diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/44818-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/44818-8.txt | 6619 |
1 files changed, 6619 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/old/44818-8.txt b/old/44818-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7a1f016 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/44818-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6619 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Christ Legends, by Selma Lagerlöf + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Christ Legends + +Author: Selma Lagerlöf + +Illustrator: Bertha Stuart + +Translator: Velma Swanston Howard + +Release Date: February 1, 2014 [EBook #44818] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHRIST LEGENDS *** + + + + +Produced by Shaun Pinder, Roger Frank and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + + CHRIST LEGENDS + + BY + + SELMA LAGERLÖF + + Translated from the Swedish + + BY + + VELMA SWANSTON HOWARD + + DECORATIONS BY BERTHA STUART + + [Illustration] + + NEW YORK + + HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY + + 1908 + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + Copyright, 1908, + + BY + + HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY + + ------- + + Published October, 1908 + + THE QUINN & BODEN CO. PRESS + RAHWAY, N. J. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + CONTENTS + + THE HOLY NIGHT 1 + THE EMPEROR'S VISION 13 + THE WISE MEN'S WELL 25 + BETHLEHEM'S CHILDREN 41 + THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT 73 + IN NAZARETH 85 + IN THE TEMPLE 95 + SAINT VERONICA'S KERCHIEF 119 + ROBIN REDBREAST 191 + OUR LORD AND SAINT PETER 203 + THE SACRED FLAME 221 + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: The Holy Night] + + THE HOLY NIGHT + + +When I was five years old I had such a great sorrow! I hardly know if I +have had a greater since. + +It was then my grandmother died. Up to that time, she used to sit every +day on the corner sofa in her room, and tell stories. + +I remember that grandmother told story after story from morning till +night, and that we children sat beside her, quite still, and listened. +It was a glorious life! No other children had such happy times as we +did. + +It isn't much that I recollect about my grandmother. I remember that she +had very beautiful snow-white hair, and stooped when she walked, and +that she always sat and knitted a stocking. + +And I even remember that when she had finished a story, she used to lay +her hand on my head and say: "All this is as true, as true as that I see +you and you see me." + +I also remember that she could sing songs, but this she did not do every +day. One of the songs was about a knight and a sea-troll, and had this +refrain: "It blows cold, cold weather at sea." + +Then I remember a little prayer she taught me, and a verse of a hymn. + +Of all the stories she told me, I have but a dim and imperfect +recollection. Only one of them do I remember so well that I should be +able to repeat it. It is a little story about Jesus' birth. + +Well, this is nearly all that I can recall about my grandmother, except +the thing which I remember best; and that is, the great loneliness when +she was gone. + +I remember the morning when the corner sofa stood empty and when it was +impossible to understand how the days would ever come to an end. That I +remember. That I shall never forget! + +And I recollect that we children were brought forward to kiss the hand +of the dead and that we were afraid to do it. But then some one said to +us that it would be the last time we could thank grandmother for all the +pleasure she had given us. + +And I remember how the stories and songs were driven from the homestead, +shut up in a long black casket, and how they never came back again. + +I remember that something was gone from our lives. It seemed as if the +door to a whole beautiful, enchanted world--where before we had been +free to go in and out--had been closed. And now there was no one who +knew how to open that door. + +And I remember that, little by little, we children learned to play with +dolls and toys, and to live like other children. And then it seemed as +though we no longer missed our grandmother, or remembered her. + +But even to-day--after forty years--as I sit here and gather together +the legends about Christ, which I heard out there in the Orient, there +awakes within me the little legend of Jesus' birth that my grandmother +used to tell, and I feel impelled to tell it once again, and to let it +also be included in my collection. + +It was a Christmas Day and all the folks had driven to church except +grandmother and I. I believe we were all alone in the house. We had not +been permitted to go along, because one of us was too old and the other +was too young. And we were sad, both of us, because we had not been +taken to early mass to hear the singing and to see the Christmas +candles. + +But as we sat there in our loneliness, grandmother began to tell a +story. + +"There was a man," said she, "who went out in the dark night to borrow +live coals to kindle a fire. He went from hut to hut and knocked. 'Dear +friends, help me!' said he. 'My wife has just given birth to a child, +and I must make a fire to warm her and the little one.' + +"But it was way in the night, and all the people were asleep. No one +replied. + +"The man walked and walked. At last he saw the gleam of a fire a long +way off. Then he went in that direction, and saw that the fire was +burning in the open. A lot of sheep were sleeping around the fire, and +an old shepherd sat and watched over the flock. + +"When the man who wanted to borrow fire came up to the sheep, he saw +that three big dogs lay asleep at the shepherd's feet. All three awoke +when the man approached and opened their great jaws, as though they +wanted to bark; but not a sound was heard. The man noticed that the hair +on their backs stood up and that their sharp, white teeth glistened in +the firelight. They dashed toward him. He felt that one of them bit at +his leg and one at his hand and that one clung to his throat. But their +jaws and teeth wouldn't obey them, and the man didn't suffer the least +harm. + +"Now the man wished to go farther, to get what he needed. But the sheep +lay back to back and so close to one another that he couldn't pass them. +Then the man stepped upon their backs and walked over them and up to the +fire. And not one of the animals awoke or moved." + +Thus far, grandmother had been allowed to narrate without interruption. +But at this point I couldn't help breaking in. "Why didn't they do it, +grandma?" I asked. + +"That you shall hear in a moment," said grandmother--and went on with +her story. + +"When the man had almost reached the fire, the shepherd looked up. He +was a surly old man, who was unfriendly and harsh toward human beings. +And when he saw the strange man coming, he seized the long spiked staff, +which he always held in his hand when he tended his flock, and threw it +at him. The staff came right toward the man, but, before it reached him, +it turned off to one side and whizzed past him, far out in the meadow." + +When grandmother had got this far, I interrupted her again. "Grandma, +why wouldn't the stick hurt the man?" Grandmother did not bother about +answering me, but continued her story. + +"Now the man came up to the shepherd and said to him: 'Good man, help +me, and lend me a little fire! My wife has just given birth to a child, +and I must make a fire to warm her and the little one.' + +"The shepherd would rather have said no, but when he pondered that the +dogs couldn't hurt the man, and the sheep had not run from him, and that +the staff had not wished to strike him, he was a little afraid, and +dared not deny the man that which he asked. + +"'Take as much as you need!' he said to the man. + +"But then the fire was nearly burnt out. There were no logs or branches +left, only a big heap of live coals; and the stranger had neither spade +nor shovel, wherein he could carry the red-hot coals. + +"When the shepherd saw this, he said again: 'Take as much as you need!' +And he was glad that the man wouldn't be able to take away any coals. + +"But the man stooped and picked coals from the ashes with his bare +hands, and laid them in his mantle. And he didn't burn his hands when he +touched them, nor did the coals scorch his mantle; but he carried them +away as if they had been nuts or apples." + +But here the story-teller was interrupted for the third time. "Grandma, +why wouldn't the coals burn the man?" + +"That you shall hear," said grandmother, and went on: + +"And when the shepherd, who was such a cruel and hard-hearted man, saw +all this, he began to wonder to himself: 'What kind of a night is this, +when the dogs do not bite, the sheep are not scared, the staff does not +kill, or the fire scorch?' He called the stranger back, and said to him: +'What kind of a night is this? And how does it happen that all things +show you compassion?' + +"Then said the man: 'I cannot tell you if you yourself do not see it.' +And he wished to go his way, that he might soon make a fire and warm his +wife and child. + +"But the shepherd did not wish to lose sight of the man before he had +found out what all this might portend. He got up and followed the man +till they came to the place where he lived. + +"Then the shepherd saw that the man didn't have so much as a hut to +dwell in, but that his wife and babe were lying in a mountain grotto, +where there was nothing except the cold and naked stone walls. + +"But the shepherd thought that perhaps the poor innocent child might +freeze to death there in the grotto; and, although he was a hard man, he +was touched, and thought he would like to help it. And he loosened his +knapsack from his shoulder, took from it a soft white sheepskin, gave it +to the strange man, and said that he should let the child sleep on it. + +"But just as soon as he showed that he, too, could be merciful, his eyes +were opened, and he saw what he had not been able to see before and +heard what he could not have heard before. + +"He saw that all around him stood a ring of little silver-winged angels, +and each held a stringed instrument, and all sang in loud tones that +to-night the Saviour was born who should redeem the world from its sins. + +"Then he understood how all things were so happy this night that they +didn't want to do anything wrong. + +"And it was not only around the shepherd that there were angels, but he +saw them everywhere. They sat inside the grotto, they sat outside on the +mountain, and they flew under the heavens. They came marching in great +companies, and, as they passed, they paused and cast a glance at the +child. + +"There were such jubilation and such gladness and songs and play! And +all this he saw in the dark night, whereas before he could not have made +out anything. He was so happy because his eyes had been opened that he +fell upon his knees and thanked God." + +Here grandmother sighed and said: "What that shepherd saw we might also +see, for the angels fly down from heaven every Christmas Eve, if we +could only see them." + +Then grandmother laid her hand on my head, and said: "You must remember +this, for it is as true, as true as that I see you and you see me. It is +not revealed by the light of lamps or candles, and it does not depend +upon sun and moon; but that which is needful is, that we have such eyes +as can see God's glory." + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: The Emperor's Vision] + + THE EMPEROR'S VISION + + +It happened at the time when Augustus was Emperor in Rome and Herod was +King in Jerusalem. + +It was then that a very great and holy night sank down over the earth. +It was the darkest night that any one had ever seen. One could have +believed that the whole earth had fallen into a cellar-vault. It was +impossible to distinguish water from land, and one could not find one's +way on the most familiar road. And it couldn't be otherwise, for not a +ray of light came from heaven. All the stars stayed at home in their own +houses, and the fair moon held her face averted. + +The silence and the stillness were as profound as the darkness. The +rivers stood still in their courses, the wind did not stir, and even the +aspen leaves had ceased to quiver. Had any one walked along the +seashore, he would have found that the waves no longer dashed upon the +sands; and had one wandered in the desert, the sand would not have +crunched under one's feet. Everything was as motionless as if turned to +stone, so as not to disturb the holy night. The grass was afraid to +grow, the dew could not fall, and the flowers dared not exhale their +perfume. + +On this night the wild beasts did not seek their prey, the serpents did +not sting, and the dogs did not bark. And what was even more glorious, +inanimate things would have been unwilling to disturb the night's +sanctity, by lending themselves to an evil deed. No false key could have +picked a lock, and no knife could possibly have drawn a drop of blood. + +In Rome, during this very night, a small company of people came from the +Emperor's palace at the Palatine and took the path across the Forum +which led to the Capitol. During the day just ended the Senators had +asked the Emperor if he had any objections to their erecting a temple to +him on Rome's sacred hill. But Augustus had not immediately given his +consent. He did not know if it would be agreeable to the gods that he +should own a temple next to theirs, and he had replied that first he +wished to ascertain their will in the matter by offering a nocturnal +sacrifice to his genius. It was he who, accompanied by a few trusted +friends, was on his way to perform this sacrifice. + +Augustus let them carry him in his litter, for he was old, and it was an +effort for him to climb the long stairs leading to the Capitol. He +himself held the cage with the doves for the sacrifice. No priests or +soldiers or senators accompanied him, only his nearest friends. +Torch-bearers walked in front of him in order to light the way in the +night darkness and behind him followed the slaves, who carried the +tripod, the knives, the charcoal, the sacred fire, and all the other +things needed for the sacrifice. + +On the way the Emperor chatted gaily with his faithful followers, and +therefore none of them noticed the infinite silence and stillness of the +night. Only when they had reached the highest point of the Capitol Hill +and the vacant spot upon which they contemplated erecting the temple, +did it dawn upon them that something unusual was taking place. + +It could not be a night like all others, for up on the very edge of the +cliff they saw the most remarkable being! At first they thought it was +an old, distorted olive-trunk; later they imagined that an ancient stone +figure from the temple of Jupiter had wandered out on the cliff. Finally +it was apparent to them that it could be only the old sibyl. + +Anything so aged, so weather-beaten, and so giant-like in stature they +had never seen. This old woman was awe-inspiring! If the Emperor had not +been present, they would all have fled to their homes. + +"It is she," they whispered to each other, "who has lived as many years +as there are sand-grains on her native shores. Why has she come out from +her cave just to-night? What does she foretell for the Emperor and the +Empire--she, who writes her prophecies on the leaves of the trees and +knows that the wind will carry the words of the oracle to the person for +whom they are intended?" + +They were so terrified that they would have dropped on their knees with +their foreheads pressed against the earth, had the sibyl stirred. But +she sat as still as though she were lifeless. Crouching upon the +outermost edge of the cliff, and shading her eyes with her hand, she +peered out into the night. She sat there as if she had gone up on the +hill that she might see more clearly something that was happening far +away. _She_ could see things on a night like this! + +At that moment the Emperor and all his retinue marked how profound the +darkness was. None of them could see a hand's breadth in front of him. +And what stillness! What silence! Not even the Tiber's hollow murmur +could they hear. The air seemed to suffocate them, cold sweat broke out +on their foreheads, and their hands were numb and powerless. They feared +that some dreadful disaster was impending. + +But no one cared to show that he was afraid, and everyone told the +Emperor that this was a good omen. All Nature held its breath to greet a +new god. + +They counseled Augustus to hurry with the sacrifice, and said that the +old sibyl had evidently come out of her cave to greet his genius. + +But the truth was that the old sibyl was so absorbed in a vision that +she did not even know that Augustus had come up to the Capitol. She was +transported in spirit to a far-distant land, where she imagined that she +was wandering over a great plain. In the darkness she stubbed her foot +continually against something, which she believed to be grass-tufts. She +stooped down and felt with her hand. No, it was not grass, but sheep. +She was walking between great sleeping flocks of sheep. + +Then she noticed the shepherds' fire. It burned in the middle of the +field, and she groped her way to it. The shepherds lay asleep by the +fire, and beside them were the long, spiked staves with which they +defended their flocks from wild beasts. But the little animals with the +glittering eyes and the bushy tails that stole up to the fire, were they +not jackals? And yet the shepherds did not fling their staves at them, +the dogs continued to sleep, the sheep did not flee, and the wild +animals lay down to rest beside the human beings. + +This the sibyl saw, but she knew nothing of what was being enacted on +the hill back of her. She did not know that there they were raising an +altar, lighting charcoal and strewing incense, and that the Emperor took +one of the doves from the cage to sacrifice it. But his hands were so +benumbed that he could not hold the bird. With one stroke of the wing, +it freed itself and disappeared in the night darkness. + +When this happened, the courtiers glanced suspiciously at the old sibyl. +They believed that it was she who caused the misfortune. + +Could they know that all the while the sibyl thought herself standing +beside the shepherds' fire, and that she listened to a faint sound which +came trembling through the dead-still night? She heard it long before +she marked that it did not come from the earth, but from the sky. At +last she raised her head; then she saw light, shimmering forms glide +forward in the darkness. They were little flocks of angels, who, singing +joyously, and apparently searching, flew back and forth above the wide +plain. + +While the sibyl was listening to the angel-song, the Emperor was making +preparations for a new sacrifice. He washed his hands, cleansed the +altar, and took up the other dove. And, although he exerted his full +strength to hold it fast, the dove's slippery body slid from his hand, +and the bird swung itself up into the impenetrable night. + +The Emperor was appalled! He fell upon his knees and prayed to his +genius. He implored him for strength to avert the disasters which this +night seemed to foreshadow. + +Nor did the sibyl hear any of this either. She was listening with her +whole soul to the angel-song, which grew louder and louder. At last it +became so powerful that it wakened the shepherds. They raised themselves +on their elbows and saw shining hosts of silver-white angels move in the +darkness in long, swaying lines, like migratory birds. Some held lutes +and cymbals in their hands; others held zithers and harps, and their +song rang out as merry as child-laughter, and as care-free as the lark's +trill. When the shepherds heard this, they rose up to go to the mountain +city, where they lived, to tell of the miracle. + +They groped their way forward on a narrow, winding path, and the