The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 221 -
The Same Conditions Do Not Apply Everywhere
AFTER JONATHAN WAS thus enlightened, as well as all those present, Joseph suggested,
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'Friends, it is a beautiful evening - how would it be if before going to our night's rest we went out into the open for an hour?
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For it is extremely sultry in these rooms,
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and if one goes to bed now, one can neither rest nor sleep.
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Here the little Child said, 'Joseph, I am of that opinion too; only there should not be so many bothersome insects buzzing around outside - then it would be more pleasant to be outside in the evening.'
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And Joseph agreed, 'Yes, my life, there You are indeed right.
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If there were only a means by which it were possible to get rid of these bothersome little guests without going against Your order, that would be most desirable.
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And the little Child replied, 'Oh, such a means can no doubt be found quickly!
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Go and get a bowl full of warm cow's milk and put it outside, and you will see how all these thousands upon thousands of bothersome little guests will surround the bowl - and will leave us in peace.'
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Joseph now promptly told his sons to put a bowl of warm cow's milk outside,
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and the sons quickly carried out Joseph's wish.
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And when the bowl of warm milk had been placed into the open, an enormous swarm of all manner of stinging insects soon appeared above the milkbowl in the faint evening twilight.
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All were surprised at this ingenuity by which millions of midges and gnats gathered together at one point and there waged a veritable milk war with each other.
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At this Cyrenius asserted, 'See, how simple and really practical this measure is.
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A hardly noticeable bowl full of warm milk frees us from the bothersome nuisance of insects.
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Truly, that shall soon be carried out in Tyre also.
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For there millions of such creatures annoy the people in the evening.'
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And the little Child stated, 'The means is indeed quite good, but it will not be possible to apply it everywhere successfully -
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for the same conditions do not apply everywhere,
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and such conditions as are now to be found here probably do not exist anywhere else!
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Therefore this remedy works so excellently only here. For where these conditions are not to be found, this remedy will not work so well either. -
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Now look up to the sky, and you will discover a comet!' Hereat Cyrenius looked upward and at once saw a large comet.