And when they had entered into the place they worshipped the young Child, and Mary, His mother.  Now the kings had brought great treasures with them, for it must be known that all that Alexander the Great left at his death, and all that the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon, and all that Solomon collected for the temple, had descended to the three kings from their ancestors; and all this they had now brought with them.  But when they had bowed down before the Child, they were filled with fear and amazement because of the so great light which was in the place.  And they each offered quickly the first thing that came to their hands, and forgot all their other gifts.  Melchior offered thirty golden pennies, Balthasar gave frankincense, and Caspar myrrh; but all else they quite forgot, and only remembered that they bowed before the Child, and said “Thanks be to God.”

And when they would have stayed to do honor to the Holy Child, an angel came to them in a dream, to warn them against Herod, who would do them harm.  So they departed each to his own country, journeying for two years.  And they preached unto the people, telling them of the new-born King, and everywhere upon the temples men placed the figures of a star, the Child, and a cross.

Now it happened years later that St. Thomas the Apostle journeyed to the far country to preach, and that he wondered why the star was placed upon the temples.  Then the priests in those temples told him about the three kings and how they had journeyed to Bethlehem and had seen the young Child.

And the three kings were very old and feeble, but when they heard about St. Thomas, each set out from his own place to go to meet him.  And when they had come together they builded them a city, and lived together there for two years, worshipping God and preaching.  Then Melchior died, and was buried in a large and costly tomb.  And when Balthasar died, he, too, was buried there.  And at last Caspar was placed beside his companions.

Now in the days of Constantine the Great, his mother Helena determined to find the bodies of the three kings, and for this she made a journey to the far country.  And when she had found them, she brought them to Constantinople to the Church of St. Sophia, where they were held in much honor.  And from Constantinople they were taken to Milan, where again many pilgrims came.  Now when Frederick Barbarossa laid siege to the city of Milan, he rejoiced above all else to find them there.  And by him they were taken to Cologne, and there a golden shrine was built in which the bones of the three holy kings were placed that there they might remain until the Judgment day.

THE THREE KINGS OF COLOGNE

EUGENE FIELD

From out Cologne there came three kings
  To worship Jesus Christ, their King. 
To Him they sought fine herbs they brought,
  And many a beauteous golden thing;
  They brought their gifts to Bethlehem town,
  And in that manger set them down.