sibyl +followed them. Suddenly it grew light up there on the mountain: a big, +clear star kindled right over it, and the city on the mountain summit +glittered like silver in the starlight. All the fluttering angel throngs +hastened thither, shouting for joy, and the shepherds hurried so that +they almost ran. When they reached the city, they found that the angels +had assembled over a low stable near the city gate. It was a wretched +structure, with a roof of straw and the naked cliff for a back wall. +Over it hung the Star, and hither flocked more and more angels. Some +seated themselves on the straw roof or alighted upon the steep +mountain-wall back of the house; others, again, held themselves in the +air on outspread wings, and hovered over it. High, high up, the air was +illuminated by the shining wings. + +The instant the Star kindled over the mountain city, all Nature awoke, +and the men who stood upon Capitol Hill could not help seeing it. They +felt fresh, but caressing winds which traveled through space; delicious +perfumes streamed up about them; trees swayed; the Tiber began to +murmur; the stars twinkled, and suddenly the moon stood out in the sky +and lit up the world. And out of the clouds the two doves came circling +down and lighted upon the Emperor's shoulders. + +When this miracle happened, Augustus rose, proud and happy, but his +friends and his slaves fell on their knees. + +"Hail, Cæsar!" they cried. "Thy genius hath answered thee. Thou art the +god who shall be worshiped on Capitol Hill!" + +And this cry of homage, which the men in their transport gave as a +tribute to the Emperor, was so loud that the old sibyl heard it. It +waked her from her visions. She rose from her place on the edge of the +cliff, and came down among the people. It was as if a dark cloud had +arisen from the abyss and rushed down the mountain height. She was +terrifying in her extreme age! Coarse hair hung in matted tangles around +her head, her joints were enlarged, and the dark skin, hard as the bark +of a tree, covered her body with furrow upon furrow. + +Potent and awe-inspiring, she advanced toward the Emperor. With one hand +she clutched his wrist, with the other she pointed toward the distant +East. + +"Look!" she commanded, and the Emperor raised his eyes and saw. The +vaulted heavens opened before his eyes, and his glance traveled to the +distant Orient. He saw a lowly stable behind a steep rock wall, and in +the open doorway a few shepherds kneeling. Within the stable he saw a +young mother on her knees before a little child, who lay upon a bundle +of straw on the floor. + +And the sibyl's big, knotty fingers pointed toward the poor babe. "Hail, +Cæsar!" cried the sibyl, in a burst of scornful laughter. "There is the +god who shall be worshiped on Capitol Hill!" + +Then Augustus shrank back from her, as from a maniac. But upon the sibyl +fell the mighty spirit of prophecy. Her dim eyes began to burn, her +hands were stretched toward heaven, her voice was so changed that it +seemed not to be her own, but rang out with such resonance and power +that it could have been heard over the whole world. And she uttered +words which she appeared to be reading among the stars. + +"Upon Capitol Hill shall the Redeemer of the world be +worshiped,--_Christ_--but not frail mortals." + +When she had said this, she strode past the terror-stricken men, walked +slowly down the mountain, and disappeared. + +But, on the following day, Augustus strictly forbade the people to raise +any temple to him on Capitol Hill. In place of it he built a sanctuary +to the new-born God-Child, and called it Heaven's Altar--_Ara Coeli_. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: The Wise Men's Well] + + THE WISE MEN'S WELL + + +In old Judea the Drought crept, gaunt and hollow-eyed, between shrunken +thistles and yellowed grass. + +It was summertime. The sun beat down upon the backs of unshaded hills, +and the slightest breath of wind tore up thick clouds of lime dust from +the grayish-white ground. The herds stood huddled together in the +valleys, by the dried-up streams. + +The Drought walked about and viewed the water supplies. He wandered over +to Solomon's Pools, and sighed as he saw that they still held a small +quantity of water from their mountain sources. Then he journeyed down to +the famous David's Well, near Bethlehem, and found water even there. +Finally, he tramped with shuffling gait toward the great highway which +leads from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. + +When he had arrived about half-way, he saw the Wise Men's Well, where it +stands close by the roadside. He saw at a glance that it was almost dry. +He seated himself on the curb, which consists of a single stone hollowed +out, and looked into the well. The shining water-mirror, which usually +was seen very near the opening, had sunk deep down, and the dirt and +slime at the bottom of the well made it muddy and impure. + +When the Well beheld the Drought's bronzed visage reflected in her +clouded mirror, she shook with anguish. + +"I wonder when you will be exhausted," said the Drought. "Surely, you do +not expect to find any fresh water source, down there in the deep, to +come and give you new life; and as for rain--God be praised! there can +be no question of that for the next two or three months." + +"You may rest content," sighed the Well, "for nothing can help me now. +It would take no less than a well-spring from Paradise to save me!" + +"Then I will not forsake you until every drop has been drained," said +the Drought. He saw that the old Well was nearing its end, and now he +wanted to have the pleasure of seeing it die out drop by drop. + +He seated himself comfortably on the edge of the curb, and rejoiced as +he heard how the Well sighed down there in the deep. He also took a keen +delight in watching the thirsty wayfarers come up to the well-curb, let +down the bucket, and draw it up again, with only a few drops of muddy +water. + +Thus the whole day passed; and when darkness descended, the Drought +looked again into the Well. A little water still shimmered down there. +"I'll stay here all night," cried he, "so do not hurry yourself! When it +grows so light that I can look into you once more, I am certain that all +will be over with you." + +The Drought curled himself up on the edge of the well-curb, while the +hot night, which was even more cruel, and more full of torment than the +day had been, descended over Judea. Dogs and jackals howled incessantly, +and thirsty cows and asses answered them from their stuffy stalls. + +When the breeze stirred a little now and then, it brought with it no +relief, but was as hot and suffocating as a great sleeping monster's +panting breath. The stars shone with the most resplendent brilliancy, +and a little silvery new moon cast a pretty blue-green light over the +gray hills. And in this light the Drought saw a great caravan come +marching toward the hill where the Wise Men's Well was situated. + +The Drought sat and gazed at the long procession, and rejoiced again at +the thought of all the thirst which was coming to the well, and would +not find one drop of water with which to slake itself. There were so +many animals and drivers they could easily have emptied the Well, even +if it had been quite full. Suddenly he began to think there was +something unusual, something ghost-like, about this caravan which came +marching forward in the night. First, all the camels came within sight +on a hill, which loomed up, high and distinct, against the horizon; it +was as though they had stepped straight down from heaven. They also +appeared to be larger than ordinary camels, and bore--all too +lightly--the enormous burdens which weighted them. + +Still he could not understand anything but that they were absolutely +real, for to him they were just as plain as plain could be. He could +even see that the three foremost animals were dromedaries, with gray, +shiny skins; and that they were richly bridled and saddled, with fringed +coverings, and were ridden by handsome, noble-looking knights. + +The whole procession stopped at the well. With three sharp jerks, the +dromedaries lay down on the ground, and their riders dismounted. The +pack-camels remained standing, and as they assembled they seemed to form +a long line of necks and humps and peculiarly piled-up packs. + +Immediately, the riders came up to the Drought and greeted him by laying +their hands upon their foreheads and breasts. He saw that they wore +dazzling white robes and huge turbans, on the front of each of which +there was a clear, glittering star, which shone as if it had been taken +direct from the skies. + +"We come from a far-off land," said one of the strangers, "and we bid +thee tell us if this is in truth the Wise Men's Well?" + +"It is called so to-day," said the Drought, "but by to-morrow there will +be no well here. It shall die to-night." + +"I can understand this, as I see thee here," said the man. "But is not +this one of the sacred wells, which never run dry? or whence hath it +derived its name?" + +"I know it is sacred," said the Drought, "but what good will that do? +The three wise men are in Paradise." + +The three travelers exchanged glances. "Dost thou really know the +history of this ancient well?" asked they. + +"I know the history of all wells and fountains and brooks and rivers," +said the Drought, with pride. + +"Then grant us a pleasure, and tell us the story!" begged the strangers; +and they seated themselves around the old enemy to everything growing, +and listened. + +The Drought shook himself and crawled up on the well-curb, like a +story-teller upon his improvised throne, and began his tale. + +"In Gebas, in Media, a city which lies near the border of the +desert--and, therefore, it has often been a free and well-beloved city +to me,--there lived, many, many years ago, three men who were famed for +their wisdom. + +"They were also very poor, which was a most uncommon state of affairs; +for, in Gebas, knowledge was held in high esteem, and was well +recompensed. With these men, however, it could hardly have been +otherwise, for one of them was very old, one was afflicted with leprosy, +and the third was a black, thick-lipped negro. People regarded the first +as much too old to teach them anything; the second they avoided for fear +of contagion; and the third they would not listen to, because they +thought they knew that no wisdom had ever come from Ethiopia. + +"Meanwhile, the three wise ones became united through their common +misery. They begged during the day at the same temple gate, and at night +they slept on the same roof. In this way they at least had an +opportunity to while away the hours, by meditating upon all the +wonderful things which they observed in Nature and in the human race. + +"One night, as they slept side by side on a roof, which was overgrown +with stupefying red poppies, the eldest among them awoke; and hardly had +he cast a glance around him, before he wakened the other two. + +"'Praised be our poverty, which compels us to sleep in the open!' he +said to them. 'Awake! and raise your eyes to heaven!' + +"Well," said the Drought, in a somewhat milder tone, "this was a night +which no one who witnessed it can ever forget! The skies were so bright +that the heavens, which usually resemble an arched vault, looked deep +and transparent and full of waves, like a sea. The light surged +backwards and forwards and the stars swam in their varying depths: some +in among the light-waves; others upon the surface. + +"But farthest away and highest up, the three men saw a faint shadow +appear. This shadow traveled through space like a ball, and came nearer +and nearer, and, as the ball approached, it began to brighten. But it +brightened as roses do--may God let them all wither!--when they burst +from their buds. It grew bigger and bigger, the dark cover about it +turned back by degrees, and light broke forth on its sides into four +distinct leaves. Finally, when it had descended to the nearest of the +stars, it came to a standstill. Then the dark lobes curled themselves +back and unfolded leaf upon leaf of beautiful, shimmering, rose-colored +light, until it was perfect, and shone like a star among stars. + +"When the poor men beheld this, their wisdom told them that at this +moment a mighty king was born on earth: one, whose majesty and power +should rise higher than that of Cyrus or of Alexander; and they said to +one another: 'Let us go to the father and mother of the new-born babe +and tell them what we have seen! Mayhap they will reward us with a purse +of coin or a bracelet of gold.' + +"They grasped their long traveling staves and went forth. They wandered +through the city and out from the city gate; but there they felt +doubtful for a moment as they saw before them the great stretch of dry, +smooth desert, which human beings dread. Then they saw the new star cast +a narrow stream of light across the desert sand, and they wandered +confidently forward with the star as their guide. + +"All night long they tramped over the wide sand-plain, and throughout +the entire journey they talked about the young, new-born king, whom they +should find reposing in a cradle of gold, playing with precious stones. +They whiled away the hours by talking over how they should approach his +father, the king, and his mother, the queen, and tell them that the +heavens augured for their son power and beauty and joy, greater than +Solomon's. They prided themselves upon the fact that God had called +_them_ to see the Star. They said to themselves that the parents of the +new-born babe would not reward them with less than twenty purses of +gold; perhaps they would give them so much gold that they no longer need +suffer the pangs of poverty. + +"I lay in wait on the desert like a lion," said the Drought, "and +intended to throw myself upon these wanderers with all the agonies of +thirst, but they eluded me. All night the Star had led them, and on the +morrow, when the heavens brightened and all the other stars grew pale, +it remained steady and illumined the desert, and then guided them to an +oasis where they found a spring and a ripe, fruit-bearing tree. There +they rested all that day. And toward night, as they saw the Star's rays +border the sands, they went on. + +"From the human way of looking at things," continued the Drought, "it +was a delightful journey. The Star led them in such a way that they did +not have to suffer either hunger or thirst. It led them past the sharp +thistles, it avoided the thick, loose, flying sand; they escaped the +burning sunshine and the hot desert storms. The three wise men said +repeatedly to one another: 'God is protecting us and blessing our +journey. We are His messengers.' + +"Then, by degrees, they fell into my power," said the Drought. "These +star-wanderers' hearts became transformed into as dry a desert as the +one which they traveled through. They were filled with impotent pride +and destructive greed. + +"'We are God's messengers!' repeated the three wise ones. 'The father of +the new-born king will not reward us too well, even if he gives us a +caravan laden with gold.' + +"By and by, the Star led them over the far-famed River Jordan, and up +among the hills of Judea. One night it stood still over the little city +of Bethlehem, which lay upon a hill-top, and shone among the olive +trees. + +"But the three wise ones looked around for castles and fortified towers +and walls, and all the other things that belong to a royal city; but of +such they saw nothing. And what was still worse, the Star's light did +not even lead them into the city, but remained over a grotto near the +wayside. There, the soft light stole in through the opening and revealed +to the three wanderers a little Child, who was being lulled to sleep in +its mother's arms. + +"Although the three men saw how the Star's light encircled the Child's +head, like a crown, they remained standing outside the grotto. They did +not enter to prophesy honors and kingdoms for this little One. They +turned away without betraying their presence. They fled from the Child, +and wandered down the hill again. + +"'Have we come in search of beggars as poor as ourselves?' said they. +'Has God brought us hither that we might mock Him, and predict honors +for a shepherd's son? This Child will never attain any higher +distinction than to tend sheep here in the valleys.'" + +The Drought chuckled to himself and nodded to his hearers, as much as to +say: "Am I not right? There are things which are drier than the desert +sands, but there is nothing more barren than the human heart." + +"The three wise ones had not wandered very far before they thought they +had gone astray and had not followed the Star rightly," continued the +Drought. "They turned their gaze upward to find again the Star, and the +right road; but then the Star which they had followed all the way from +the Orient had vanished from the heavens." + +The three strangers made a quick movement, and their faces expressed +deep suffering. + +"That which now happened," continued the Drought, "is in accord with the +usual manner of mankind in judging of what is, perhaps, a blessing. + +"To be sure, when the three wise men no longer saw the Star, they +understood at once that they had sinned against God. + +"And it happened with them," continued the Drought furiously, "just as +it happens with the ground in the autumn, when the heavy rains begin to +fall. They shook with terror, as one shakes when it thunders and +lightens; their whole being softened, and humility, like green grass, +sprang up in their souls. + +"For three nights and days they wandered about the country, in quest of +the Child whom they would worship; but the Star did not appear to them. +They grew more and more bewildered, and suffered the most overwhelming +anguish and despair. On the third day they came to this well to drink. +Then God had pardoned their sin. And, as they bent over the water, they +saw in its depths the reflection of the Star which had brought them from +the Orient. Instantly they saw it also in the heavens and it led them +again to the grotto in Bethlehem, where they fell upon their knees +before the Child and said: 'We bring thee golden vessels filled with +incense and costly spices. Thou shalt be the greatest king that ever +lived upon earth, from its creation even unto its destruction.' + +"Then the Child laid his hand upon their lowered heads, and when they +rose, lo! the Child had given them gifts greater than a king could have +granted; for the old beggar had grown young, the leper was made whole, +and the negro was transformed into a beautiful white man. And it is said +of them that they were glorious! and that they departed and became +kings--each in his own kingdom." + +The Drought paused in his story, and the three strangers praised it. +"Thou hast spoken well," said they. "But it surprises me," said one of +them, "that the three wise men do nothing for the well which showed them +the Star. Shall they entirely forget such a great blessing?" + +"Should not this well remain perpetually," said the second stranger, "to +remind mankind that happiness, which is lost on the heights of pride and +vainglory, will let itself be found again in the depths of humility?" + +"Are the departed worse than the living?" asked the third. "Does +gratitude die with those who live in Paradise?" + +But as he heard this, the Drought sprang up with a wild cry. He had +recognized the strangers! He understood who the strangers were, and fled +from them like a madman, that he might not witness how The Three Wise +Men called their servants and led their camels, laden with water-sacks, +to the Well and filled the poor dying Well with water, which they had +brought with them from Paradise. