SHEPHERD.  We were sitting one evening quiet and satisfied on a grassy hill watching our flocks; and we saw all of a sudden a thing that put wonder on us.  The lambs that were sucking at the ewes left off sucking, and they looked up in the sky; and the kids that were drinking at the pool stopped drinking and looked up.  It would put wonder on any person at all to see the little kids looking up as wise as ourselves.  We looked up then, and we saw a beautiful bright angel over our heads; and fear came on us; but the angel spoke, and he said to us that some great joy was coming into the world, and he said:  ’Set out now in search of it, and go to Bethlehem.’  ‘Where is that?’ we asked.  ’In a country that is called Judea,’ said the angel, ’a long, long way from you to the east.’  We made ourselves ready on the morrow; and there was every sort of bird that was in the sky going before us.  Look at them all now, a share of them sitting on the roof of the house, and thousands of others above in a great cloud.  We are all simple people, poor shepherds, it is not fitting for us to be coming here; but there was fear on us when we heard the angel speak.

KING.  It is great powerful kings we are.  We come from far off, from the rising of the sun.  There is not a king or a prince in these parts is fit to be put beside the lowest steward we have.  And we are wise.  There is no knowledge or learning to be had under the sun that we have not got.  But now we are brought by the guidance of that star to the Master and the Teacher that will teach us all the knowledge and wisdom of the whole world.  It is in that hope we are come following this star.  And now, shepherds, tell us what is it you want here.

SHEPHERD.  We cannot say rightly what we want here.  But the angel told us there was some great joy coming into the world; and we followed the birds in search of that joy, and the birds came to this place.

KING.  It is likely, since the star of knowledge led us, and the birds led you, to the one place, that there is some wonderful thing in it.  O friends, whatever thing is in this closed stable, it is certain it will put great fear or great joy, or maybe great sorrow, on these shepherds and on ourselves.

SHEPHERD.  You who are noble and great, and rich and wise, and learned in all things, tell us what is in this stable.

KING.  It is true we are noble and honourable, and learned and powerful, and wise and prudent, but we cannot tell you that.  We do not know ourselves what is the thing that is in it.

SHEPHERD.  Tell us this much anyway, is it sorrow or joy, grief or gladness, courage or fear, it will put on us?  Will you not tell us that before we knock at the closed door?

KING.  It is certain there are no other persons in the world so learned as ourselves.  We are astronomers to tell of the coming and going of the stars, and the ways of the heavens, and everything that is on the earth and in the clouds and under the earth.  But for all that we cannot tell you this thing.