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 HEN THE LITTLE CHILD was dressed, Cyrenius asked Him again if He would not like to have another tasty little piece of the fish.
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Here the little Child said after His manner, 'I really would like another small piece -
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but I dare not accept it because mother would promptly scold Me again.'
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And Cyrenius said assuringly, 'O my dearly beloved little Child, if I give it to You, your mother will say nothing.'
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To this the little Child responded quite naively, 'Yes, as long as you are here she will of course say nothing;
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but once you are gone I will be in for it twice as bad.
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Oh you just would not believe how cross My mother can be when I do something that she does not like!'
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Cyrenius smiled thereto and then asked the little Child, 'What would You say, if I were to scold Your somewhat strict mother for that - would that not make her more lenient toward You?'
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And the little Child objected, 'I beg you, do anything but that - for once you were gone I would really get a dressing down the like of which has not been heard!'
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Here Cyrenius continued to ask the little Child and said,
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'O my life, my heavenly little Child, if Your mother is so strict, how can You still love her so very much?'
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And the little Child answered, 'Because she is strict out of her great love to Me - for she constantly has the greatest fear that some sort of harm might befall Me.
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So you see, that is why I am bound to love her very much in return! Even if she is sometimes cross without cause - she still means well and for that she surely deserves My love.
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See, for just that reason she would also be cross now if I were to eat another little piece of fish, because she thinks it could do Me harm.
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It would of course do Me no harm, but I do not want to sin against the good intentions of My mother.
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Oh, I can deny Myself also and can keep My mother's orders when it has to be that way,
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but when her order does not have to be strictly adhered to, I can also do as I please.
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And then I do not let it bother Me even though mother scolds a bit.
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It is not really necessary now that I should eat another piece of fish; hence I will also deny Myself so mother can have nothing against Me when you are gone.'
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Here Cyrenius again spoke to the little Child and inquired in a very loving manner,
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'Yes, my life, but if you already have such respect of Your earthly mother, why did You not allow Yourself to be dressed by her a little while ago?
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Will she not scold You for that once I am gone?'
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And the little Child affirmed, 'No doubt - but I shall not let .it bother Me much!
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For I already told you before that I sometimes do as I please, and do not ask whether My mother agrees with it or not.
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But for all that My mother can still scold Me, for she has a good intention and a good will thereby.'
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At this Mary smiled and said jokingly, 'Now You just wait until we are alone,
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and I shall really scold You again because You have now complained against me so to Cyrenius!'
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Hereupon the little Child smiled and replied, 'Oh, you do not mean that. I can easily tell when you are really cross, for then you are quite red in the face - but now you are nice and white like I am, and then you are never upset!'
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All laughed at this remark, and the little Child also smiled. And Mary in her ardor took the little Child and caressed Him fervently.
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