"Go to Bethlehem," said Herod to the Wise Men, "and search through the town until you find this child; and when you have found him, come and tell me, for I wish to do honor to this King." That was what Herod said; but what he meant to do was a very different thing, as we shall see. The Wise Men at once started for Bethlehem, which was only six miles from Jerusalem. They went over one of the mountains, and then one said to another: "Look, there is the star once more! See it in the sky just before us!" The star stood over the road leading to Bethlehem, and again they followed it rejoicing. It led them straight to the city, and then to a house, over which it seemed to pause. They knocked at the door, and when it was opened they went into a room, where they found a baby lying in its young mother's arms. These Wise Men knew at once that here was the King for whom they had sought so long and traveled so far. They bowed before him to the ground to show the high honor in which they held him. Then they opened the treasures which they had brought from their own land, and gave to him rich gifts, such as were presented to kings. They gave him gold, and frankincense and myrrh, the fragrant gums that were used in offerings and were very costly. Thus, while in his own land only a few people showed their gladness at the coming of their king, the strangers from a distant country came to pay him honor. We would have thought that some of the learned Jews, who could tell King Herod where the King was born, might have come with the Wise Men to see him. But these great scholars really cared very little about Jesus. They stayed at home and soon forgot the men of the east, their journey, and their question. [Illustration: The well of the Wise Men, near Bethlehem] [Illustration: Joseph and Mary taking the child Jesus with them set out on their journey to the land of Judea] Safe in Egypt CHAPTER 10 ON THE night after their visit to Mary and her child, the Wise Men had a dream. In their dream they heard the voice of God saying to them: "Do not go to meet King Herod again. He is no friend to this princely child. Return to your own land by some other way, and do not let Herod know it." The Wise Men obeyed the voice of the Lord. They left Bethlehem very quietly, telling no one the road that they were taking; and without going through Herod's city, went back to their own land, far-distant Parthia. As soon as the Wise Men had left, on that night Joseph also had a dream. He saw an angel by his bed, who said to Joseph: "Rise up at once; take the little child and his mother, and go as quickly as you can down to the land of Egypt, stay in that country until I tell you to leave it, for very soon King Herod will try to kill this child."