Mary's Childpage 2 / 5
To that she said nothing, but the desire in her heart was not stilled. To the contrary, it gnawed away, tormenting her, and would give her no rest.
Then one day when the angels had all gone out, she thought, " I am entirely alone now, and I could peek in. If I do so, no one will ever know."
She sought out the key, and as soon as she had it in her hand, she put it into the lock as well, and as soon as it was in the lock, she turned it around as well. The door sprang open, and there she saw the Trinity sitting in fire and brilliance. She stayed there a little while, looking at everything in amazement. Then she put her finger a little way into the brilliance, and her finger turned entirely golden. Immediately a great fear fell upon her. She slammed the door shut, and ran away.
The fear did not go away, do what she may. He heart pounded furiously forth and would not become still. And the gold remained on her finger as well. It would not come off, no matter how much she washed and rubbed.
Not long afterward, the Virgin Mary returned from her journey. She summoned the girl, and asked her to return the keys of heaven. When the girl gave the ring of keys to her, the Virgin looked into her eyes and said, "Have you not opened the thirteenth door as well.?"
"No," she replied.
Then the Virgin Mary laid her hand on the girl's heart, and felt how it pounded and pounded, and saw well that she had disobeyed her order and had opened the door. Then she said further, "You did not do it for sure?"
"No," said the girl a second time.
Then the Virgin noticed the finger that had turned golden from having touched the heavenly fire, and knew well that the girl had sinned, and she said a third time, "Have you not done it?"
"No," said the girl a third time.
Then the Virgin Mary said, "You have not obeyed me, and you have lied as well. You are no longer worthy to be in heaven."
Then the girl sank into a deep sleep, and when she awoke she lay below on earth, in the middle of a wilderness. She wanted to cry out, but she could not bring forth a sound. She jumped up and wanted to run away, but in wherever she turned, she was held back by thick thorn hedges which she could not break through. In the wilderness where she was imprisoned there stood an old hollow tree. It would have to serve as her home. She crept inside it when night came, and slept there. And when it stormed and rained, she found shelter inside it, but it was a miserable life, and she cried bitterly when she thought about how beautiful it had been in heaven, and how the angels had played with her.