The Strangest Things...

The story continues... The queen was given the power to answer, but she remained stubborn and said, "No, I didn't open the forbidden door." So the Virgin Mary took the newborn baby out of her arms and disappeared with him. The next morning, when the child could not be found, a rumour began circulating among the people that the queen was an ogress and had killed her own child. She heard all this but could do nothing to deny it. However, the king refused to believe it because he loved her so much. After a year had passed, the queen gave birth to another son. Once more the Virgin Mary came to her and said, "If you confess that you opened the forbidden door, I'll give you back your child and loosen your tongue. But if you persist in your sin and deny it, I'll take this newborn baby away with me too." Once again the queen said, " No, I didn't open the forbidden door." So the Virgin Mary took the child out of her arms and went away...

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,...

After catching up with  Doctor Who  and  Casualty  earlier I picked up a book and found this intriguing little tale. Invite you to ponder where you agree/disagree with it... The Virgin Mary's Child The Brother's Grimm (Translated by Jack Zipes) A poor woodcutter and his wife lived at the edge of a large forest, and their only child was a little girl who was three years old.They were so poor they could not have daily meals anymore and did not know how they would provide food for their daughter. One morning the woodcutter, who was distressed by all this, went into the forest to work. As he began chopping wood a tall, beautiful woman suddenly appeared before him. She was wearing a crown of shining stars on her head and said to him, "I am the Virgin Mary, mother of the Christ Child. Since you are poor and needy, bring me your child. I'll take her with me to be her mother and look after her." The woodcutter obeyed her. He brought his child and gave her...