顶王冠和这根权杖，以他的公正和仁慈成为统治我们的国王。”
但他对他们说：“我不配，因为我曾否认生我的母亲，在找到她并得到她的宽恕之前，我无法安息。所以，让我走吧，我必须再次在世间流浪，不能在此停留，即使你们给我王冠和权杖。”他说话时，把脸从他们转向通往城门的街道，看啊！在围着士兵的人群中，他看到了那个乞丐女人——他的母亲，而站在她身边的，正是那个曾坐在路边的麻风病人。
一声喜悦的呼喊从他唇间迸发，他跑过去，跪下来亲吻母亲脚上的伤口，用泪水浸湿了它们。他把头埋在尘土中，心碎般地抽泣着，对她说：“母亲，我在骄傲的时刻否认了您。请在我谦卑的时刻接纳我。母亲，我曾给您仇恨。请您给我爱。母亲，我曾拒绝您。现在请接纳您的孩子吧。”但乞丐女人没有回答他一个字。
他伸出手，握住麻风病人苍白的脚，对他说：“我曾三次对你施以怜悯。请让我的母亲对我说一句话吧。”但麻风病人也没有回答他一个字。
他又抽泣起来，说：“母亲，我的痛苦已超出我的承受。请给我您的宽恕，让我回到森林去吧。”乞丐女人把手放在他头上，对他说：“起来。”麻风病人也把手放在他头上，对他说：“起来。”
他从地上站起来，看着他们，看啊！他们竟是一位国王和一位王后。
王后对他说：“这就是你曾救助过的父亲。”
国王说：“这就是你的母亲，你用泪水洗净了她的双脚。”
他们搂住他的脖子亲吻他，带他进入宫殿，给他穿上华美的衣服，把王冠戴在他头上，把权杖放在他手中。他统治着河边的这座城市，成为它的主人。他对所有人都表现出极大的公正和仁慈，驱逐了邪恶的魔法师，给樵夫和他的妻子送去许多丰厚的礼物，并给予他们的孩子崇高的荣誉。他不允许任何人虐待鸟兽，教导人们仁爱、慈悲和慈善，给穷人面包，给赤身者衣服，于是这片土地上充满了和平与富足。
然而他统治的时间不长，因为他所受的苦难太深，考验的火焰太烈，三年之后他便去世了。而继任者则施行暴政。