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: Bethlehem's Children] + + BETHLEHEM'S CHILDREN + + +Just outside the Bethlehem gate stood a Roman soldier, on guard. He was +arrayed in full armor, with helmet. At his side he wore a short sword, +and held in his hand a long spear. He stood there all day almost +motionless, so that one could readily have believed him to be a man made +of iron. The city people went in and out of the gate and beggars lolled +in the shade under the archway, fruit venders and wine dealers set their +baskets and jugs down on the ground beside the soldier, but he scarcely +took the trouble to turn his head to look at them. + +It seemed as though he wanted to say: This is nothing to see. What do I +care about you who labor and barter and come driving with oil casks and +wine sacks! Let me see an army prepare to meet the enemy! Let me see the +excitement and the hot struggle, when horsemen charge down upon a troop +of foot-soldiers! Let me see the brave men who rush forward to scale the +walls of a beleaguered city! Nothing is pleasing to my sight but war. I +long to see the Roman Eagles glisten in the air! I long for the +trumpets' blast, for shining weapons, for the splash of red blood! + +Just beyond the city gate lay a fine meadow, overgrown with lilies. Day +by day the soldier stood with his eyes turned toward this meadow, but +never for a moment did he think of admiring the extraordinary beauty of +the flowers. Sometimes he noticed that the passers-by stopped to admire +the lilies, and it amazed him to think that people would delay their +travels to look at anything so trivial. These people do not know what is +beautiful, thought he. + +And as he thought thus, he saw no more the green fields and olive groves +round about Bethlehem; but dreamed himself away in a burning-hot desert +in sunny Libya. He saw a legion of soldiers march forward in a long, +straight line over the yellow, trackless sand. There was no protection +against the sun's piercing rays, no cooling stream, no apparent +boundaries to the desert, and no goal in sight, no end to their +wanderings. He saw soldiers, exhausted by hunger and thirst, march +forward with faltering step; he saw one after another drop to the +ground, overcome by the scorching heat. Nevertheless, they marched +onward without a murmur, without a thought of deserting their leader and +turning back. + +Now, _there_ is something beautiful! thought the soldier, something that +is worth the glance of a valiant man! + +Since the soldier stood on guard at the same post day after day, he had +the best opportunity to watch the pretty children who played about him. +But it was with the children as with the flowers: he didn't understand +that it could be worth his while to notice them. What is this to rejoice +over? thought he, when he saw people smile as they watched the +children's games. It is strange that any one can find pleasure in a mere +nothing. + +One day when the soldier was standing at his accustomed post, he saw a +little boy about three years old come out on the meadow to play. He was +a poor lad, who was dressed in a scanty sheepskin, and who played quite +by himself. The soldier stood and regarded the newcomer almost without +being aware of it himself. The first thing that attracted him was that +the little one ran so lightly over the field that he seemed scarcely to +touch the tips of the grass-blades. Later, as he followed the child's +play, he was even more astonished. "By my sword!" he exclaimed, "this +child does not play like the others. What can it be that occupies him?" + +As the child played only a few paces away, he could see well enough what +the little one was doing. He saw how he reached out his hand to capture +a bee that sat upon the edge of a flower and was so heavily laden with +pollen that it could hardly lift its wings for flight. He saw, to his +great surprise, that the bee let itself be taken without trying to +escape, and without using its sting. When the little one held the bee +secure between his fingers, he ran over to a crack in the city wall, +where a swarm of bees had their home, and set the bee down. As soon as +he had helped one bee in this way, he hastened back to help another. All +day long the soldier saw him catch bees and carry them to their home. + +"That boy is certainly more foolish than any I've seen hitherto," +thought the soldier. "What put it into his head to try and help these +bees, who can take such good care of themselves without him, and who can +sting him at that? What kind of a man will he become if he lives, I +wonder?" + +The little one came back day after day and played in the meadow, and the +soldier couldn't help marveling at him and his games. + +"It is very strange," thought he. "Here I have stood on guard for fully +three years, and thus far I have seen nothing that could interest me, +except this infant." + +But the soldier was in nowise pleased with the child; quite the reverse! +For this child reminded him of a dreadful prediction made by an old +Hebrew seer, who had prophesied that a time of peace should come to this +world some day; during a period of a thousand years no blood would be +shed, no wars waged, but human beings would love one another like +brethren. When the soldier thought that anything so dreadful might +really come to pass, a shudder passed through his body, and he gripped +his spear hard, as if he sought support. + +And now, the more the soldier saw of the little one and his play, the +more he thought of the Thousand-year Reign of Peace. He did not fear +that it had come already, but he did not like to be reminded of anything +so hateful! + +One day, when the little one was playing among the flowers on the pretty +meadow, a very heavy shower came bursting through the clouds. When he +noticed how big and heavy the drops were that beat down upon the +sensitive lilies, he seemed anxious for his pretty friends. He hurried +away to the biggest and loveliest among them, and bent towards the +ground the stiff stalk which held up the lily, so that the raindrops +caught the chalices on their under side. As soon as he had treated one +flower like this, he ran to another and bent its stem in the same way, +so that the flower-cups were turned toward the ground. And then to a +third and a fourth, until all the flowers in the meadow were protected +against the rainfall. + +The soldier smiled to himself when he saw the boy's work. "I'm afraid +the lilies won't thank him for this," said he. "Naturally, every stalk +is broken. It will never do to bend such stiff growths in that way!" + +But when the shower was over, the soldier saw the little lad hurry over +to the lilies and raise them up. To his utter astonishment, the boy +straightened the stiff stalks without the least difficulty. It was +apparent that not one of them was either broken or bruised. He ran from +flower to flower, and soon all the rescued lilies shone in their full +splendor in the meadow. + +When the soldier saw this, he was seized with a singular rage. "What a +queer child!" thought he. "It is incredible that he can undertake +anything so idiotic. What kind of a man will he make, who cannot even +bear to see a lily destroyed? How would it turn out if such a one had to +go to war? What would he do if they ordered him to burn a house filled +with women and children, or to sink a ship with all souls on board?" + +Again he thought of the old prophecy, and he began to fear that the time +had actually come for its fulfilment. "Since a child like this is here," +thought he, "perhaps this awful time is very close at hand. Already, +peace prevails over the whole earth; and surely the day of war will +nevermore dawn. From this time forth, all peoples will be of the same +mind as this child: they will be afraid to injure one another, yea, they +will not have the heart even to crush a bee or a flower! No great deeds +will be done, no glorious battles won, and no brilliant triumvirate will +march up to the Capitol. Nothing more will happen that a brave man could +long for." + +And the soldier--who all the while hoped he would soon live through new +wars and longed, through daring feats, to raise himself to power and +riches--felt so exasperated with the little three-year-old that he +raised his spear threateningly the next time the child ran past. + +Another day it was neither the bees nor the lilies the little one sought +to protect, but he undertook something which struck the soldier as being +much more needless and thankless. + +It was a fearfully hot day, and the sunrays fell upon the soldier's +helmet and armor and heated them until he felt as if he wore a suit of +fire. To the passers-by it looked as if he must suffer tortures from the +heat. His bloodshot eyes were ready to burst from their sockets, and his +lips were dry and shriveled. But as he was inured to the burning heat of +African deserts, he thought this a mere trifle, and it didn't occur to +him to move from his accustomed place. On the contrary, he took pleasure +in showing the passers-by that he was so strong and hardy and did not +need to seek shelter from the sun. + +While he stood thus, and let himself be nearly broiled alive, the little +boy who was wont to play in the meadow came suddenly up to him. He knew +very well that the soldier was not one of his friends and so he was +always careful not to come within reach of his spear; but now he ran up +to him, and regarded him long and carefully; then he hurried as fast as +he could towards the road. When he came back, he held both hands like a +bowl, and carried in this way a few drops of water. + +"Mayhap this infant has taken it upon himself to run and fetch water for +me," thought the soldier. "He is certainly wanting in common sense. +Should not a Roman soldier be able to stand a little heat! What need for +that youngster to run around and help those who require no help! I don't +want his compassion. I wish he and all like him were out of the world!" + +The little one came walking very slowly. He held his fingers close +together, so that nothing should be spilled or wasted. All the while, as +he was nearing the soldier, he kept his eyes anxiously fixed upon the +little water which he brought with him, and did not see that the man +stood there frowning, with a forbidding look in his eye. Then the child +came up to the soldier and offered him the water. + +On the way his heavy blond curls had tumbled down over his forehead and +eyes. He shook his head several times to get the hair out of his eyes, +so that he could look up. When he succeeded at last, and became +conscious of the hard expression on the soldier's face, he was not +frightened, but stood still and begged him, with a bewitching smile, to +taste of the water which he had brought with him. But the soldier felt +no desire to accept a kindness from the child, whom he regarded as his +enemy. He did not look down into his pretty face, but stood rigid and +immovable, and showed no sign that he understood what the child wished +to do for him. + +Nor could the child understand that the man wished to repel him. He +smiled all the while just as confidently, raised himself on the tips of +his toes, and stretched his hands as high as he could that the big +soldier might more easily get at the water. + +The soldier felt so insulted because a mere child wished to help him +that he gripped his spear to drive the little one away. + +But just at that moment the extreme heat and sunshine beat down upon the +soldier with such intensity that he saw red flames dance before his eyes +and felt his brains melt within his head. He feared the sun would kill +him, if he could not find instant relief. + +Beside himself with terror at the danger hovering over him, the soldier +threw his spear on the ground, seized the child with both hands, lifted +him up, and absorbed as much as he could of the water which the little +one held in his hands. + +Only a few drops touched his tongue, but more was not needed. As soon as +he had tasted of the water, a delicious coolness surged through his +body, and he felt no more that the helmet and armor burnt and oppressed +him. The sunrays had lost their deadly power. His dry lips became soft +and moist again, and red flames no longer danced before his eyes. + +Before he had time to realize all this, he had already put down the +child, who ran back to the meadow to play. Astonished, the soldier began +to say to himself: "What kind of water was this that the child gave me? +It was a glorious drink! I must really show him my gratitude." + +But inasmuch as he hated the little one, he soon dismissed this idea. +"It is only a child," thought he, "and does not know why he acts in this +way or that way. He plays only the play that pleases him best. Does he +perhaps receive any gratitude from the bees or the lilies? On that +youngster's account I need give myself no trouble. He doesn't even know +that he has succored me." + +The soldier felt, if possible, even more exasperated with the child a +moment later, when he saw the commander of the Roman soldiers, who were +encamped in Bethlehem, come out through the gate. "Just see what a risk +I have run through that little one's rash behavior!" thought he. "If by +chance Voltigius had come a moment earlier, he would have seen me +standing with a child in my arms." + +Meanwhile, the Commander walked straight up to the soldier and asked him +if they might speak together there without danger of being overheard. He +had a secret to impart to him. "If we move ten paces from the gate," +replied the soldier, "no one can hear us." + +"You know," said the Commander, "that King Herod, time and again, has +tried to get possession of a child that is growing up here in Bethlehem. +His soothsayers and priests have told him that this child shall ascend +his throne. Moreover, they have predicted that the new King will +inaugurate a thousand-year reign of peace and holiness. You understand, +of course, that Herod would willingly make him--Harmless!" + +"I understand!" said the soldier eagerly. "But that ought to be the +easiest thing in the world." + +"It would certainly be very easy," said the Commander, "if the King only +knew which one of all the children here in Bethlehem is The One." + +The soldier knit his brows. "It is a pity his soothsayers can not +enlighten him about this," said he. + +"But now Herod has hit upon a ruse, whereby he believes he can make the +young Peace-Prince harmless," continued the Commander. "He promises a +handsome gift to each and all who will help him." + +"Whatsoever Voltigius commands shall be carried out, even without money +or gifts," said the soldier. + +"I thank you," replied the Commander. "Listen, now, to the King's plan! +He intends to celebrate the birthday of his youngest son by arranging a +festival, to which all male children in Bethlehem, who are between the +ages of two and three years, shall be bidden, together with their +mothers. And during this festival----" He checked himself suddenly, and +laughed when he saw the look of disgust on the soldier's face. + +"My friend," he continued, "you need not fear that Herod thinks of using +us as child-nurses. Now bend your ear to my mouth, and I'll confide to +you his design." + +The Commander whispered long with the soldier, and when he had disclosed +all, he said: + +"I need hardly tell you that absolute silence is imperative, lest the +whole undertaking miscarry." + +"You know, Voltigius, that you can rely on me," said the soldier. + +When the Commander had gone and the soldier once more stood alone at his +post, he looked around for the child. The little one played all the +while among the flowers, and the soldier caught himself thinking that +the boy swayed above them as light and attractive as a butterfly. + +Suddenly he began to laugh. "True," said he, "I shall not have to vex +myself very long over this child. He shall be bidden to the feast of +Herod this evening." + +He remained at his post all that day, until the even was come, and it +was time to close the city gate for the night. + +When this was done, he wandered through narrow and dark streets, to a +splendid palace which Herod owned in Bethlehem. + +In the center of this immense palace was a large stone-paved court +encircled by buildings, around which ran three open galleries, one above +the other. The King had ordered that the festival for the Bethlehem +children should be held on the uppermost of these galleries. + +This gallery, by the King's express command, was transformed so that it +looked like a covered walk in a beautiful flower-garden. The ceiling was +hidden by creeping vines hung with thick clusters of luscious grapes, +and alongside the walls, and against the pillars stood small pomegranate +trees, laden with ripe fruit. The floors were strewn with rose-leaves, +lying thick and soft like a carpet. And all along the balustrades, the +cornices, the tables, and the low divans, ran garlands of lustrous white +lilies. + +Here and there in this flower garden stood great marble basins where +glittering gold and silver fish played in the transparent water. +Multi-colored birds from distant lands sat in the trees, and in a cage +sat an old raven that chattered incessantly. + +When the festival began children and mothers filed into the gallery. +Immediately after they had entered the palace, the children were arrayed +in white dresses with purple borders and were given wreaths of roses for +their dark, curly heads. The women came in, regal, in their crimson and +blue robes, and their white veils, which hung in long, loose folds from +high-peaked head-dresses, adorned with gold coins and chains. Some +carried their children mounted upon their shoulders; others led their +sons by the hand; some, again, whose children were afraid or shy, had +taken them up in their arms. + +The women seated themselves on the floor of the gallery. As soon as they +had taken their places, slaves came in and placed before them low +tables, which they spread with the choicest of foods and wines--as +befitting a King's feast--and all these happy mothers began to eat and +drink, maintaining all the while that proud, graceful dignity, which is +the greatest ornament of the Bethlehem women. + +Along the farthest wall of the gallery, and almost hidden by +flower-garlands and fruit trees, was stationed a double line of soldiers +in full armor. They stood, perfectly immovable, as if they had no +concern with that which went on around them. The women could not refrain +from casting a questioning glance, now and then, at this troop of +iron-clad men. "For what are they needed here?" they whispered. "Does +Herod think we women do not know how to conduct ourselves? Does he +believe it is necessary for so many soldiers to guard us?" + +But others whispered that this was as it should be in a King's home. +Herod himself never gave a banquet without having his house filled with +soldiers. It was to honor them that the heavily armored warriors stood +there on guard. + +During the first few moments of the feast, the children felt timid and +uncertain, and sat quietly beside their mothers. But soon they began to +move about and take possession of all the good things which Herod +offered them. + +It was an enchanted land that the King had created for his little +guests. When they wandered through the gallery, they found bee-hives +whose honey they could pillage without the interference of a single +crotchety bee. They found trees which, bending, lowered their +fruit-laden branches down to them. In a corner they found magicians who, +on the instant, conjured their pockets full of toys; and in another +corner they discovered a wild-beast tamer who showed them a pair of +tigers, so tame that they could ride them. + +But in this paradise with all its joys there was nothing which so +attracted the attention of these little ones as the long line of +soldiers who stood immovable at the extreme end of the gallery. Their +eyes were captivated by their shining helmets, their stern, haughty +faces, and their short swords, which reposed in richly jeweled sheaths. + +All the while, as they played and romped with one another, they thought +continually about the soldiers. They still held themselves at a +distance, but they longed to get near the men to see if they were alive +and