The Boy Judas
ANOTHER woman likewise lived there, whose son was possessed by Satan. This boy, named Judas, as often as Satan seized him, was inclined to bite all that were present, and if he found no one else near him, he would bite his own hands and other parts. But the mother of this miserable boy, hearing of St. Mary and her son Jesus, arose presently, and taking her son in her arms, brought him to the Lady Mary. In the meantime, James and Joses had taken away the infant, the Lord Jesus, to play at a proper season with other children, and when they went forth, they sat down and the Lord Jesus with them.
Then Judas, who was possessed, came and sat down at the right hand of Jesus. When Satan was acting upon him as usual, he went about to bite the Lord Jesus. And because he could not do it, he struck Jesus on the right side, so that he cried out. And in the same moment Satan went out of the boy and ran away like a mad dog. This same boy who struck Jesus, and out of whom Satan went in the form of a dog, was Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him to the Jews. And that same side, on which Judas struck him, the Jews pierced with a spear.
AND when the Lord Jesus was seven years of age, he was on a certain day with other boys his companions about the same age who, when they were at play, made clay into several shapes, namely, asses, oxen, birds, and other figures, each boasting of his work, and endeavouring to exceed the rest.
Then the Lord Jesus said to the boys, "I will command these figures which I have made to walk." And immediately they moved, and when he commanded them to return, they returned.
He had also made the figures of birds and sparrows, which, when he commanded to fly, did fly, and when he commanded to stand still, did stand still, and if he gave them meat and drink, they did eat and drink.
When at length the boys went away and related these things to their parents, their fathers said to them, "Take heed, children, for the future, of his company, for he is a sorcerer; shun and avoid him, and from henceforth never play with him."
On a certain day also, when the Lord Jesus was playing with the boys and running about, he passed by a dyer's shop, whose name was Salem. And there were in his shop many pieces of cloth belonging to the people of that city, which they designed to dye of several colours. Then the Lord Jesus going into the dyer's shop, took all the cloths, and threw them into the furnace.
When Salem came home and saw the cloths spoiled, he began to make a great noise, and to chide the Lord Jesus, saying, "What hast thou done to me, O thou Son of Mary? Thou hast injured both me and my neighbours; they all desired their cloths of a proper colour, but thou hast come, and spoiled them all."
The Lord Jesus replied, "I will change the colour of every cloth to what colour thou desirest." And then he presently began to take the cloths out of the furnace, and they were all dyed of those same colours which the dyer desired. And when the Jews saw this surprising miracle, they praised God.
(600 words)
