Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/282

166 taught him for some hours. But Jesus was silent and answered nothing. Jesus said to the teacher, If thou art truly a teacher and truly knowest letters, tell me the power of A, and I will tell thee the power of B. Then, being filled with wrath, his master smote him on the head, and Jesus being angry, cursed him, and he fell suddenly and died.

And Jesus returned to his home. But Joseph directed Mary his mother not to suffer him to go out of the court of his house.

many other days, there came another teacher, the friend of Joseph, and said to him, Send him to me, and I will teach him his letters with much kindness. And Joseph said to him, If thou art very competent take and teach him. May it be with joy! When the teacher had received him, he went with fear and great decision, and held him with exultation. And when he had come to the teacher's house, he found a book lying in the place, and he took hold of it and opened it, and did not read what was written in the book, but opened his mouth and spake by the Holy Spirit and taught the law. And all who stood there heard him attentively, and the master sat near him and heard