You know the story of the Three Wisemen of the East and how they came from far away to put down their presents at the manger in Bethlehem. But did you ever hear about the fourth Wise Man, who also saw the Star en went to follow her and yet didn't come into the presence of the Child? About the big wish of this pilgrim, which wasn't forfilled and exactly because of that had been forfilled; about his many wanderders and the afflictions of his soul; about his long search and the peculiar way in which he found - the One he searched for?

During the days when August was the emperor and Herod was the ruler in Jerusalem, a man called Artaban lived in a town Ecbatana in the midst of the Persian mountains. He was tall and dark, about 40 years old, with sparkling eyes under a broad forehead, a powerful feature around his fine-cut thin lips, he looked like a dreamer and yet he had something in his appearance that spoke of a strong will.

The report came to him that in Israel would be born a king, a redeemer to the people that lived in darkness, and a star in the sky would announce his birth. Those wise men would go to pay their tributes to the king of Israel and honour him by putting gifts at his feet. Artaban would join them, he too had rich gifts, three gems: a sapphire, a robin and a pearl. He asked his friends to accompany him, but one said: it is an idle dream, the other had too much objections against the troubles of the journey, only an old man said: "My heart will accompany you, go in piece!" Artaban raised his eyes to heaven, saw a star with a wonderful shine. He covered his face with his hands en said: "I will go to honour Him!"

Before the birds woke up for their powerful glad morningsongs, before the white fog began to disappear from the plain, the fourth Wiseman sat already in the saddle and hurried forward.
How close and companionable on a long journey is the relationship between a man and his favorite horse. It is a silent friendship which needs no words to understand each other. They drink from the same sources underway, while the same stars are watching them. The master shares his food with his hungry companion. In the gray morningtwilight he gets awakened by the soft touch of a warm breath and looking up, he looks into the loyal eyes of his companion, and his morningprayers will beg for a double blessing for them both: "God, bless us both!"
The fast hoofs beated on the road, both they had only one aim. They traveled through wide plains, flights of wild birds rised from swampy fields with shrill surprised cries and flapping their beautiful wings. They went across mountains, through woods, along wild shoaming rivers, through friendly valleys, along wide ricefields. They approached a city, Vasda's powers were exhausted, still they had to continue to meet the other three Wisemen on their way to Jerusalem. Hardly they were outside the city again, the woods were compact, no leaf rustled, no bird sang, - careful Vasda went forward, at last he stopped.

Artaban dismounted; in the moonlight he saw the figure of a man, lying on the ground, he looked pale and ill, he sighed. Artaban's heart beated in his throat, how could he be of help here in the darkness, alone and - how would he reach his aim if he would stop - his companions would think he gave up his journey - his whole plan would fail. But if he would leave the man would die. Would he turn his back to the Star to give a cup of water to a dying Jew? -
Then he turned to the sick man, untied his robe, carried water to him from one of the brooklets close by, moistened his forehead and mouth, made a drink of curative herbs which he always carried with him and poured it careful through the colorless lips. - For hours he was busy with him, the ill man sat up and asked: who are you?
"I am Artaban from Ecbatana and I am on my way to Jerusalem to look for him who will be a redeemer of people. I cannot stay longer, here's some bread for you and wine and decoction of herbs, I will bring you to the city on my horse, where others will look after you and I want to try to reach my aim."
The Jew raised trembling his hand to heaven and spoke: "The God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac may bless the journey of this mercyful man. - I have nothing to reward you, but I can tell you that our prophets say that the Saviour will be born in Bethlehem, not in Jerusalem."

Artaban hurried forward and Vasda, freshened up by the rest, tried to regain the lost time. Artaban climbed fast a high hill, but he saw the caravan of the Three Wisemen nowhere. There he saw in a corner of a rock a pile of stones and under it a piece of parchment. He took it and read:
"We waited untill after midnight, but cannot stay longer. We go to look for the King, come and follow us through the desert."
Artaban sat down on the ground and in despair he burried his face in his hands. How will I come there alone? Without food for me and my horse? I have to go back to the city, sell my sapphire to buy camels and food for the journey through the desert and I will never catch up with my friends. Only God, the Merciful, knows if I will miss the view of the King, because I stopped to be merciful.

