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THOMAS, an Israelite, judged it necessary to make known to our brethren among the Gentiles, the actions and miracles of Christ in his childhood, which our Lord and God Jesus Christ wrought after his birth in Bethlehem in our country, at which I myself, was astonished; the beginning of which was as followeth.

¶ When the child Jesus was five years of age, and there had been a shower of rain, which was now over, Jesus was playing with other Hebrew boys by a running stream; and the water running over the banks, stood in little lakes;

But the water instantly became clear and useful again; he having smote them only by his word, they readily obeyed him.

Then he took from the bank of the stream some soft clay, and formed out of it twelve sparrows; and there were other boys playing with him.

But a certain Jew seeing the things which he was doing, namely, his forming clay into the figures of sparrows on the Sabbath day, went presently away, and told his father Joseph, and said,

Behold, thy boy is playing by the river side, and has taken clay, and formed it into twelve sparrows, and profaneth the Sabbath.

Then Joseph came to the place where he was, and when he saw him, called to him, and said, Why doest thou that which it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?

Then Jesus clapping together the palms of his hands, called to the sparrows, and said to them Go, fly away; and while ye live remember me.

So the sparrows fled away making a noise.

The Jews seeing this, were astonished, and went away, and told their chief persons what a strange miracle they had seen wrought by Jesus.

ESIDES this, the son of Annas the scribe, was standing there with Joseph, and took a bough of a willow tree, and scattered the waters which Jesus had gathered into lakes.

But the boy Jesus seeing what he had done, became angry, and said to him, Thou fool, what harm did the lake do thee, that thou shouldest scatter the water?

Behold, now thou shalt wither as a tree, and shalt not bring forth either leaves, or branches, or fruit.

And immediately he became withered all over.

Then Jesus went away home. But the parents of the boy who was withered, lamenting the misfortune of his youth, took and carried him to Joseph, accusing him, and said, Why dost thou keep a son who is guilty of such actions?

Then Jesus at the request of all who were present did heal him, leaving only some small member to continue withered, that they might take warning.

¶ Another time Jesus went forth into the street, and a boy running by, rushed upon his shoulder;