The Virgin Mary's Child, part 2

Continuing from earlier...


"No," she answered.


Then the Virgin Mary  put her hand on the maiden's heart and could feel it pounding and pounding. Now she knew the maiden had disobeyed her command and had open the door. Once again she asked, "You opened the door, didn't you?"


"No," said the maiden for the second time.


When the Virgin Mary glanced at the finger that had become golden from touching the heavenly fire, she knew the maiden had sinned.


"Didn't you?" she asked for the third time.


"No," the maiden replied for the third time.


Then the Virgin Mary said, " You've disobeyed me, and you've lied. You're no longer worthy enough to stay in heaven."


The maiden sank then into a deep sleep, and when she awoke, she was lying on the earth in the middle of a wilderness. She wanted to cry out, but she could not utter a sound. She jumped up and wanted to run away, but wherever she turned, she encountered thick hedges of thorns and could not make her way through them. She was imprisoned in this desolate spot and had to make an old hollow tree her dwelling place. When night came, she crawled inside and fell asleep. If it rained and there was stormy weather, she found shelter there. But it was a miserable life, and whenever she thought how beautiful it had been in heaven and how the angels had played with her, she shed bitter tears. Roots and wild berries were her only food, and she went out looking for them as far as she could walk. In the autumn she gathered the nuts and leaves that fell to the ground and carried them into the hollow tree. The nuts were her food in the winter and, when snow and ice came, she crawled into the leaves like a poor little animal so she would not freeze. Before long her clothes became tattered, and one piece after another fell off her body. As soon as the sun began to shine again, she went out and sat in front of the tree. Her long hair covered her on all sides like a cloak. She spent year after year like this and felt the sorrow and misery of the world.


One day, when the trees were fresh and green again, the king of the country came to hunt in the forest and began chasing a deer. When it fled into the bushes that surrounded the maiden's dwelling spot in the forest, he got off his horse, pulled the bushes apart, and cut a path for himself with his sword.  When he finally got through, he saw a wonderful-looking maiden sitting under a tree, and her golden hair covered her down to her toes. He stood still and gazed at her full of amazement. Then he addressed her and said, "Who are you? Why are you sitting in this desolate spot?"


However, she could not answer because she could not open her mouth.


So the king continued to speak, " Would you like to come to the castle with me?"


She nodded her head just a little. Then the king took her in his arms, carried her to his horse, and rode home with her. When he reached the royal castle, he had her dressed in beautiful garments and gave her plenty of everything. Even though she could not speak, she was so sweet and beautiful that he fell in love with her, and it was not long before he married her.


When about a year had passed, the queen gave birth to a son. Immediately following this, in the night as she lay alone in bed, The Virgin Mary appeared before her and said, "If you'll tell me the truth and confess that you unlocked the forbidden door, I'll open your mouth and give you back the power of speech. If you persist in your sin and stubbornly deny it, I shall take your newborn baby with me."


Part three coming up...