The opera takes place in a lowly cottage somewhere on the road to Bethlehem where live an impoverished widow and her crippled son Amahl. Part of the exterior and surrounding landscape are also visible
It is a cold winter night. His crutch beside him, Amahl sits playing his shepherd's pipe under a starry sky. His mother calls to him that it is time to go to bed, but he continues to play, begging to stay a little longer. Finally coming inside, he describes the starlit sky with a particularly bright star which had a tail and which moves like a chariot and seems to be right over their house. When his tired mother accuses him of telling lies he insists he told the truth and asks her to come outside and see. She refuses, insisting it is all his imagination, hunger has gone to his head. When she says that soon they will have to resort to begging he eagerly describes how he will help; people will give them gold, and they will have plenty to eat (Don't cry Mother dear). They say good night and lie down to sleep.
In the distance the Three Kings and their Page appear in the distance singing of their long journey to follow their star (From far away we come). Amahl wakens and hobbles to the window to watch them as they approach the cottage. King Melchior knocks on the door, and the Mother asks the boy to see who it is. He peeks out and excitedly tells his Mother of seeing a King. Thinking he is lying, the Mother tells him to look again. After the third time, at each of which another King is added, the exasperated woman goes to the door herself and, to her astonishment, sees the Three Kings. When they ask to rest at her house, she tells them they are welcome but she can only offer a cold fireplace and beds of straw. They enter and, as the Page hustles about helping them, settle themselves and their possessions as best they can. The Mother leaves to find some wood for the fire.
Amahl asks Balthazar if he is a real King and if he has regal blood. When the King tells him his blood is the same as Amahl's, the boy wonders what is the use of having it. Balthazar tells Amahl he lives in a black marble palace full of black panthers and white doves, then asks the boy what he does. Amahl says he used to tend their sheep and goat, but his mother had to sell. Now they will go begging. "Won't that be fun?"
Amahl then goes to Kaspar who is feeding the parrot and asks about the bird and the box the King carries. Kaspar describes the contents of his box. (This is my box.) It has magic stones, beads and, best of all, licorice, some of which he gives the boy. When his mother returns, she tells him to call all the shepherds and bid them come to meet the visitors and bring food for them. She sees the precious objects and is told they are gifts for the Child to whom a star is guiding the Kings. They ask if she knows this child to whom they are bringing the gold and frankincense and myrrh (Have you seen a child?). Yes, she knows such a child, her own son, but no one will bring him such gifts (Yes, I know a child).
Outside we hear the shepherds calling. The Mother opens the door, and they file in, greeting each other (Emily, Emily) and bearing baskets of fruit and vegetables which they lay before the Kings.While Amahl plays his pipe, some of the people dance. They finally leave and all settle themselves to sleep, the kings sitting on the bench and leaning against each other. Night passes, Near dawn the Mother sits up and gazes at all the rich gifts, and thinks what the gold would mean to her own child. (All that gold). As she reached for it, the Page awakens, seizes her arm and alerts the Kings. Amahl hurls himself at the Page (Don't you dare), and begs King Kaspar to forgive his Mother (O Mister King). Kaspar signals the Page to release her and Amahl falls into her arms. Melchior tells the Mother she can keep the gold; the Child they are seeking does not need it. He will build his kingdom on love alone. (Oh, woman, you can keep the gold). However, she returns it wishing she could send a gift of her own to such a Child. Amahl begs to send his crutch which he made himself. He lifts it in the air and takes one hesitant step toward the King, then another and another. He can walk! He dances about the room as the Kings say it is a sign from the Holy Child. As they prepare to leave, Amahl begs to be allowed to go with them and present his crutch in person. The Kings ask to take them saying they will bring him back "on a camel's back". They prepare to depart, leaving the parrot with the Mother who promises to feed him. As they wend their way, we hear the shepherds in the distance greeting the dawn.
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Revised November 2007
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