The Wise Men and the Star

Far, far away in a land in the East, there lived a young wise man named Caspar. He loved the stars more than anything.

Every night, Caspar climbed to the top of a tall stone tower. He counted the stars and gave each one its own name.

Caspar had a camel named Bumpy, who was shaggy and very stubborn. Bumpy loved dates, the sweet sticky fruit, more than anything.

Caspar's teacher was Melchior, the oldest wise man in the land. He had a long white beard and a room full of star scrolls.

Caspar's best friend was Balthazar, the tallest wise man of all. He had a deep, booming voice, like a big drum.

Every night, the three wise men watched the sky together. They knew every star, and they loved each one.

One night, Caspar looked up and gasped. A brand-new star was shining in the sky, bigger and brighter than all the rest!

"Look!" cried Caspar. The new star sparkled and twinkled, and its light was warm and golden, like a candle in the sky.

Caspar ran all the way down the stairs to Melchior's room. Melchior unrolled a very old scroll and read it by lamplight.

"A new star means a new King has been born," said Melchior. "A very special King, sent by God to the whole world."

"Then we must go and find Him!" boomed Balthazar. "And we will bring Him gifts that are fit for a King."

Caspar chose gold, shiny and bright. "A King should have the very finest treasure," he said, and he packed his little gold box.

Melchior chose frankincense. When you burn it, it makes a sweet, sweet smoke that floats up to God, just like a prayer.

Balthazar chose myrrh, a precious perfume oil. It smelled sweet and spicy, and it was worth a lot of money.

In the morning, they packed their camels with food, water, blankets, and the three special gifts. It was time to go!

But Bumpy would not stand up. He just sat there and chewed. Then Caspar held out a sweet date, and up Bumpy jumped!

So the three wise men set off on their long, long journey. They rode out of the city, toward the land where the star was shining.

Night after night, the star shone ahead of them. Night after night, they followed it across the wide, wide desert.

In the hot daytime, they rested in the shade of their tent. Bumpy snored so loudly that nobody else could sleep!

One day, a big wind began to blow. WHOOSH! Sand swirled all around them, and the whole sky turned orange.

"Get down!" boomed Balthazar. The wise men hid behind their camels and covered their faces with their robes.

When the wind stopped, there was sand everywhere, even in Caspar's hair! But the gold box was safe, and so were all their friends.

Next, they came to a steep, rocky mountain. The path was very narrow, and loose stones rolled away under their feet.

Halfway up, Bumpy stopped. He sat right down in the middle of the path, and he would not move one single step.

Caspar pushed and pulled and begged. "Please, Bumpy! We have to find the King!" But Bumpy just closed his eyes.

Then Caspar remembered. He reached into his bag and held out one sweet, sticky date. Bumpy's eyes popped wide open!

Bumpy jumped up and trotted all the way to the top. Melchior and Balthazar laughed so hard they had to hold their tummies.

That night, they made camp high on the mountain. But when Caspar looked up, the whole sky was full of thick grey clouds.

The star was gone! The next night it was cloudy again, and the next. Now the wise men did not know which way to go.

Caspar sat by the fire and hugged his knees. "What if we never find the King?" he whispered sadly.

Melchior put his arm around him. "God sent the star," he said softly. "God will help us find the way. Let's keep going."

At last they saw a great city with tall golden walls. It was Jerusalem, the biggest and busiest city in all the land.

"A new King must live in a palace," said Balthazar. "Let's go to the palace and ask where He is!"

In the palace sat King Herod, the king of that land. He had a big gold crown and a very grumpy face.

"Where is the baby who was born to be King?" asked Caspar. "We saw His star, and we have come to worship Him."

King Herod's face turned red as a tomato. He did not want a new king. He wanted to be the only king, forever!

Herod called for help. In hurried an old teacher who knew God's Book by heart, carrying a long scroll.

He unrolled the scroll and read: "The new King will be born in Bethlehem." Bethlehem was a little town, not far away.

King Herod smiled a big, fake smile. "Go and find the child," he said. "Then come back and tell me where He is."

"I want to worship Him too," Herod had said. But that was not true. Herod had a mean plan hidden in his heart.

The wise men left the palace as the sun went down. They rode out on the road to Bethlehem, but the sky was still full of clouds.

Then Caspar looked up and shouted for joy. The clouds were gone, and there was the star again, shining brighter than ever!

The star moved ahead of them, leading the way. Bumpy ran so fast, and he did not even need a date this time!

In the little town of Bethlehem, the star stopped. It shone right over one little house, as if to say, "Here He is!"

The wise men climbed down from their camels. Caspar's heart went thump, thump, thump. He knocked softly on the little wooden door.

A kind man named Joseph opened the door. He smiled at the strangers and asked them to come inside.

Inside sat Mary, who was Jesus's mother. On her lap sat little Jesus. He was not a tiny baby anymore, but a happy little boy!

The three wise men knelt down on the floor and bowed. After their long, long journey, they had found the King at last!

Caspar opened his box of gold and set it down very gently. Little Jesus reached out and touched the shiny gold with a giggle.

Melchior gave the frankincense, and Balthazar gave the myrrh. Mary and Joseph smiled. These really were gifts fit for a King!

That night, they camped outside Bethlehem. As Caspar slept, an angel who shone like the sun came to him in a dream.

"Do not go back to King Herod," said the angel. "He does not want to worship Jesus. Go home by another road."

So early the next morning, the wise men went home a different way. King Herod waited and waited, but they never came back!

Back home, Caspar climbed his tower and looked up at the stars. "We found Him," he whispered. "We found the King of the whole world!"