Artaban went forward through a stony wilderness; during he day the heat pressed, the nights were cold. Finally he got the mountains of Galilee in sight, soon he would reach the Jordan and the blue waters of the Lake of Galilee and then furtheron to Bethlehem, the aim of his journey!

It was the third day after the Three Wisemen reached the place where they found Mary and Joseph with the child, on whose feet they layed their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.
Then the fourth Wiseman came nearer, exhausted but full of hope, carrying his robin and his pearl to offer them to the king.
"Because now", he said, "finally I will find him, although I come alone and later than my brothers, but first I will have a little inquiry about their visit, which house the Star indicated and whom they honoured".

The streets of Bethlehem seemed desolated. Through the open door of a low brick cabin he heard a woman's voice singing softly. He entered and found a woman, who was busy with her child. She told him of the strangers from the East, who arrived three days before and how people spoke of a star which guided them to the place where Mary and Joseph stayed with their newborn child, and how they honoured the child with many rich gifts.
"But the travellers are gone", she continued, "as unexpected as they arrived. Their visit made us afraid, nobody understood and the man from Nazareth took the child and his mother and fled the same night, one is whispering to Egypt."
While she was speaking the child stretched his arms to Artaban, and it was to him as a salute of love after his long, lonely voyage. Couldn't this child be the promised king? But no, how did he get such a thought, the child he was looking for has to be followed to Egypt.
The woman layed the child in the cradle and made a meal for Artaban - the simple food, offered so friendly to him, was a real refreshment. The child slept by now and soon there was a deep piece in the quiet room.
All of a sudden they heard a wild uproar, the sound of trumpets and screaming and complaining men's voices: Herod's soldiers! They kill our babies!
The young mother's face became pale of astonishment. She grabbed the child from his cradle, pressed it to her chest and covered it under the folds of her dress, so that it wouldn't wake up and cry.
Artaban went to the door, his tall robust figure filled the opening almost - in his eyes lightened something as if the shine of the stars were sparkling in them, his attitude and look were resolute and serious, commanding honour. - Yet the soldiers dared to approach the stranger, who forced them to respect; they wanted to push him aside, but powerful and decided Artaban said: "I am alone here and I want to give the commander this jewel, if he leaves me alone", and he showed the robin - and the commander looked at it with greedy looks, he was delighted.
"March!" he called to his men. "Here is no child, the house is empty." -
And the clanging of arms and the uproar disappeared. Artaban turned his face to the East and prayed: God of Truth, I said a ly to save a child's life, two of my gifts are already gone, will I be worthy to see the Saviour?
In the back of the cabin the woman was crying of joy and she spoke: "The Lord will bless you and give you His piece."

A long time went by and Artaban stayed in Egypt, always looking for the child, the saviour of men - at last he asked a rabbi where he could find the king of Israel, the redeemer and saviour of men? And he got the answer, not in palaces or royal houses, but in the cabins of the poor, among the sick and the suffering, among the tired and the burdened ones.
And so the fourth Wiseman always went on, traveling from one place to another, he came through area's where lack of food was, visited cities where poorness was and misery, he visited the depressed and sorrowful ones, he gave food to the starving ones, the naked he dressed, the sick he healed and the emprisoned ones he consoled.

The years came and went and it was if he had forgotten his real goal - he only had his pearl yet to offer, he looked at it with a look of melancholy. Would the pearl ever be used for its real aim?
Years went by and the child he was looking for wouldn't be a child any more, maybe he would meet him now as a grownup, as a powerful and glorious grownup and he searched with new courage.

There a bunch of men is passing by, dragging a young girl - she is a slave, sold.... He looks at the girl with compassion and his look is giving her confidence, she runs toward him, begs him for saving - the pearl is shining in his hand, never it had been so sparkling, so radiant. - Here is your ransom - it was the last one of the gifts, which had been meant for the king.

The last hope to find him he had given up - his search was over, his aim of life failed, but inside him were piece and rest, the King was the Light that had been faithful inside him and he was happy as if he had met Him. -
All his gifts had been thankfully taken and the Love, which should have been shined upon him from the Child, had been in his heart. He had searched and not seen, but found anyway. A Star of a wonderful radiation had guided him through life. And all who are looking for it, will find.