really could move themselves. + +The play and festivities increased every moment, but the soldiers stood +all the while immovable. It seemed incredible to the little ones that +people could stand so near the clusters of grapes and all the other +dainties, without reaching out a hand to take them. + +Finally, there was one boy who couldn't restrain his curiosity any +longer. Slowly, but prepared for hasty retreat, he approached one of the +armored men; and when he remained just as rigid and motionless, the +child came nearer and nearer. At last he was so close to him that he +could touch his shoe latchets and his shins. + +Then--as though this had been an unheard-of crime--all at once these +iron-men set themselves in motion. With indescribable fury they threw +themselves upon the children, and seized them! Some swung them over +their heads, like missiles, and flung them between lamps and garlands +over the balustrade and down to the court, where they were killed the +instant they struck the stone pavement. Others drew their swords and +pierced the children's hearts; others, again, crushed their heads +against the walls before they threw them down into the dark courtyard. + +The first moment after the onslaught, there was an ominous stillness. +While the tiny bodies still swayed in the air, the women were petrified +with amazement! But simultaneously all these unhappy mothers awoke to +understand what had happened, and with one great cry they rushed toward +the soldiers. There were still a few children left up in the gallery who +had not been captured during the first attack. The soldiers pursued them +and their mothers threw themselves in front of them and clutched with +bare hands the naked swords, to avert the death-blow. Several women, +whose children were already dead, threw themselves upon the soldiers, +clutched them by the throat, and sought to avenge the death of their +little ones by strangling their murderers. + +During this wild confusion, while fearful shrieks rang through the +palace, and the most inhuman death cruelties were being enacted, the +soldier who was wont to stand on guard at the city gate stood motionless +at the head of the stairs which led down from the gallery. He took no +part in the strife and the murder: only against the women who had +succeeded in snatching their children and tried to fly down the stairs +with them did he lift his sword. And just the sight of him, where he +stood, grim and inflexible, was so terrifying that the fleeing ones +chose rather to cast themselves over the balustrade or turn back into +the heat of the struggle, than risk the danger of crowding past him. + +"Voltigius certainly did the right thing when he gave _me_ this post," +thought the soldier. "A young and thoughtless warrior would have left +his place and rushed into the confusion. If I had let myself be tempted +away from here, ten children at least would have escaped." + +While he was thinking of this, a young woman, who had snatched up her +child, came rushing towards him in hurried flight. None of the warriors +whom she had to pass could stop her, because they were in the midst of +the struggle with other women, and in this way she had reached the end +of the gallery. + +"Ah, there's one who is about to escape!" thought the soldier. "Neither +she nor the child is wounded." + +The woman came toward the soldier with such speed that she appeared to +be flying, and he didn't have time to distinguish the features of either +the woman or her child. He only pointed his sword at them, and the +woman, with the child in her arms, dashed against it. He expected that +the next second both she and the child would fall to the ground pierced +through and through. + +But just then the soldier heard an angry buzzing over his head, and the +next instant he felt a sharp pain in one eye. It was so intense that he +was stunned, bewildered, and the sword dropped from his hand. He raised +his hand to his eye and caught hold of a bee, and understood that that +which caused this awful suffering was only the sting of the tiny +creature. Quick as a flash, he stooped down and picked up his sword, in +the hope that as yet it was not too late to intercept the runaways. + +But the little bee had done its work very well. + +During the short time that the soldier was blinded, the young mother had +succeeded in rushing past him and down the stairs; and although he +hurried after her with all haste, he could not find her. She had +vanished; and in all that great palace there was no one who could +discover any trace of her. + +The following morning, the soldier, together with several of his +comrades, stood on guard, just within the city gate. The hour was early, +and the city gates had only just been opened. But it appeared as though +no one had expected that they would be opened that morning; for no +throngs of field laborers streamed out of the city, as they usually did +of a morning. All the Bethlehem inhabitants were so filled with terror +over the night's bloodshed that no one dared to leave his home. + +"By my sword!" said the soldier, as he stood and stared down the narrow +street which led toward the gate, "I believe Voltigius has made a stupid +blunder. It would have been better had he kept the gates closed and +ordered a thorough search of every house in the city, until he had found +the boy who managed to escape from the feast. Voltigius expects that his +parents will try to get him away from here as soon as they learn that +the gates are open. I fear this is not a wise calculation. How easily +they could conceal a child!" + +He wondered if they would try to hide the child in a fruit basket or in +some huge oil cask, or amongst the grain-bales of a caravan. + +While he stood there on the watch for any attempt to deceive him in this +way, he saw a man and a woman who came hurriedly down the street and +were nearing the gate. They walked rapidly and cast anxious looks behind +them, as though they were fleeing from some danger. The man held an ax +in his hand with a firm grip, as if determined to fight should any one +bar his way. But the soldier did not look at the man as much as he did +at the woman. He thought that she was just as tall as the young mother +who got away from him the night before. He observed also that she had +thrown her skirt over her head. "Perhaps she wears it like this," +thought he, "to conceal the fact that she holds a child on her arm." + +The nearer they approached, the plainer he saw the child which the woman +bore on her arm outlined under the raised robe. "I'm positive it is the +one who got away last night. I didn't see her face, but I recognize the +tall figure. And here she comes now, with the child on her arm, and +without even trying to keep it concealed. I had not dared to hope for +such a lucky chance," said the soldier to himself. + +The man and woman continued their rapid pace all the way to the city +gate. Evidently, they had not anticipated being intercepted here. They +trembled with fright when the soldier leveled his spear at them, and +barred their passage. + +"Why do you refuse to let us go out in the fields to our work?" asked +the man. + +"You may go presently," said the soldier, "but first I must see what +your wife has hidden behind her robe." + +"What is there to see?" said the man. "It is only bread and wine, which +we must live upon to-day." + +"You speak the truth, perchance," said the soldier, "but if it is as you +say, why does she turn away? Why does she not willingly let me see what +she carries?" + +"I do not wish that you shall see it," said the man, "and I command you +to let us pass!" + +With this he raised his ax, but the woman laid her hand on his arm. + +"Enter thou not into strife!" she pleaded. "I will try some other way. I +shall let him see what I bear, and I know that he can not harm it." With +a proud and confident smile she turned toward the soldier, and threw +back a fold of her robe. + +Instantly the soldier staggered back and closed his eyes, as if dazed by +a strong light. That which the woman held concealed under her robe +reflected such a dazzling white light that at first he did not know what +he saw. + +"I thought you held a child on your arm," he said. + +"You see what I hold," the woman answered. + +Then the soldier finally saw that that which dazzled and shone was only +a cluster of white lilies, the same kind that grew in the meadow; but +their luster was much richer and more radiant. He could hardly bear to +look at them. + +He stuck his hand in among the flowers. He couldn't help thinking that +it must be a child the woman carried, but he felt only the cool +flower-petals. + +He was bitterly deceived, and in his wrath he would gladly have taken +both the man and the woman prisoners, but he knew that he could give no +reason for such a proceeding. + +When the woman saw his confusion, she said: "Will you not let us go +now?" + +The soldier quietly lowered the spear and stepped aside. + +The woman drew her robe over the flowers once more, and at the same time +she looked with a sweet smile upon that which she bore on her arm. "I +knew that you could not harm it, did you but see it," she said to the +soldier. + +With this, they hastened away; and the soldier stood and stared after +them as long as they were within sight. + +While he followed them with his eyes, he almost felt sure that the woman +did not carry on her arm a cluster of lilies, but an actual, living +child. + +While he still stood and stared after the wanderers, he heard loud +shouts from the street. It was Voltigius, with several of his men, who +came running. + +"Stop them!" they cried. "Close the gates on them! Don't let them +escape!" + +And when they came up to the soldier, they said that they had tracked +the runaway boy. They had sought him in his home, but then he had +escaped again. They had seen his parents hasten away with him. The +father was a strong, gray-bearded man who carried an ax; the mother was +a tall woman who held a child concealed under a raised robe. + +The same moment that Voltigius related this, there came a Bedouin riding +in through the gate on a good horse. Without a word, the soldier rushed +up to the rider, jerked him down off the horse and threw him to the +ground, and, with one bound, jumped into the saddle and dashed away +toward the road. + + * * * * * + +Two days later, the soldier rode forward through the dreary +mountain-desert, which is the whole southern part of Judea. All the +while he was pursuing the three fugitives from Bethlehem, and he was +beside himself because the fruitless hunt never came to an end. + +"It looks, forsooth, as though these creatures had the power to sink +into the earth," he grumbled. "How many times during these days have I +not been so close to them that I've been on the point of throwing my +spear at the child, and yet they have escaped me! I begin to think that +I shall never catch up with them." + +He felt despondent, like one who believes he is struggling against some +superior power. He asked himself if it might not be possible that the +gods protected these people against him. + +"This trouble is in vain. Let me turn back before I perish from hunger +and thirst in this barren land!" he said to himself, again and again. +Then he was seized with fear of that which awaited him on his +home-coming, should he turn back without having accomplished his +mission. + +Twice he had permitted the child to escape, and neither Voltigius nor +Herod would pardon him for anything of the kind. + +"As long as Herod knows that one of the Bethlehem children still lives, +he will always be haunted by the same anxiety and dread," said the +soldier. "Most likely he will try to ease his worries by nailing me to a +cross." + +It was a hot noonday hour, and he suffered tortures from the ride +through this mountain district on a road which wound around steep cliffs +where no breeze stirred. Both horse and rider were ready to drop. + +Several hours before he had lost every trace of the fugitives, and he +felt more disheartened than ever. + +"I must give it up," thought he. "I verily believe it is time wasted to +pursue them further. They must perish anyway in this awful wilderness." + +As he thought this, he discovered, in a mountain-wall near the roadside, +the vaulted entrance to a grotto. + +Immediately he rode up to the opening. "I will rest a while in this cool +mountain cave," thought he. "Then, mayhap, I can continue the pursuit +with renewed strength." + +As he was about to enter, he was struck with amazement! On each side of +the opening grew a beautiful lily. The two stalks stood there tall and +erect and full of blossoms. They sent forth an intoxicating odor of +honey, and many bees buzzed around them. + +It was such an uncommon sight in this wilderness that the soldier did +something extraordinary. He broke off a large white flower and took it +with him into the cave. + +The cave was neither deep nor dark, and as soon as he entered he saw +that there were already three travelers within: a man, a woman, and a +child, who lay stretched out upon the ground, lost in deep slumber. + +The soldier had never before felt his heart beat as it did at this +vision. They were the three runaways whom he had hunted so long. He +recognized them instantly. And here they lay sleeping, unable to defend +themselves and wholly in his power. + +He drew his sword quickly and bent over the sleeping child. + +Cautiously he lowered the sword toward the infant's heart, and measured +carefully, in order to kill with a single thrust. + +He paused an instant to look at the child's countenance. Now, when he +was certain of victory, he felt a grim pleasure in beholding his victim. + +But when he saw the child his joy increased, for he recognized the +little boy whom he had seen play with bees and lilies in the meadow +beyond the city gate. + +"Why, of course I should have understood this all the time!" thought he. +"This is why I have always hated the child. This is the pretended Prince +of Peace." + +He lowered his sword again while he thought: "When I lay this child's +head at Herod's feet, he will make me Commander of his Life Guard." + +As he brought the point of the sword nearer and nearer the heart of the +sleeping child, he reveled in the thought: "This time, at least, no one +shall come between us and snatch him from my power." + +But the soldier still held in his hand the lily which he had broken off +at the grotto entrance; and while he was thinking of his good fortune, a +bee that had been hidden in its chalice flew towards him and buzzed +around his head. + +He staggered back. Suddenly he remembered the bees which the boy had +carried to their home, and he remembered that it was a bee that had +helped the child escape from Herod's feast. This thought struck him with +surprise. He held the sword suspended, and stood still and listened for +the bee. + +Now he did not hear the tiny creature's buzzing. As he stood there, +perfectly still, he became conscious of the strong, delicious perfume +which came from the lily that he held in his hand. + +Then he began to think of the lilies that the little one had saved; he +remembered that it was a cluster of lilies that had hidden the child +from his view and made possible the escape through the city gate. + +He became more and more thoughtful, and he drew back the sword. + +"The bees and the lilies have requited his good deeds," he whispered to +himself. Then he was struck by the thought that the little one had once +shown even him a kindness, and a deep crimson flush mounted to his brow. + +"Can a Roman soldier forget to requite an accepted service?" he +whispered. + +He fought a short battle with himself. He thought of Herod, and of his +own desire to destroy the young Peace-Prince. + +"It does not become me to murder this child who has saved my life," he +said, at last. + +And he bent down and laid his sword beside the child, that the fugitives +on awakening should understand the danger they had escaped. + +Then he saw that the child was awake. He lay and regarded the soldier +with the beautiful eyes which shone like stars. + +And the warrior bent a knee before the child. + +"Lord, _thou_ art the Mighty One!" said he. "Thou art the strong +Conqueror! Thou art He whom the gods love! Thou art He who shall tread +upon adders and scorpions!" + +He kissed his feet and stole softly out from the grotto, while the +little one smiled and smiled after him with great, astonished +child-eyes. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: The Flight Into Egypt] + + THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT + + +Far away in one of the Eastern deserts many, many years ago grew a palm +tree, which was both exceedingly old and exceedingly tall. + +All who passed through the desert had to stop and gaze at it, for it was +much larger than other palms; and they used to say of it, that some day +it would certainly be taller than the obelisks and pyramids. + +Where the huge palm tree stood in its solitude and looked out over the +desert, it saw something one day which made its mighty leaf-crown sway +back and forth on its slender trunk with astonishment. Over by the +desert borders walked two human beings. They were still at the distance +at which camels appear to be as tiny as moths; but they were certainly +two human beings--two who were strangers in the desert; for the palm +knew the desert-folk. They were a man and a woman who had neither guide +nor pack-camels; neither tent nor water-sack. + +"Verily," said the palm to itself, "these two have come hither only to +meet certain death." + +The palm cast a quick, apprehensive glance around. + +"It surprises me," it said, "that the lions are not already out to hunt +this prey, but I do not see a single one astir; nor do I see any of the +desert robbers, but they'll probably soon come." + +"A seven-fold death awaits these travelers," thought the palm. "The +lions will devour them, thirst will parch them, the sand-storm will bury +them, robbers will trap them, sunstroke will blight them, and fear will +destroy them." + +And the palm tried to think of something else. The fate of these people +made it sad at heart. + +But on the whole desert plain, which lay spread out beneath the palm, +there was nothing which it had not known and looked upon these thousand +years. Nothing in particular could arrest its attention. Again it had to +think of the two wanderers. + +"By the drought and the storm!" said the palm, calling upon Life's most +dangerous enemies. "What is that that the woman carries on her arm? I +believe these fools also bring a little child with them!" + +The palm, who was far-sighted--as the old usually are,--actually saw +aright. The woman bore on her arm a child, that leaned against her +shoulder and slept. + +"The child hasn't even sufficient clothing on," said the palm. "I see +that the mother has tucked up her skirt and thrown it over the child. +She must have snatched him from his bed in great haste and rushed off +with him. I understand now: these people are runaways. + +"But they are fools, nevertheless," continued the palm. "Unless an angel +protects them, they would have done better to have let their enemies do +their worst, than to venture into this wilderness. + +"I can imagine how the whole thing came about. The man stood at his +work; the child slept in his crib; the woman had gone out to fetch +water. When she was a few steps from the door, she saw enemies coming. +She rushed back to the house, snatched up her child, and fled. + +"Since then, they have been fleeing for several days. It is very certain +that they have not rested a moment. Yes, everything has happened in this +way, but still I say that unless an angel protects them---- + +"They are so frightened that, as yet, they feel neither fatigue nor +suffering. But I see their thirst by the strange gleam in their eyes. +Surely I ought to know a thirsty person's face!" + +And when the palm began to think of thirst, a shudder passed through its +tall trunk, and the long leaves' numberless lobes