Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/310

194 the mother of Cleopas went away and dressed her son in a shirt made out of it. Thus was his disease healed; but the son of her rival died. Hence enmity arose between them, and since on alternate weeks they managed the affairs of the household, and on one occasion the turn of Mary the mother of Cleopas came on, she heated the oven to bake bread, and went away to fetch the dough she had kneaded, leaving her son Cleopas at the oven. Her rival seeing him alone — the oven being hot with the fire that was burning — she took him and threw him into the oven, and withdrew from the place. When Mary came back and saw her son Cleopas lying in the middle of the oven laughing, and the oven cold, as if no fire had been put into it, she knew that her rival had thrust him into the fire. She took him out therefore and carried him to the lady, my lady Mary, and told her what had happened. And she said, Keep silence, and tell this to no one; for I fear for thee if thou divulge it. Afterwards her rival went to the well to draw water, and seeing Cleopas near the well playing, and no one nigh, she took him and thrust him into the well, and went home. When men came to fetch water from the well, they saw the boy sitting on the surface of the water, so they went down and brought him out. But great admiration of the child seized them and they praised God. Then came his mother, and weeping, brought him that had been taken out