Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Apocrypha of the New Testament/The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew/Chapter 27

Chapter 27.

And it came to pass, after these things, that in the sight of all Jesus took clay from the pools which He had made, and of it made twelve sparrows.&#160; And it was the Sabbath when Jesus did this, and there were very many children with Him.&#160; When, therefore, one of the Jews had seen Him doing this, he said to Joseph:&#160; Joseph, dost thou not see the child Jesus working on the Sabbath at what it is not lawful for him to do? for he has made twelve sparrows of clay.&#160; And when Joseph heard this, he reproved him, saying:&#160; Wherefore doest thou on the Sabbath such things as are not lawful for us to do?&#160; And when Jesus heard Joseph, He struck His hands together, and said to His sparrows:&#160; Fly!&#160; And at the voice of His command they began to fly.&#160; And in the sight and hearing of all that stood by, He said to the birds:&#160; Go and fly through the earth, and through all the world, and live.&#160; And when those that were there saw such miracles, they were filled with great astonishment.&#160; And some praised and admired Him, but others reviled Him.&#160; And certain of them went away to the chief priests and the heads of the Pharisees, and reported to them that Jesus the son of Joseph had done great signs and miracles in the sight of all the people of Israel.&#160; And this was reported in the twelve tribes of Israel.