rolled up, as though +they had been held over a fire. + +"Were I a human being," it said, "I should never venture into the +desert. He is pretty brave who dares come here without having roots that +reach down to the never-dying water veins. Here it can be dangerous even +for palms; yea, even for a palm such as I. + +"If I could counsel them, I should beg them to turn back. Their enemies +could never be as cruel toward them as the desert. Perhaps they think it +is easy to live in the desert! But I know that, now and then, even I +have found it hard to keep alive. I recollect one time in my youth when +a hurricane threw a whole mountain of sand over me. I came near choking. +If I could have died that would have been my last moment." + +The palm continued to think aloud, as the aged and solitary habitually +do. + +"I hear a wondrously beautiful melody rush through my leaves," it said. +"All the lobes on my leaves are quivering. I know not what it is that +takes possession of me at the sight of these poor strangers. But this +unfortunate woman is so beautiful! She carries me back, in memory, to +the most wonderful thing that I ever experienced." + +And while the leaves continued to move in a soft melody, the palm was +reminded how once, very long ago, two illustrious personages had visited +the oasis. They were the Queen of Sheba and Solomon the Wise. The +beautiful Queen was to return to her own country; the King had +accompanied her on the journey, and now they were going to part. "In +remembrance of this hour," said the Queen then, "I now plant a date seed +in the earth, and I wish that from it shall spring a palm which shall +grow and live until a King shall arise in Judea, greater than Solomon." +And when she had said this, she planted the seed in the earth and +watered it with her tears. + +"How does it happen that I am thinking of this just to-day?" said the +palm. "Can this woman be so beautiful that she reminds me of the most +glorious of queens, of her by whose word I have lived and flourished +until this day? + +"I hear my leaves rustle louder and louder," said the palm, "and it +sounds as melancholy as a dirge. It is as though they prophesied that +some one would soon leave this life. It is well to know that it does not +apply to me, since I can not die." + +The palm assumed that the death-rustle in its leaves must apply to the +two lone wanderers. It is certain that they too believed that their last +hour was nearing. One saw it from their expression as they walked past +the skeleton of a camel which lay in their path. One saw it from the +glances they cast back at a pair of passing vultures. It couldn't be +otherwise; they must perish! + +They had caught sight of the palm and oasis and hastened thither to find +water. But when they arrived at last, they collapsed from despair, for +the well was dry. The woman, worn out, laid the child down and seated +herself beside the well-curb, and wept. The man flung himself down +beside her and beat upon the dry earth with his fists. The palm heard +how they talked with each other about their inevitable death. It also +gleaned from their conversation that King Herod had ordered the +slaughter of all male children from two to three years old, because he +feared that the long-looked-for King of the Jews had been born. + +"It rustles louder and louder in my leaves," said the palm. "These poor +fugitives will soon see their last moment." + +It perceived also that they dreaded the desert. The man said it would +have been better if they had stayed at home and fought with the +soldiers, than to fly hither. He said that they would have met an easier +death. + +"God will help us," said the woman. + +"We are alone among beasts of prey and serpents," said the man. "We have +no food and no water. How should God be able to help us?" In despair he +rent his garments and pressed his face against the dry earth. He was +hopeless--like a man with a death-wound in his heart. + +The woman sat erect, with her hands clasped over her knees. But the +looks she cast towards the desert spoke of a hopelessness beyond bounds. + +The palm heard the melancholy rustle in its leaves growing louder and +louder. The woman must have heard it also, for she turned her gaze +upward toward the palm-crown. And instantly she involuntarily raised her +arms. + +"Oh, dates, dates!" she cried. There was such intense agony in her voice +that the old palm wished itself no taller than a broom and that the +dates were as easy to reach as the buds on a brier bush. It probably +knew that its crown was full of date clusters, but how should a human +being reach such a height? + +The man had already seen how beyond all reach the date clusters hung. He +did not even raise his head. He begged his wife not to long for the +impossible. + +But the child, who had toddled about by himself and played with sticks +and straws, had heard the mother's outcry. + +Of course the little one could not imagine that his mother should not +get everything she wished for. The instant she said dates, he began to +stare at the tree. He pondered and pondered how he should bring down the +dates. His forehead was almost drawn into wrinkles under the golden +curls. At last a smile stole over his face. He had found the way. He +went up to the palm and stroked it with his little hand, and said, in a +sweet, childish voice: + +"Palm, bend thee! Palm, bend thee!" + +But what was that, what was that? The palm leaves rustled as if a +hurricane had passed through them, and up and down the long trunk +traveled shudder upon shudder. And the tree felt that the little one was +its superior. It could not resist him. + +And it bowed its long trunk before the child, as people bow before +princes. In a great bow it bent itself towards the ground, and finally +it came down so far that the big crown with the trembling leaves swept +the desert sand. + +The child appeared to be neither frightened nor surprised; with a joyous +cry he loosened cluster after cluster from the old palm's crown. When he +had plucked enough dates, and the tree still lay on the ground, the +child came back again and caressed it and said, in the gentlest voice: + +"Palm, raise thee! Palm, raise thee!" + +Slowly and reverently the big tree raised itself on its slender trunk, +while the leaves played like harps. + +"Now I know for whom they are playing the death melody," said the palm +to itself when it stood erect once more. "It is not for any of these +people." + +The man and the woman sank upon their knees and thanked God. + +"Thou hast seen our agony and removed it. Thou art the Powerful One who +bendest the palm-trunk like a reed. What enemy should we fear when Thy +strength protects us?" + +The next time a caravan passed through the desert, the travelers saw +that the great palm's leaf-crown had withered. + +"How can this be?" said a traveler. "This palm was not to die before it +had seen a King greater than Solomon." + +"Mayhap it hath seen him," answered another of the desert travelers. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: In Nazareth] + + IN NAZARETH + + +Once, when Jesus was only five years old, he sat on the doorstep outside +his father's workshop, in Nazareth, and made clay cuckoos from a lump of +clay which the potter across the way had given him. He was happier than +usual. All the children in the quarter had told Jesus that the potter +was a disobliging man, who wouldn't let himself be coaxed, either by +soft glances or honeyed words, and he had never dared ask aught of him. +But, you see, he hardly knew how it had come about. He had only stood on +his doorstep and, with yearning eyes, looked upon the neighbor working +at his molds, and then that neighbor had come over from his stall and +given him so much clay that it would have been enough to finish a whole +wine jug. + +On the stoop of the next house sat Judas, his face covered with bruises +and his clothes full of rents, which he had acquired during his +continual fights with street urchins. For the moment he was quiet, he +neither quarreled nor fought, but worked with a bit of clay, just as +Jesus did. But this clay he had not been able to procure for himself. He +hardly dared venture within sight of the potter, who complained that he +was in the habit of throwing stones at his fragile wares, and would have +driven him away with a good beating. It was Jesus who had divided his +portion with him. + +When the two children had finished their clay cuckoos, they stood the +birds up in a ring in front of them. These looked just as clay cuckoos +have always looked. They had big, round lumps to stand on in place of +feet, short tails, no necks, and almost imperceptible wings. + +But, at all events, one saw at once a difference in the work of the +little playmates. Judas' birds were so crooked that they tumbled over +continually; and no matter how hard he worked with his clumsy little +fingers, he couldn't get their bodies neat and well formed. Now and then +he glanced slyly at Jesus, to see how he managed to make his birds as +smooth and even as the oak-leaves in the forests on Mount Tabor. + +As bird after bird was finished, Jesus became happier and happier. Each +looked more beautiful to him than the last, and he regarded them all +with pride and affection. They were to be his playmates, his little +brothers; they should sleep in his bed, keep him company, and sing to +him when his mother left him. Never before had he thought himself so +rich; never again could he feel alone or forsaken. + +The big brawny water-carrier came walking along, and right after him +came the huckster, who sat joggingly on his donkey between the large +empty willow baskets. The water-carrier laid his hand on Jesus' curly +head and asked him about his birds; and Jesus told him that they had +names and that they could sing. All the little birds were come to him +from foreign lands, and told him things which only he and they knew. And +Jesus spoke in such a way that both the water-carrier and the huckster +forgot about their tasks for a full hour, to listen to him. + +But when they wished to go farther, Jesus pointed to Judas. "See what +pretty birds Judas makes!" he said. + +Then the huckster good-naturedly stopped his donkey and asked Judas if +his birds also had names and could sing. But Judas knew nothing of this. +He was stubbornly silent and did not raise his eyes from his work, and +the huckster angrily kicked one of his birds and rode on. + +In this manner the afternoon passed, and the sun sank so far down that +its beams could come in through the low city gate, which stood at the +end of the street and was decorated with a Roman Eagle. This sunshine, +which came at the close of the day, was perfectly rose-red--as if it had +become mixed with blood--and it colored everything which came in its +path, as it filtered through the narrow street. It painted the potter's +vessels as well as the log which creaked under the woodman's saw, and +the white veil that covered Mary's face. + +But the loveliest of all was the sun's reflection as it shone on the +little water-puddles which had gathered in the big, uneven cracks in the +stones that covered the street. Suddenly Jesus stuck his hand in the +puddle nearest him. He had conceived the idea that he would paint his +gray birds with the sparkling sunbeams which had given such pretty color +to the water, the house-walls, and everything around him. + +The sunshine took pleasure in letting itself be captured by him, like +paint in a paint pot; and when Jesus spread it over the little clay +birds, it lay still and bedecked them from head to feet with a +diamond-like luster. + +Judas, who every now and then looked at Jesus to see if he made more and +prettier birds than his, gave a shriek of delight when he saw how Jesus +painted his clay cuckoos with the sunshine, which he caught from the +water pools. Judas also dipped his hand in the shining water and tried +to catch the sunshine. + +But the sunshine wouldn't be caught by him. It slipped through his +fingers; and no matter how fast he tried to move his hands to get hold +of it, it got away, and he couldn't procure a pinch of color for his +poor birds. + +"Wait, Judas!" said Jesus. "I'll come and paint your birds." + +"No, you shan't touch them!" cried Judas. "They're good enough as they +are." + +He rose, his eyebrows contracted into an ugly frown, his lips +compressed. And he put his broad foot on the birds and transformed them, +one after another, into little flat pieces of clay. + +When all his birds were destroyed, he walked over to Jesus, who sat and +caressed his birds--that glittered like jewels. Judas regarded them for +a moment in silence, then he raised his foot and crushed one of them. + +When Judas took his foot away and saw the entire little bird changed +into a cake of clay, he felt so relieved that he began to laugh, and +raised his foot to crush another. + +"Judas," said Jesus, "what are you doing? Don't you see that they are +alive and can sing?" + +But Judas laughed and crushed still another bird. + +Jesus looked around for help. Judas was heavily built and Jesus had not +the strength to hold him back. He glanced around for his mother. She was +not far away, but before she could have gone there, Judas would have had +ample time to destroy the birds. The tears sprang to Jesus' eyes. Judas +had already crushed four of his birds. There were only three left. + +He was annoyed with his birds, who stood so calmly and let themselves be +trampled upon without paying the slightest attention to the danger. +Jesus clapped his hands to awaken them; then he shouted: "Fly, fly!" + +Then the three birds began to move their tiny wings, and, fluttering +anxiously, they succeeded in swinging themselves up to the eaves of the +house, where they were safe. + +But when Judas saw that the birds took to their wings and flew at Jesus' +command, he began to weep. He tore his hair, as he had seen his elders +do when they were in great trouble, and he threw himself at Jesus' feet. + +Judas lay there and rolled in the dust before Jesus like a dog, and +kissed his feet and begged that he would raise his foot and crush him, +as he had done with the clay cuckoos. For Judas loved Jesus and admired +and worshiped him, and at the same time hated him. + +Mary, who sat all the while and watched the children's play, came up and +lifted Judas in her arms and seated him on her lap, and caressed him. + +"You poor child!" she said to him, "you do not know that you have +attempted something which no mortal can accomplish. Don't engage in +anything of this kind again, if you do not wish to become the unhappiest +of mortals! What would happen to any one of us who undertook to compete +with one who paints with sunbeams and blows the breath of life into dead +clay?" + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: In the Temple] + + IN THE TEMPLE + + +Once there was a poor family--a man, his wife, and their little son--who +walked about in the big Temple at Jerusalem. The son was such a pretty +child! He had hair which fell in long, even curls, and eyes that shone +like stars. + +The son had not been in the Temple since he was big enough to comprehend +what he saw; and now his parents showed him all its glories. There were +long rows of pillars and gilded altars; there were holy men who sat and +instructed their pupils; there was the high priest with his breastplate +of precious stones. There were the curtains from Babylon, interwoven +with gold roses; there were the great copper gates, which were so heavy +that it was hard work for thirty men to swing them back and forth on +their hinges. + +But the little boy, who was only twelve years old, did not care very +much about seeing all this. His mother told him that that which she +showed him was the most marvelous in all the world. She told him that it +would probably be a long time before he should see anything like it +again. In the poor town of Nazareth, where they lived, there was nothing +to be seen but gray streets. + +Her exhortations did not help matters much. The little boy looked as +though he would willingly have run away from the magnificent Temple, if +instead he could have got out and played on the narrow street in +Nazareth. + +But it was singular that the more indifferent the boy appeared, the more +pleased and happy were the parents. They nodded to each other over his +head, and were thoroughly satisfied. + +At last, the little one looked so tired and bored that the mother felt +sorry for him. "Now we have walked too far with you," said she. "Come, +you shall rest a while." + +She sat down beside a pillar and told him to lie down on the ground and +rest his head on her knee. He did so, and fell asleep instantly. + +He had barely closed his eyes when the wife said to the husband: "I have +never feared anything so much as the moment when he should come here to +Jerusalem's Temple. I believed that when he saw this house of God, he +would wish to stay here forever." + +"I, too, have been afraid of this journey," said the man. "At the time +of his birth, many signs and wonders appeared which betokened that he +would become a great ruler. But what could royal honors bring him except +worries and dangers? I have always said that it would be best, both for +him and for us, if he never became anything but a carpenter in +Nazareth." + +"Since his fifth year," said the mother reflectively, "no miracles have +happened around him. And he does not recall any of the wonders which +occurred during his early childhood. Now he is exactly like a child +among other children. God's will be done above all else! But I have +almost begun to hope that our Lord in His mercy will choose another for +the great destinies, and let me keep my son with me." + +"For my part," said the man, "I am certain that if he learns nothing of +the signs and wonders which occurred during his first years, then all +will go well." + +"I never speak with him about any of these marvels," said the wife. "But +I fear all the while that, without my having aught to do with it, +something will happen which will make him understand who he is. I feared +most of all to bring him to this Temple." + +"You may be glad that the danger is over now," said the man. "We shall +soon have him back home in Nazareth." + +"I have feared the wise men in the Temple," said the woman. "I have +dreaded the soothsayers who sit here on their rugs. I believed that when +he should come to their notice, they would stand up and bow before the +child, and greet him as Judea's King. It is singular that they do not +notice his beauty. Such a child has never before come under their eyes." +She sat in silence a moment and regarded the child. "I can hardly +understand it," said she. "I believed that when he should see these +judges, who sit in the house of the Holy One and settle the people's +disputes, and these teachers who talk with their pupils, and these +priests who serve the Lord, he would wake up and say: 'It is here, among +these judges, these teachers, these priests, that I am born to live.'" + +"What happiness would there be for him to sit shut in between these +pillar-aisles?" interposed the man. "It is better for him to roam on the +hills and mountains round about Nazareth." + +The mother sighed a little. "He is so happy at home with us!" said she. +"How contented he seems when he can follow the shepherds on their lonely +wanderings, or when he can go out in the fields and see the husbandmen +labor. I can not believe that we are treating him wrongly, when we seek +to keep him for ourselves." + +"We only spare him the greatest suffering," said the man. + +They continued talking together in this strain until the child awoke +from his slumber. + +"Well," said the mother, "have you had a good rest? Stand up now, for it +is drawing on toward evening, and we must return to the camp." + +They were in the most remote part of the building and so began the walk +towards the entrance. + +They had to go through an old arch which had been there ever since the +time when the first Temple was erected on