The three wise men followed the star across the desert. They could see it easily because it glowed much more brightly than the others.  But as they came close to Jerusalem, a thick band of clouds covered the night sky like a blanket so that they could no longer see any stars at all.  

“Now we don’t know which way to go,” said Balthazar. “Let us ask in Jerusalem. Surely someone there will have heard of this new king.”  

The next morning, in the bustling streets of Jerusalem, the men the wise men asked passersby for news of the child. “Has a new king been born here?” they inquired. 

“A new king?” asked one. “That would be good news indeed!”

“No new king,” said another. “Just the same cruel King Herod who profits from our misery.”