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 HEN MARY, assisted by Eudokia, had completed her household duties, she also went up on the little hill preceded by Eudokia.
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Here the little Child ran towards her and danced joyously around His indeed lovely mother.
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Mary now took the already fairly heavy little Child on her somewhat tired arms, caressed Him and jokingly said,
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'My, but You are heavy today! You undoubtedly were two sweet-toothed and ate too much bread, butter and honey?'
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The little Child answered, 'Oh, there was much to put away! Such a little jar that James can easily hide it in his fist!
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Then a little piece of bread which one may not expose to the wind either, so it will not promptly be lifted up into the air like a dry leaf!
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One certainly cannot put on much weight from that.
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I must confess that I am really quite hungry and already look forward to the evening meal.
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See, Joseph and Jonathan have already made a meal of the whole moon and are still hungry although they are grown -
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how then should I have stilled My hunger with that fly's snack, when I still have to grow?'
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And Mary said to the Child, 'My little Son, my, but You are really quite difficult again today!
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See, if Joseph and Jonathan had made a meal of the moon, it surely would never shine down so beautifully from the sky!'
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And the little Child said, 'Woman and mother! I am not being difficult - you just did not understand Me.
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Now just go on over to the two, and they will promptly give you a taste of the moon also.'
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Here Mary smiled and went over to Joseph, greeted him and asked him what he was so profoundly considering
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and why he and Jonathan were so busily looking at the full moon.
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But Joseph hardly looked around at Mary and replied, 'Just do not bother me in my observation,
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for I want to decipher something now with Jonathan! Jesus has given us hints which must be worked out - so be quiet now and do not interrupt us.'
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At this Mary looked at the little Child who was secretly smiling, and the little Child said,
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'Now do you see how Joseph and Jonathan still feed on the moon? Just wait here patiently, and have James bring me a piece of bread and an orange.
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For the feeding on the moon by Joseph and Jonathan makes Me still hungrier than I already am.'
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Thereupon Mary quickly sent James and had him bring what the little Child wanted,
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and then asked the little Child how long it would take for the two to finish their calculations about the moon.
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And the little Child said: 'Just watch! Today - even right away, an eclipse of the moon will take place which will last about three hours!
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Now those two do not know what causes this - therefore they will suppose that they have actually eaten up the moon, especially Jonathan.
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And this phenomenon will put an end to this observation.
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Afterward I shall of course instruct them again, as I usually do when it is necessary.
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But first both must strongly miscalculate and see their calculations come to naught.'
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Hardly had the little Child finished speaking these words, when the moon already showed a dark brown indentation.
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Jonathan was the first to notice this and pointed it out to Joseph.
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Joseph, in great surprise, noticed the same thing and still more, since the eclipse increased with every moment.
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At this both were soon afraid, and Joseph quickly asked the Child, 'Child, what is taking place with the moon?'
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Here the little Child said, 'You can see that I am eating, so why do you want to interrupt Me? Wait until I am through with the orange - as you with the moon, and I shall tell you more.'
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Thereupon Joseph was silent, and when the moon became totally eclipsed, both became alarmed. Everyone now went into the house, while Jonathan seriously believed that he had eaten the moon.
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