this spot; and near the arch, +propped against a wall, stood an old copper trumpet, enormous in length +and weight, almost like a pillar to raise to the mouth and play upon. It +stood there dented and battered, full of dust and spiders' webs, inside +and outside, and covered with an almost invisible tracing of ancient +letters. Probably a thousand years had gone by since any one had tried +to coax a tone out of it. + +But when the little boy saw the huge trumpet, he stopped--astonished! +"What is that?" he asked. + +"That is the great trumpet called the Voice of the Prince of this +World," replied the mother. "With this, Moses called together the +Children of Israel, when they were scattered over the wilderness. Since +his time no one has been able to coax a single tone from it. But he who +can do this, shall gather all the peoples of earth under his dominion." + +She smiled at this, which she believed to be an old myth; but the little +boy remained standing beside the big trumpet until she called him. This +trumpet was the first thing he had seen in the Temple that he liked. + +They had not gone far before they came to a big, wide Temple-court. +Here, in the mountain-foundation itself, was a chasm, deep and +wide--just as it had been from time immemorial. This chasm King Solomon +had not wished to fill in when he built the Temple. No bridge had been +laid over it; no inclosure had he built around the steep abyss. But +instead, he had stretched across it a sword of steel, several feet long, +sharpened, and with the blade up. And after ages and ages and many +changes, the sword still lay across the chasm. Now it had almost rusted +away. It was no longer securely fastened at the ends, but trembled and +rocked as soon as any one walked with heavy steps in the Temple Court. + +When the mother took the boy in a roundabout way past the chasm, he +asked: "What bridge is this?" + +"It was placed there by King Solomon," answered the mother, "and we call +it Paradise Bridge. If you can cross the chasm on this trembling bridge, +whose surface is thinner than a sunbeam, then you can be sure of getting +to Paradise." + +She smiled and moved away; but the boy stood still and looked at the +narrow, trembling steel blade until she called him. + +When he obeyed her, she sighed because she had not shown him these two +remarkable things sooner, so that he might have had sufficient time to +view them. + +Now they walked on without being detained, till they came to the great +entrance portico with its columns, five-deep. Here, in a corner, were +two black marble pillars erected on the same foundation, and so close to +each other that hardly a straw could be squeezed in between them. They +were tall and majestic, with richly ornamented capitals around which ran +a row of peculiarly formed beasts' heads. And there was not an inch on +these beautiful pillars that did not bear marks and scratches. They were +worn and damaged like nothing else in the Temple. Even the floor around +them was worn smooth, and was somewhat hollowed out from the wear of +many feet. + +Once more the boy stopped his mother and asked: "What pillars are +these?" + +"They are pillars which our father Abraham brought with him to Palestine +from far-away Chaldea, and which he called Righteousness' Gate. He who +can squeeze between them is righteous before God and has never committed +a sin." + +The boy stood still and regarded these pillars with great, open eyes. + +"You, surely, do not think of trying to squeeze yourself in between +them?" laughed the mother. "You see how the floor around them is worn +away by the many who have attempted to force their way through the +narrow space; but, believe me, no one has succeeded. Make haste! I hear +the clanging of the copper gates; the thirty Temple servants have put +their shoulders to them." + +But all night the little boy lay awake in the tent, and he saw before +him nothing but Righteousness' Gate and Paradise Bridge and the Voice of +the Prince of this World. Never before had he heard of such wonderful +things, and he couldn't get them out of his head. + +And on the morning of the next day it was the same thing: he couldn't +think of anything else. That morning they were to leave for home. The +parents had much to do before they took the tent down and loaded it upon +a big camel, and before everything else was in order. They were not +going to travel alone, but in company with many relatives and neighbors. +And since there were so many, the packing naturally went on very slowly. + +The little boy did not assist in the work, but in the midst of the hurry +and confusion he sat still and thought about the three wonderful things. + +Suddenly he concluded that he would have time enough to go back to the +Temple and take another look at them. There was still much to be packed +away. He could probably manage to get back from the Temple before the +departure. + +He hastened away without telling any one where he was going to. He +didn't think it was necessary. He would soon return, of course. + +It wasn't long before he reached the Temple and entered the portico +where the two pillars stood. + +As soon as he saw them, his eyes danced with joy. He sat down on the +floor beside them, and gazed up at them. As he thought that he who could +squeeze between these two pillars was accounted righteous before God and +had never committed sin, he fancied he had never seen anything so +wonderful. + +He thought how glorious it would be to be able to squeeze in between the +two pillars, but they stood so close together that it was impossible +even to try it. In this way, he sat motionless before the pillars for +well-nigh an hour; but this he did not know. He thought he had looked at +them only a few moments. + +But it happened that, in the portico where the little boy sat, the +judges of the high court were assembled to help folks settle their +differences. + +The whole portico was filled with people, who complained about boundary +lines that had been moved, about sheep which had been carried away from +the flocks and branded with false marks, about debtors who wouldn't pay. + +Among them came a rich man dressed in a trailing purple robe, who +brought before the court a poor widow who was supposed to owe him a few +silver shekels. The poor widow cried and said that the rich man dealt +unjustly with her; she had already paid her debt to him once, and now he +tried to force her to pay it again, but this she could not afford to do; +she was so poor that should the judges condemn her to pay, she must give +her daughters to the rich man as slaves. + +Then he who sat in the place of honor on the judges' bench, turned to +the rich man and said: "Do you dare to swear on oath that this poor +woman has not already paid you?" + +Then the rich man answered: "Lord, I am a rich man. Would I take the +trouble to demand my money from this poor widow, if I did not have the +right to it? I swear to you that as certain as that no one shall ever +walk through Righteousness' Gate does this woman owe me the sum which I +demand." + +When the judges heard this oath they believed him, and doomed the poor +widow to leave him her daughters as slaves. + +But the little boy sat close by and heard all this. He thought to +himself: What a good thing it would be if some one could squeeze through +Righteousness' Gate! That rich man certainly did not speak the truth. It +is a great pity about the poor old woman, who will be compelled to send +her daughters away to become slaves! + +He jumped upon the platform where the two pillars towered into the +heights, and looked through the crack. + +"Ah, that it were not altogether impossible!" thought he. + +He was deeply distressed because of the poor woman. Now he didn't think +at all about the saying that he who could squeeze through Righteousness' +Gate was holy, and without sin. He wanted to get through only for the +sake of the poor woman. + +He put his shoulder in the groove between the two pillars, as if to make +a way. + +That instant all the people who stood under the portico, looked over +toward Righteousness' Gate. For it rumbled in the vaults, and it sang in +the old pillars, and they glided apart--one to the right, and one to the +left--and made a space wide enough for the boy's slender body to pass +between them! + +Then there arose the greatest wonder and excitement! At first no one +knew what to say. The people stood and stared at the little boy who had +worked so great a miracle. + +The oldest among the judges was the first one who came to his senses. He +called out that they should lay hold on the rich merchant, and bring him +before the judgment seat. And he sentenced him to leave all his goods to +the poor widow, because he had sworn falsely in God's Temple. + +When this was settled, the judge asked after the boy who had passed +through Righteousness' Gate; but when the people looked around for him, +he had disappeared. For the very moment the pillars glided apart, he was +awakened, as from a dream, and remembered the home-journey and his +parents. "Now I must hasten away from here, so that my parents will not +have to wait for me," thought he. + +He knew not that he had sat a whole hour before Righteousness' Gate, but +believed he had lingered there only a few minutes; therefore, he thought +that he would even have time to take a look at Paradise Bridge before he +left the Temple. + +And he slipped through the throng of people and came to Paradise Bridge, +which was situated in another part of the big temple. + +But when he saw the sharp steel sword which was drawn across the chasm, +he thought how the person who could walk across that bridge was sure of +reaching Paradise. He believed that this was the most marvelous thing he +had ever beheld; and he seated himself on the edge of the chasm to look +at the steel sword. + +There he sat down and thought how delightful it would be to reach +Paradise, and how much he would like to walk across the bridge; but at +the same time he saw that it would be simply impossible even to attempt +it. + +Thus he sat and mused for two hours, but he did not know how the time +had flown. He sat there and thought only of Paradise. + +But it seems that in the court where the deep chasm was, a large altar +had been erected, and all around it walked white-robed priests, who +tended the altar fire and received sacrifices. In the court there were +many with offerings, and a big crowd who only watched the service. + +Then there came a poor old man who brought a lamb which was very small +and thin, and which had been bitten by a dog and had a large wound. + +The man went up to the priests with the lamb and begged that he might +offer it, but they refused to accept it. They told him that such a +miserable gift he could not offer to our Lord. The old man implored them +to accept the lamb out of compassion, for his son lay at the point of +death, and he possessed nothing else that he could offer to God for his +restoration. "You must let me offer it," said he, "else my prayers will +not come before God's face, and my son will die!" + +"You must not believe but that I have the greatest sympathy with you," +said the priest, "but in the law it is forbidden to sacrifice a damaged +animal. It is just as impossible to grant your prayers, as it is to +cross Paradise Bridge." + +The little boy did not sit very far away, so he heard all this. +Instantly he thought what a pity it was that no one could cross the +bridge. Perhaps the poor man might keep his son if the lamb were +sacrificed. + +The old man left the Temple Court disconsolate, but the boy got up, +walked over to the trembling bridge, and put his foot on it. + +He didn't think at all about wanting to cross it to be certain of +Paradise. His thoughts were with the poor man, whom he desired to help. + +But he drew back his foot, for he thought: "This is impossible. It is +much too old and rusty, and would not hold even me!" + +But once again his thoughts went out to the old man whose son lay at +death's door. Again he put his foot down upon the blade. + +Then he noticed that it ceased to tremble, and that beneath his foot it +felt broad and secure. + +And when he took the next step upon it, he felt that the air around him +supported him, so that he could not fall. It bore him as though he were +a bird, and had wings. + +But from the suspended sword a sweet tone trembled when the boy walked +upon it, and one of those who stood in the court turned around when he +heard the tone. He gave a cry, and then the others turned and saw the +little boy tripping across the sword. + +There was great consternation among all who stood there. The first who +came to their senses were the priests. They immediately sent a messenger +after the poor man, and when he came back they said to him: "God has +performed a miracle to show us that He will accept your offering. Give +us your lamb and we will sacrifice it." + +When this was done they asked for the little boy who had walked across +the chasm; but when they looked around for him they could not find him. + +For just after the boy had crossed the chasm, he happened to think of +the journey home, and of his parents. He did not know that the morning +and the whole forenoon were gone, but thought: "I must make haste and +get back, so that they will not have to wait. But first I want to run +over and take a look at the Voice of the Prince of this World." + +And he stole away through the crowd and ran over to the damp +pillar-aisle where the copper trumpet stood leaning against the wall. + +When he saw it, and thought about the prediction that he who could coax +a tone from it should one day gather all the peoples of earth under his +dominion, he fancied that never had he seen anything so wonderful! and +he sat down beside it and regarded it. + +He thought how great it would be to win all the peoples of earth, and +how much he wished that he could blow in the old trumpet. But he +understood that it was impossible, so he didn't even dare try. + +He sat like this for several hours, but he did not know how the time +passed. He thought only how marvelous it would be to gather all the +peoples of earth under his dominion. + +But it happened that in this cool passageway sat a holy man who +instructed his pupils, that sat at his feet. + +And now this holy man turned toward one of his pupils and told him that +he was an impostor. He said the spirit had revealed to him that this +youth was a stranger, and not an Israelite. And he demanded why he had +sneaked in among his pupils under a false name. + +Then the strange youth rose and said that he had wandered through +deserts and sailed over great seas that he might hear wisdom and the +doctrine of the only true God expounded. "My soul was faint with +longing," he said to the holy man. "But I knew that you would not teach +me if I did not say that I was an Israelite. Therefore, I lied to you, +that my longing should be satisfied. And I pray that you will let me +remain here with you." + +But the holy man stood up and raised his arms toward heaven. "It is just +as impossible to let you remain here with me, as it is that some one +shall arise and blow in the huge copper trumpet, which we call the Voice +of the Prince of this World! You are not even permitted to enter this +part of the Temple. Leave this place at once, or my pupils will throw +themselves upon you and tear you in pieces, for your presence desecrates +the Temple." + +But the youth stood still, and said: "I do not wish to go elsewhere, +where my soul can find no nourishment. I would rather die here at your +feet." + +Hardly was this said when the holy man's pupils jumped to their feet, to +drive him away, and when he made resistance, they threw him down and +wished to kill him. + +But the boy sat very near, so he heard and saw all this, and he thought: +"This is a great injustice. Oh! if I could only blow in the big copper +trumpet, he would be helped." + +He rose and laid his hand on the trumpet. At this moment he no longer +wished that he could raise it to his lips because he who could do so +should be a great ruler, but because he hoped that he might help one +whose life was in danger. + +And he grasped the copper trumpet with his tiny hands, to try and lift +it. + +Then he felt that the huge trumpet raised itself to his lips. And when +he only breathed, a strong, resonant tone came forth from the trumpet, +and reverberated all through the great Temple. + +Then they all turned their eyes and saw that it was a little boy who +stood with the trumpet to his lips and coaxed from it tones which made +foundations and pillars tremble. + +Instantly, all the hands which had been lifted to strike the strange +youth fell, and the holy teacher said to him: + +"Come and sit thee here at my feet, as thou didst sit before! God hath +performed a miracle to show me that it is His wish that thou shouldst be +consecrated to His service." + + * * * * * + +As it drew on toward the close of day, a man and a woman came hurrying +toward Jerusalem. They looked frightened and anxious, and called out to +each and every one whom they met: "We have lost our son! We thought he +had followed our relatives, but none of them have seen him. Has any one +of you passed a child alone?" + +Those who came from Jerusalem answered them: "Indeed, we have not seen +your son, but in the Temple we saw a most beautiful child! He was like +an angel from heaven, and he has passed through Righteousness' Gate." + +They would gladly have related, very minutely, all about this, but the +parents had no time to listen. + +When they had walked on a little farther, they met other persons and +questioned them. + +But those who came from Jerusalem wished to talk only about a most +beautiful child who looked as though he had come down from heaven, and +who had crossed Paradise Bridge. + +They would gladly have stopped and talked about this until late at +night, but the man and woman had no time to listen to them, and hurried +into the city. + +They walked up one street and down another without finding the child. At +last they reached the Temple. As they came up to it, the woman said: +"Since we are here, let us go in and see what the child is like, which +they say has come down from heaven!" They went in and asked where they +should find the child. + +"Go straight on to where the holy teachers sit with their students. +There you will find the child. The old men have seated him in their +midst. They question him and he questions them, and they are all amazed +at him. But all the people stand below in the Temple court, to catch a +glimpse of the one who has raised the Voice of the Prince of this World +to his lips." + +The man and the woman made their way through the throng of people, and +saw that the child who sat among the wise teachers was their son. + +But as soon as the woman recognized the child she began to weep. + +And the boy who sat among the wise men heard that some one wept, and he +knew that it was his mother. Then he rose and came over to her, and the +father and mother took him between them and went from the Temple with +him. + +But as the mother continued to weep, the child asked: "Why weepest thou? +I came to thee as soon as I heard thy voice." + +"Should I not weep?" said the mother. "I believed that thou wert lost to +me." + +They went out from the city and darkness came on, and all the while the +mother wept. + +"Why weepest thou?" asked the child. "I did not know that the day was +spent. I thought it was still morning, and I came to thee as soon as I +heard thy voice." + +"Should I not weep?" said the mother. "I have sought for thee all day +long. I believed that thou wert lost to me." + +They walked the whole night, and the mother wept all the while. + +When day began to dawn, the child said: "Why dost thou weep? I have not +sought mine own glory, but God has let me perform miracles because He +wanted to help the three poor creatures. As soon as I heard thy voice, I +came to thee." + +"My son," replied the mother. "I weep because thou art none the less +lost to me. Thou