And Hilarion made answer thus, “Tarry thou here and thou shalt see, if I mistake not, him whom thou seekest.”
And the lady tarried by the river and built herself a cabin of reeds and leaves.
That night was the coldest and longest winter night. Hilarion made for himself a bed of fern and hay in the stable of the ox and the ass and he lay close to them for warmth. And lo! in the middle of the night the ass brayed and the ox bellowed and Hilarion started up. He saw the heavens open with a great brightness as of beaten and fretted gold. Angels wreathed in roses were coming and going, and as they held each other’s hands they sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” And Hilarion wondered again and prayed fervently.
And that day toward noon there came through the wood one bearing a staff and leading a mule on which was seated a woman. They were poor folk, travel stained. And the man said to Hilarion, “My name is Joseph. I am a carpenter of the city of Nazareth. My wife is called Mary. Suffer thou us to rest and my wife to lie on this straw of the stables.”
And Hilarion said, “You are welcome.”
Hilarion laid down more fern and hay and gave provender to the mule.
And Mary brought forth her first-born son and Hilarion took it and laid it in the manger. And he went forth into the woods, where he found the wise man and the beautiful woman.
“Come with me to my stable,” he said, “where the fir trees were cleared above the river.”
And they went with him to the ruined house, and they saw the babe lying in the manger.
Then the wise man and the beautiful woman knelt down before the child.