For centuries, the city of Cologne in Germany has honored the Magi (also called the Three Kings or the Wise Men from the East), whose story is told in the gospel of St. Matthew. And it's in Cologne that Sabrina and her fifth-grade classmate Betty are waiting for Christmas. Because her father is unemployed, Betty is neglected and moody. She only cares for a pair of white mice in a pet shop window. Because Sabrina helps Betty get food and warm clothes and keeps her from running away from home, her schoolwork suffers. But when she turns to Mr. Joseph, an elderly clockmaker who is her neighbor, Betty's situation dramatically improves and Sabrina's parents understand why her grades have dropped. After midnight Mass in Cologne's magnificent cathedral, Sabrina has a vision of modern-day Magi, riding their camels through the snowy streets outside her home and gets her own mice as a reward.
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