wilt never more belong to me. Henceforth thy life +ambition shall be righteousness; thy longing, Paradise; and thy love +shall embrace all the poor human beings who people this earth." + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: Saint Veronica's Kerchief] + + SAINT VERONICA'S KERCHIEF + + + I + +During one of the latter years of Emperor Tiberius' reign, a poor +vine-dresser and his wife came and settled in a solitary hut among the +Sabine mountains. They were strangers, and lived in absolute solitude +without ever receiving a visit from a human being. But one morning when +the laborer opened his door, he found, to his astonishment, that an old +woman sat huddled up on the threshold. She was wrapped in a plain gray +mantle, and looked very poor. Nevertheless, she impressed him as being +so respect-compelling, as she rose and came to meet him, that it made +him think of what the legends had to say about goddesses who, in the +form of old women, had visited mortals. + +"My friend," said the old woman to the vine-dresser, "you must not +wonder that I have slept this night on your threshold. My parents lived +in this hut, and here I was born nearly ninety years ago. I expected to +find it empty and deserted. I did not know that people still occupied +it." + +"I do not wonder that you thought a hut which lies so high up among +these desolate hills should stand empty and deserted," said the +vine-dresser. "But my wife and I come from a foreign land, and as poor +strangers we have not been able to find a better dwelling-place. But to +you, who must be tired and hungry after the long journey, which you at +your extreme age have undertaken, it is perhaps more welcome that the +hut is occupied by people than by Sabine mountain wolves. You will at +least find a bed within to rest on, and a bowl of goats' milk, and a +bread-cake, if you will accept them." + +The old woman smiled a little, but this smile was so fleeting that it +could not dispel the expression of deep sorrow which rested upon her +countenance. + +"I spent my entire youth up here among these mountains," she said. "I +have not yet forgotten the trick of driving a wolf from his lair." + +And she actually looked so strong and vigorous that the laborer didn't +doubt that she still possessed strength enough, despite her great age, +to fight with the wild beasts of the forest. + +He repeated his invitation, and the old woman stepped into the cottage. +She sat down to the frugal meal, and partook of it without hesitancy. +Although she seemed to be well satisfied with the fare of coarse bread +soaked in goats' milk, both the man and his wife thought: "Where can +this old wanderer come from? She has certainly eaten pheasants served on +silver plates oftener than she has drunk goats' milk from earthen +bowls." + +Now and then she raised her eyes from the food and looked around,--as if +to try and realize that she was back in the hut. The poor old home with +its bare clay walls and its earth floor was certainly not much changed. +She pointed out to her hosts that on the walls there were still visible +some traces of dogs and deer which her father had sketched there to +amuse his little children. And on a shelf, high up, she thought she saw +fragments of an earthen dish which she herself had used to measure milk +in. + +The man and his wife thought to themselves: "It must be true that she +was born in this hut, but she has surely had much more to attend to in +this life than milking goats and making butter and cheese." + +They observed also that her thoughts were often far away, and that she +sighed heavily and anxiously every time she came back to herself. + +Finally she rose from the table. She thanked them graciously for the +hospitality she had enjoyed, and walked toward the door. + +But then it seemed to the vine-dresser that she was pitifully poor and +lonely, and he exclaimed: "If I am not mistaken, it was not your +intention, when you dragged yourself up here last night, to leave this +hut so soon. If you are actually as poor as you seem, it must have been +your intention to remain here for the rest of your life. But now you +wish to leave because my wife and I have taken possession of the hut." + +The old woman did not deny that he had guessed rightly. "But this hut, +which for many years has been deserted, belongs to you as much as to +me," she said. "I have no right to drive you from it." + +"It is still your parents' hut," said the laborer, "and you surely have +a better right to it than we have. Besides, we are young and you are +old; therefore, you shall remain and we will go." + +When the old woman heard this, she was greatly astonished. She turned +around on the threshold and stared at the man, as though she had not +understood what he meant by his words. + +But now the young wife joined in the conversation. + +"If I might suggest," said she to her husband, "I should beg you to ask +this old woman if she won't look upon us as her own children, and permit +us to stay with her and take care of her. What service would we render +her if we gave her this miserable hut and then left her? It would be +terrible for her to live here in this wilderness alone! And what would +she live on? It would be just like letting her starve to death." + +The old woman went up to the man and his wife and regarded them +carefully. "Why do you speak thus?" she asked. "Why are you so merciful +to me? You are strangers." + +Then the young wife answered: "It is because we ourselves once met with +great mercy." + + II + +This is how the old woman came to live in the vine-dresser's hut. And +she conceived a great friendship for the young people. But for all that +she never told them whence she had come, or who she was, and they +understood that she would not have taken it in good part had they +questioned her. + +But one evening, when the day's work was done, and all three sat on the +big, flat rock which lay before the entrance, and partook of their +evening meal, they saw an old man coming up the path. + +He was a tall and powerfully built man, with shoulders as broad as a +gladiator's. His face wore a cheerless and stern expression. The brows +jutted far out over the deep-set eyes, and the lines around the mouth +expressed bitterness and contempt. He walked with erect bearing and +quick movements. + +The man wore a simple dress, and the instant the vine-dresser saw him, +he said: "He is an old soldier, one who has been discharged from service +and is now on his way home." + +When the stranger came directly before them he paused, as if in doubt. +The laborer, who knew that the road terminated a short distance beyond +the hut, laid down his spoon and called out to him: "Have you gone +astray, stranger, since you come hither? Usually, no one takes the +trouble to climb up here, unless he has an errand to one of us who live +here." + +When he questioned in this manner, the stranger came nearer. "It is as +you say," said he. "I have taken the wrong road, and now I know not +whither I shall direct my steps. If you will let me rest here a while, +and then tell me which path I shall follow to get to some farm, I shall +be grateful to you." + +As he spake he sat down upon one of the stones which lay before the hut. +The young woman asked him if he wouldn't share their supper, but this he +declined with a smile. On the other hand it was very evident that he was +inclined to talk with them, while they ate. He asked the young folks +about their manner of living, and their work, and they answered him +frankly and cheerfully. + +Suddenly the laborer turned toward the stranger and began to question +him. "You see in what a lonely and isolated way we live," said he. "It +must be a year at least since I have talked with any one except +shepherds and vineyard laborers. Can not you, who must come from some +camp, tell us something about Rome and the Emperor?" + +Hardly had the man said this than the young wife noticed that the old +woman gave him a warning glance, and made with her hand the sign which +means--Have a care what you say. + +The stranger, meanwhile, answered very affably: "I understand that you +take me for a soldier, which is not untrue, although I have long since +left the service. During Tiberius' reign there has not been much work +for us soldiers. Yet he was once a great commander. Those were the days +of his good fortune. Now he thinks of nothing except to guard himself +against conspiracies. In Rome, every one is talking about how, last +week, he let Senator Titius be seized and executed on the merest +suspicion." + +"The poor Emperor no longer knows what he does!" exclaimed the young +woman; and shook her head in pity and surprise. + +"You are perfectly right," said the stranger, as an expression of the +deepest melancholy crossed his countenance. "Tiberius knows that every +one hates him, and this is driving him insane." + +"What say you?" the woman retorted. "Why should we hate him? We only +deplore the fact that he is no longer the great Emperor he was in the +beginning of his reign." + +"You are mistaken," said the stranger. "Every one hates and detests +Tiberius. Why should they do otherwise? He is nothing but a cruel and +merciless tyrant. In Rome they think that from now on he will become +even more unreasonable than he has been." + +"Has anything happened, then, which will turn him into a worse beast +than he is already?" queried the vine-dresser. + +When he said this, the wife noticed that the old woman gave him a new +warning signal, but so stealthily that he could not see it. + +The stranger answered him in a kindly manner, but at the same time a +singular smile played about his lips. + +"You have heard, perhaps, that until now Tiberius has had a friend in +his household on whom he could rely, and who has always told him the +truth. All the rest who live in his palace are fortune-hunters and +hypocrites, who praise the Emperor's wicked and cunning acts just as +much as his good and admirable ones. But there was, as we have said, one +alone who never feared to let him know how his conduct was actually +regarded. This person, who was more courageous than senators and +generals, was the Emperor's old nurse, Faustina." + +"I have heard of her," said the laborer. "I've been told that the +Emperor has always shown her great friendship." + +"Yes, Tiberius knew how to prize her affection and loyalty. He treated +this poor peasant woman, who came from a miserable hut in the Sabine +mountains, as his second mother. As long as he stayed in Rome, he let +her live in a mansion on the Palatine, that he might always have her +near him. None of Rome's noble matrons has fared better than she. She +was borne through the streets in a litter, and her dress was that of an +empress. When the Emperor moved to Capri, she had to accompany him, and +he bought a country estate for her there, and filled it with slaves and +costly furnishings." + +"She has certainly fared well," said the husband. + +Now it was he who kept up the conversation with the stranger. The wife +sat silent and observed with surprise the change which had come over the +old woman. Since the stranger arrived, she had not spoken a word. She +had lost her mild and friendly expression. She had pushed her food +aside, and sat erect and rigid against the door-post, and stared +straight ahead, with a severe and stony countenance. + +"It was the Emperor's intention that she should have a happy life," said +the stranger. "But, despite all his kindly acts, she too has deserted +him." + +The old woman gave a start at these words, but the young one laid her +hand quietingly on her arm. Then she began to speak in her soft, +sympathetic voice. "I can not believe that Faustina has been as happy at +court as you say," she said, as she turned toward the stranger. "I am +sure that she has loved Tiberius as if he had been her own son. I can +understand how proud she has been of his noble youth, and I can even +understand how it must have grieved her to see him abandon himself in +his old age to suspicion and cruelty. She has certainly warned and +admonished him every day. It has been terrible for her always to plead +in vain. At last she could no longer bear to see him sink lower and +lower." + +The stranger, astonished, leaned forward a bit when he heard this; but +the young woman did not glance up at him. She kept her eyes lowered, and +spoke very calmly and gently. + +"Perhaps you are right in what you say of the old woman," he replied. +"Faustina has really not been happy at court. It seems strange, +nevertheless, that she has left the Emperor in his old age, when she had +endured him the span of a lifetime." + +"What say you?" asked the husband. "Has old Faustina left the Emperor?" + +"She has stolen away from Capri without any one's knowledge," said the +stranger. "She left just as poor as she came. She has not taken one of +her treasures with her." + +"And doesn't the Emperor really know where she has gone?" asked the +wife. + +"No! No one knows for certain what road the old woman has taken. Still, +one takes it for granted that she has sought refuge among her native +mountains." + +"And the Emperor does not know, either, why she has gone away?" asked +the young woman. + +"No, the Emperor knows nothing of this. He can not believe she left him +because he once told her that she served him for money and gifts only, +like all the rest. She knows, however, that he has never doubted her +unselfishness. He has hoped all along that she would return to him +voluntarily, for no one knows better than she that he is absolutely +without friends." + +"I do not know her," said the young woman, "but I think I can tell you +why she has left the Emperor. The old woman was brought up among these +mountains in simplicity and piety, and she has always longed to come +back here again. Surely she never would have abandoned the Emperor if he +had not insulted her. But I understand that, after this, she feels she +has the right to think of herself, since her days are numbered. If I +were a poor woman of the mountains, I certainly would have acted as she +did. I would have thought that I had done enough when I had served my +master during a whole lifetime. I would at last have abandoned luxury +and royal favors to give my soul a taste of honor and integrity before +it left me for the long journey." + +The stranger glanced with a deep and tender sadness at the young woman. +"You do not consider that the Emperor's propensities will become worse +than ever. Now there is no one who can calm him when suspicion and +misanthropy take possession of him. Think of this," he continued, as his +melancholy gaze penetrated deeply into the eyes of the young woman, "in +all the world there is no one now whom he does not hate; no one whom he +does not despise--no one!" + +As he uttered these words of bitter despair, the old woman made a sudden +movement and turned toward him, but the young woman looked him straight +in the eyes and answered: "Tiberius knows that Faustina will come back +to him whenever he wishes it. But first she must know that her old eyes +need never more behold vice and infamy at his court." + +They had all risen during this speech; but the vine-dresser and his wife +placed themselves in front of the old woman, as if to shield her. + +The stranger did not utter another syllable, but regarded the old woman +with a questioning glance. Is this _your_ last word also? he seemed to +want to say. The old woman's lips quivered, but words would not pass +them. + +"If the Emperor has loved his old servant, then he can also let her live +her last days in peace," said the young woman. + +The stranger hesitated still, but suddenly his dark countenance +brightened. "My friends," said he, "whatever one may say of Tiberius, +there is one thing which he has learned better than others; and that +is--renunciation. I have only one thing more to say to you: If this old +woman, of whom we have spoken, should come to this hut, receive her +well! The Emperor's favor rests upon any one who succors her." + +He wrapped his mantle about him and departed the same way that he had +come. + + III + +After this, the vine-dresser and his wife never again spoke to the old +woman about the Emperor. Between themselves they marveled that she, at +her great age, had had the strength to renounce all the wealth and power +to which she had become accustomed. "I wonder if she will not soon go +back to Tiberius?" they asked themselves. "It is certain that she still +loves him. It is in the hope that it will awaken him to reason and +enable him to repent of his low conduct, that she has left him." + +"A man as old as the Emperor will never begin a new life," said the +laborer. "How are you going to rid him of his great contempt for +mankind? Who could go to him and teach him to love his fellow man? Until +this happens, he can not be cured of suspicion and cruelty." + +"You know that there is one who could actually do it," said the wife. "I +often think of how it would turn out, if the two should meet. But God's +ways are not our ways." + +The old woman did not seem to miss her former life at all. After a time +the young wife gave birth to a child. The old woman had the care of it; +she seemed so content in consequence that one could have thought she had +forgotten all her sorrows. + +Once every half-year she used to wrap her long, gray mantle around her, +and wander down to Rome. There she did not seek a soul, but went +straight to the Forum. Here she stopped outside a little temple, which +was erected on one side of the superbly decorated square. + +All there was of this temple was an uncommonly large altar, which stood +in a marble-paved court under the open sky. On the top of the altar, +Fortuna, the goddess of happiness, was enthroned, and at its foot was a +statue of Tiberius. Encircling the court were buildings for the priests, +storerooms for fuel, and stalls for the beasts of sacrifice. + +Old Faustina's journeys never extended beyond this temple, where those +who would pray for the welfare of Tiberius were wont to come. When she +cast a glance in there and saw that both the goddess' and the Emperor's +statue were wreathed in flowers; that the sacrificial fire burned; that +throngs of reverent worshipers were assembled before the altar, and +heard the priests' low chants sounding thereabouts, she turned around +and went back to the mountains. + +In this way she learned, without having to question a human being, that +Tiberius was still among the living, and that all was well with him. + +The third time she undertook this journey, she met with a surprise. When +she reached the little temple, she found it empty and deserted. No fire +burned before the statue, and not a worshiper was seen. A couple of +dried garlands still hung on one side of the altar, but this was all +that testified to its former glory. The priests were gone, and the +Emperor's statue, which stood there unguarded, was damaged and +mud-bespattered. + +The old woman turned to the first passer-by. "What does this mean?" she +asked. "Is Tiberius dead? Have we another Emperor?" + +"No," replied the Roman, "Tiberius is still Emperor, but we have ceased +to pray for him. Our prayers can no longer benefit him." + +"My friend," said the old woman, "I live far away among the mountains, +where one learns nothing of what happens out in the world. Won't you +tell me what dreadful misfortune has overtaken the Emperor?" + +"The most dreadful of all misfortunes! He has been stricken with a +disease which has never before been known in Italy, but which seems to +be common in the Orient. Since this evil has befallen the Emperor, his +features are changed, his voice has become like an animal's grunt, and +his toes and fingers are rotting away. And for this illness there +appears to be no remedy. They believe that he will die within a few +weeks. But if he does not die, he will be dethroned, for such an ill and +wretched man can no longer conduct the affairs of State. You understand, +of course, that his fate is a foregone conclusion. It is useless to +invoke