Mary's Childpage 4 / 5
The queen was allowed to answer, but she remained obstinate, and said, "No, I did not open the forbidden door," and the Virgin Mary took the newborn child out of her arms and disappeared with it.
The next morning when the child was not to be found, it was rumored among the people that the queen was a cannibal and had killed her own child. She heard all this and could say nothing to the contrary, but the king did not want to believe it, because he loved her so much.
One year later the queen again bore a son. In the night the Virgin Mary again came to her, and said, "If you will confess that you opened the forbidden door, I will give you your child back and release your tongue, but if you continue in sin and deny it, then I will take this newborn child with me as well."
Then the queen said again, "No, I did not open the forbidden door," and the Virgin took the child out of her arms, and took it away with her to heaven.
The next morning, when this child had disappeared as well, the people loudly said that the queen had eaten it, and the king's councilors demanded that she should be brought to justice. The king, however, loved her so dearly that he would not believe it, and ordered the councilors, under threat of death, to say nothing more about it.
The following year the queen gave birth to a beautiful little daughter, and for a third time the Virgin Mary appeared to her in the night.
She said, "Follow me." Taking the queen by the hand, she led her to heaven, and showed her there her two oldest children, who were laughing and playing with the ball of the world.
When the queen rejoiced at seeing this, the Virgin Mary said, "Has your heart not yet softened? If you will confess that you opened the forbidden door, I will give you back your two little sons."
But for a third time the queen answered, "No, I did not open the forbidden door." Then the virgin let her sink down to earth again, and took away her third child as well.