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stars, and wrapped in many folds. And he cried out to his coMr.ade
that he had found the treasure that had fallen from the sky, and when
his coMr.ade had come up, they sat them down in the snow, and
loosened the folds of the cloak that they might divide the pieces of
gold. But, alas! no gold was in it, nor silver, nor indeed, treasure of
any kind, but only a little child who was asleep.
And one of them said to the other: "This is a bitter ending to
our hope, nor have we any good fortune, for what doth a child profit
to a man? Let us leave it here, and go our way, seeing that we are
poor men, and have children of our own whose bread we may not
give to another."
But his companion answered him: "Nay, but it were an evil
thing to leave the child to perish here in the snow, and though I am as
poor as thou art, and have many mouths to feed, and but little in the
pot, yet will I bring it home with me, and my wife shall have care of
it."
So very tenderly he took up the child, and wrapped the cloak
around it to shield it from the harsh cold, and made his way down the
hill to the village, his coMr.ade marvelling much at his foolishness
and softness of heart.
And when they came to the village, his coMr.ade said to him,
"Thou hast the child, therefore give me the cloak, for it is meat that
we should share."
But he answered him: "Nay, for the cloak is neither mine nor
thine, but the child's only," and he bade him Godspeed, and went to
his own house and knocked.
And when his wife opened the door and saw that her husband
had returned safe to her, she put her arms round his neck and kissed
him, and took from his back the bundle of faggots, and brushed the
snow off his boots, and bade him come in.
But he said to her, "I have found something in the forest, and I
have brought it to thee to have care of it," and he stirred not from the
threshold.
"What is it?" she cried. "Show it to me, for the house is bare,
and we have need of many things." And he drew the cloak back, and
showed her the sleeping child.
"Alack, goodman!" she murmured, "have we not children
enough of our own, that thou must need bring a changeling to sit by