NEUOFFENBARUNG← The Childhood and Youth of Jesus · Part 2 · Contents
The instructive hole-game. The holes of life and their order. 24 April 1844
01] Hereupon the Infant turned to Sixtus as the eldest of Cyrenius' sons and said to him:
02] "Sixtus, go and make ten small holes there at the edge of the path, each hole a span apart! You already know what to do with them.
03] Then bring the ten clay marbles that James has made for us to play with, and we will then toss the marbles a few times; – you already know how to do it, for it was you who taught Me this!"
04] Hereupon Sixtus immediately did as the Infant had asked.
05] When the ten small holes were made and the clay marbles were brought, the Infant said to Cyrenius:
06] "Now release Me, so that I can explain to you and show you how this game is played; but you other children should not interrupt Me, because I want to explain the game to Cyrenius Myself!"
07] Here the Infant solemnly turned to Cyrenius and spoke:
08] "See, the game goes like this: you must stand three steps in front of this hole, then toss a marble.
09] If you can successfully throw it into the tenth and last and farthest hole, then you are the king of the game; if you manage to throw into the ninth hole, then you are a minister; a throw into the eighth hole would make you a general!
10] The seventh hole would make you governor, the sixth a judge, the fifth a priest, the fourth a farmer, the third a father, the second a mother and the first a child!
11] I will explain to you how this game continues when the holes are filled."
12] Here Cyrenius smilingly took a marble and tossed it, and the marble immediately rolled into the first hole!
13] And the Infant asked: "Are you satisfied with your position? Otherwise, being a beginner, you are allowed a second toss!"
14] And Cyrenius said: "My most wonderful Life, My Jesus! I will remain where I am now!"
15] And the Infant spoke: "Good, so now you can all toss, one after the other. I will toss last!"
16] And the children tossed their marbles; however, they did not fill all the holes, but often ended up with two or three marbles in one hole.
17] At the end, the Infant tossed and the marble reached the tenth hole, as always! –
18] Then one of the girls lingered and spoke: "But then little Jesus has to be a king all the time!"
19] But the Infant said to the girl: "Why do you fret about this? – You have, after all, tossed before I did; why were you so inept with your hands?!
20] Do not be resentful about this, otherwise I will again let a mouse, which you so greatly fear, come over you!"
21] Hereupon the girl did not say anything and was content to be alone in her second hole!
22] However, the ninth, eighth, seventh and sixth holes were unoccupied; so Cyrenius said to the Infant:
23] "See, You my Life! – Now there is no minister, no general, no governor and no judge!
24] Who will assume these main positions?"
25] "I Myself must occupy these positions", spoke the Infant, "because they are unoccupied; for all the vacant positions must be assumed by the occupier of the hole above them!
26] If the minister hole were occupied, then the three preceding empty posts would be allocated to him; however, as it is unoccupied, the four holes now fall to the king! – As all the holes are now occupied, let us get on with the actual game!"