the gods for his success, and it is not worth while," he added, +with a faint smile. "No one has anything more either to fear or hope +from him. Why, then, should we trouble ourselves on his account?" + +He nodded and walked away; but the old woman stood there as if stunned. + +For the first time in her life she collapsed, and looked like one whom +age has subdued. She stood with bent back and trembling head, and with +hands that groped feebly in the air. + +She longed to get away from the place, but she moved her feet slowly. +She looked around to find something which she could use as a staff. + +But after a few moments, by a tremendous effort of the will, she +succeeded in conquering the faintness. + + IV + +A week later, old Faustina wandered up the steep inclines on the Island +of Capri. It was a warm day and the dread consciousness of old age and +feebleness came over her as she labored up the winding roads and the +hewn-out steps in the mountain, which led to Tiberius' villa. + +This feeling increased when she observed how changed everything had +become during the time she had been away. In truth, on and alongside +these steps there had always before been throngs of people. Here it used +fairly to swarm with senators, borne by giant Libyans; with messengers +from the provinces attended by long processions of slaves; with +office-seekers; with noblemen invited to participate in the Emperor's +feasts. + +But to-day the steps and passages were entirely deserted. Gray-greenish +lizards were the only living things which the old woman saw in her path. + +She was amazed to see that already everything appeared to be going to +ruin. At most, the Emperor's illness could not have progressed more than +two months, and yet the grass had already taken root in the cracks +between the marble stones. Rare growths, planted in beautiful vases, +were already withered and here and there mischievous spoilers, whom no +one had taken the trouble to stop, had broken down the balustrade. + +But to her the most singular thing of all was the entire absence of +people. Even if strangers were forbidden to appear on the island, +attendants at least should still be found there: the endless crowds of +soldiers and slaves; of dancers and musicians; of cooks and stewards; of +palace-sentinels and gardeners, who belonged to the Emperor's household. + +When Faustina reached the upper terrace, she caught sight of two slaves, +who sat on the steps in front of the villa. As she approached, they rose +and bowed to her. + +"Be greeted, Faustina!" said one of them. "It is a god who sends thee to +lighten our sorrows." + +"What does this mean, Milo?" asked Faustina. "Why is it so deserted +here? Yet they have told me that Tiberius still lives at Capri." + +"The Emperor has driven away all his slaves because he suspects that one +of us has given him poisoned wine to drink, and that this has brought on +the illness. He would have driven even Tito and myself away, if we had +not refused to obey him; yet, as you know, we have all our lives served +the Emperor and his mother." + +"I do not ask after slaves only," said Faustina. "Where are the senators +and field marshals? Where are the Emperor's intimate friends, and all +the fawning fortune-hunters?" + +"Tiberius does not wish to show himself before strangers," said the +slave. "Senator Lucius and Marco, Commander of the Life Guard, come here +every day and receive orders. No one else may approach him." + +Faustina had gone up the steps to enter the villa. The slave went before +her, and on the way she asked: "What say the physicians of Tiberius' +illness?" + +"None of them understands how to treat this illness. They do not even +know if it kills quickly or slowly. But this I can tell you, Faustina, +Tiberius must die if he continues to refuse all food for fear it may be +poisoned. And I know that a sick man can not stay awake night and day, +as the Emperor does, for fear he may be murdered in his sleep. If he +will trust you as in former days, you might succeed in making him eat +and sleep. Thereby you can prolong his life for many days." + +The slave conducted Faustina through several passages and courts to a +terrace which Tiberius used to frequent to enjoy the view of the +beautiful bays and proud Vesuvius. + +When Faustina stepped out upon the terrace, she saw a hideous creature +with a swollen face and animal-like features. His hands and feet were +swathed in white bandages, but through the bandages protruded +half-rotted fingers and toes. And this being's clothes were soiled and +dusty. It was evident he could not walk erect, but had been obliged to +crawl out upon the terrace. He lay with closed eyes near the balustrade +at the farthest end, and did not move when the slave and Faustina came. + +Faustina whispered to the slave, who walked before her: "But, Milo, how +can such a creature be found here on the Emperor's private terrace? Make +haste, and take him away!" + +But she had scarcely said this when she saw the slave bow to the ground +before the miserable creature who lay there. + +"Cæsar Tiberius," said he, "at last I have glad tidings to bring thee." + +At the same time the slave turned toward Faustina, but he shrank back, +aghast! and could not speak another word. + +He did not behold the proud matron who had looked so strong that one +might have expected that she would live to the age of a sibyl. In this +moment, she had drooped into impotent age, and the slave saw before him +a bent old woman with misty eyes and fumbling hands. + +Faustina had certainly heard that the Emperor was terribly changed, yet +never for a moment had she ceased to think of him as the strong man he +was when she last saw him. She had also heard some one say that this +illness progressed slowly, and that it took years to transform a human +being. But here it had advanced with such virulence that it had made the +Emperor unrecognizable in just two months. + +She tottered up to the Emperor. She could not speak, but stood silent +beside him, and wept. + +"Are you come now, Faustina?" he said, without opening his eyes. "I lay +and fancied that you stood here and wept over me. I dare not look up for +fear I will find that it was only an illusion." + +Then the old woman sat down beside him. She raised his head and placed +it on her knee. + +But Tiberius lay still, without looking at her. A sense of sweet repose +enfolded him, and the next moment he sank into a peaceful slumber. + + V + +A few weeks later, one of the Emperor's slaves came to the lonely hut in +the Sabine mountains. It drew on toward evening, and the vine-dresser +and his wife stood in the doorway and saw the sun set in the distant +west. The slave turned out of the path, and came up and greeted them. +Thereupon he took a heavy purse, which he carried in his girdle, and +laid it in the husband's hand. + +"This, Faustina, the old woman to whom you have shown compassion, sends +you," said the slave. "She begs that with this money you will purchase a +vineyard of your own, and build you a house that does not lie as high in +the air as the eagles' nests." + +"Old Faustina still lives, then?" said the husband. "We have searched +for her in cleft and morass. When she did not come back to us, I thought +that she had met her death in these wretched mountains." + +"Don't you remember," the wife interposed, "that I would not believe +that she was dead? Did I not say to you that she had gone back to the +Emperor?" + +This the husband admitted. "And I am glad," he added, "that you were +right, not only because Faustina has become rich enough to help us out +of our poverty, but also on the poor Emperor's account." + +The slave wanted to say farewell at once, in order to reach densely +settled quarters before dark, but this the couple would not permit. "You +must stop with us until morning," said they. "We can not let you go +before you have told us all that has happened to Faustina. Why has she +returned to the Emperor? What was their meeting like? Are they glad to +be together again?" + +The slave yielded to these solicitations. He followed them into the hut, +and during the evening meal he told them all about the Emperor's illness +and Faustina's return. + +When the slave had finished his narrative, he saw that both the man and +the woman sat motionless--dumb with amazement. Their gaze was fixed on +the ground, as though not to betray the emotion which affected them. + +Finally the man looked up and said to his wife: "Don't you believe God +has decreed this?" + +"Yes," said the wife, "surely it was for this that our Lord sent us +across the sea to this lonely hut. Surely this was His purpose when He +sent the old woman to our door." + +As soon as the wife had spoken these words, the vine-dresser turned +again to the slave. + +"Friend!" he said to him, "you shall carry a message from me to +Faustina. Tell her this word for word! Thus your friend the vineyard +laborer from the Sabine mountains greets you. You have seen the young +woman, my wife. Did she not appear fair to you, and blooming with +health? And yet this young woman once suffered from the same disease +which now has stricken Tiberius." + +The slave made a gesture of surprise, but the vine-dresser continued +with greater emphasis on his words. + +"If Faustina refuses to believe my word, tell her that my wife and I +came from Palestine, in Asia, a land where this disease is common. There +the law is such that the lepers are driven from the cities and towns, +and must live in tombs and mountain grottoes. Tell Faustina that my wife +was born of diseased parents in a mountain grotto. As long as she was a +child she was healthy, but when she grew up into young maidenhood she +was stricken with the disease." + +The slave bowed, smiled pleasantly, and said: "How can you expect that +Faustina will believe this? She has seen your wife in her beauty and +health. And she must know that there is no remedy for this illness." + +The man replied: "It were best for her that she believed me. But I am +not without witnesses. She can send inquiries over to Nazareth, in +Galilee. There every one will confirm my statement." + +"Is it perchance through a miracle of some god that your wife has been +cured?" asked the slave. + +"Yes, it is as you say," answered the laborer. "One day a rumor reached +the sick who lived in the wilderness: 'Behold, a great Prophet has +arisen in Nazareth of Galilee. He is filled with the power of God's +spirit, and he can cure your illness just by laying his hand upon your +forehead!' But the sick, who lay in their misery, would not believe that +this rumor was the truth. 'No one can heal us,' they said. 'Since the +days of the great prophets no one has been able to save one of us from +this misfortune.' + +"But there was one amongst them who believed, and that was a young +maiden. She left the others to seek her way to the city of Nazareth, +where the Prophet lived. One day, when she wandered over wide plains, +she met a man tall of stature, with a pale face and hair which lay in +even, black curls. His dark eyes shone like stars and drew her toward +him. But before they met, she called out to him: 'Come not near me, for +I am unclean, but tell me where I can find the Prophet from Nazareth!' +But the man continued to walk towards her, and when he stood directly in +front of her, he said: 'Why seekest thou the Prophet of Nazareth?'--'I +seek him that he may lay his hand on my forehead and heal me of my +illness.' Then the man went up and laid his hand upon her brow. But she +said to him: 'What doth it avail me that you lay your hand upon my +forehead? You surely are no prophet?' Then he smiled on her and said: +'Go now into the city which lies yonder at the foot of the mountain, and +show thyself before the priests!' + +"The sick maiden thought to herself: 'He mocks me because I believe I +can be healed. From him I can not learn what I would know.' And she went +farther. Soon thereafter she saw a man, who was going out to hunt, +riding across the wide field. When he came so near that he could hear +her, she called to him: 'Come not close to me, I am unclean! But tell me +where I can find the Prophet of Nazareth!' 'What do you want of the +Prophet?' asked the man, riding slowly toward her. 'I wish only that he +might lay his hand on my forehead and heal me of my illness.' The man +rode still nearer. 'Of what illness do you wish to be healed?' said he. +'Surely you need no physician!' 'Can't you see that I am a leper?' said +she. 'I was born of diseased parents in a mountain grotto.' But the man +continued to approach, for she was beautiful and fair, like a new-blown +rose. 'You are the most beautiful maiden in Judea!' he exclaimed. 'Ah, +taunt me not--you, too!' said she. 'I know that my features are +destroyed, and that my voice is like a wild beast's growl.' + +"He looked deep into her eyes and said to her: 'Your voice is as +resonant as the spring brook's when it ripples over pebbles, and your +face is as smooth as a coverlet of soft satin.' + +"That moment he rode so close to her that she could see her face in the +shining mountings which decorated his saddle. 'You shall look at +yourself here,' said he. She did so, and saw a face smooth and soft as a +newly-formed butterfly wing. 'What is this that I see?' she said. 'This +is not my face!' 'Yes, it is your face,' said the rider. 'But my voice, +is it not rough? Does it not sound as when wagons are drawn over a stony +road?' 'No! It sounds like a zither player's sweetest songs,' said the +rider. + +"She turned and pointed toward the road. 'Do you know who that man is +just disappearing behind the two oaks?' she asked. + +"'It is he whom you lately asked after; it is the Prophet from +Nazareth,' said the man. Then she clasped her hands in astonishment, and +tears filled her eyes. 'Oh, thou Holy One! Oh, thou Messenger of God's +power!' she cried. Thou hast healed me!' + +"Then the rider lifted her into the saddle and bore her to the city at +the foot of the mountain and went with her to the priests and elders, +and told them how he had found her. They questioned her carefully; but +when they heard that the maiden was born in the wilderness of diseased +parents, they would not believe that she was healed. 'Go back thither +whence you came!' said they. 'If you have been ill, you must remain so +as long as you live. You must not come here to the city, to infect the +rest of us with your disease.' + +"She said to them: 'I know that I am well, for the Prophet from Nazareth +hath laid his hand upon my forehead.' + +"When they heard this they exclaimed: 'Who is he, that he should be able +to make clean the unclean? All this is but a delusion of the evil +spirits. Go back to your own, that you may not bring destruction upon +all of us!' + +"They would not declare her healed, and they forbade her to remain in +the city. They decreed that each and every one who gave her shelter +should also be adjudged unclean. + +"When the priests had pronounced this judgment, the young maiden turned +to the man who had found her in the field: 'Whither shall I go now? Must +I go back again to the lepers in the wilderness?' + +"But the man lifted her once more upon his horse, and said to her: 'No, +under no conditions shall you go out to the lepers in their mountain +caves, but we two shall travel across the sea to another land, where +there are no laws for clean and unclean.' And they----" + +But when the vineyard laborer had got thus far in his narrative, the +slave arose and interrupted him. "You need not tell any more," said he. +"Stand up rather and follow me on the way, you who know the mountains, +so that I can begin my home journey to-night, and not wait until +morning. The Emperor and Faustina can not hear your tidings a moment too +soon." + +When the vine-dresser had accompanied the slave, and come home again to +the hut, he found his wife still awake. + +"I can not sleep," said she. "I am thinking that these two will meet: he +who loves all mankind, and he who hates them. Such a meeting would be +enough to sweep the earth out of existence!" + + VI + +Old Faustina was in distant Palestine, on her way to Jerusalem. She had +not desired that the mission to seek the Prophet and bring him to the +Emperor should be intrusted to any one but herself. She said to herself: +"That which we demand of this stranger, is something which we can not +coax from him either by force or bribes. But perhaps he will grant it us +if some one falls at his feet and tells him in what dire need the +Emperor is. Who can make an honest plea for Tiberius, but the one who +suffers from his misfortune as much as he does?" + +The hope of possibly saving Tiberius had renewed the old woman's youth. +She withstood without difficulty the long sea trip to Joppa, and on the +journey to Jerusalem she made no use of a litter, but rode a horse. She +appeared to stand the difficult ride as easily as the Roman nobles, the +soldiers, and the slaves who made up her retinue. + +The journey from Joppa to Jerusalem filled the old woman's heart with +joy and bright hopes. It was springtime, and Sharon's plain, over which +they had ridden during the first day's travel, had been a brilliant +carpet of flowers. Even during the second day's journey, when they came +to the hills of Judea, they were not abandoned by the flowers. All the +multiformed hills between which the road wound were planted with fruit +trees, which stood in full bloom. And when the travelers wearied of +looking at the white and red blossoms of the apricots and persimmons, +they could rest their eyes by observing the young vine-leaves, which +pushed their way through the dark brown branches, and their growth was +so rapid that one could almost follow it with the eye. + +It was not only flowers and spring green that made the journey pleasant, +but the pleasure was enhanced by watching the throngs of people who were +on their way to Jerusalem this morning. From all the roads and by-paths, +from lonely heights, and from the most remote corners of the plain came +travelers. When they had reached the road to Jerusalem, those who +traveled alone formed themselves into companies and marched forward with +glad shouts. Round an elderly man, who rode on a jogging camel, walked +his sons and daughters, his sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, and all +his grandchildren. It was such a large family that it made up an entire +little village. An old grandmother who was too feeble to walk her sons +had taken in their arms, and with pride she let herself be borne among +the crowds, who respectfully stepped aside. + +In truth, it was a morning to inspire joy even in the most disconsolate. +To be sure the sky was not clear, but was o'ercast with a thin +grayish-white mist, but none of the wayfarers thought of grumbling +because the sun's piercing brilliancy was dampened. Under this veiled +sky the perfume of the budding leaves and blossoms did not penetrate the +air as usual, but lingered over roads and fields. And this beautiful +day, with its faint mist and hushed winds, which reminded one of Night's +rest and calm, seemed to communicate to the hastening crowds somewhat of +itself, so that they went forward happy--yet with solemnity--singing in +subdued voices ancient hymns, or playing upon peculiar old-fashioned +instruments, from which came tones like the buzzing of gnats, or +grasshoppers' piping. + +When old Faustina rode forward among all the people, she became infected +with their joy and excitement. She prodded her horse to quicker speed, +as she said to a young Roman who rode beside her: "I dreamt last night +that I saw Tiberius, and he implored me not to postpone the journey, but +to ride to Jerusalem to-day. It appears as if the gods had wished to +send me a warning not to neglect to go there this beautiful morning." + +Just as she said this, she came to the top of a long mountain ridge, and +there she was obliged to halt. Before her lay a large, deep +valley-basin, surrounded by pretty hills, and from the dark, shadowy +depths of the vale rose the massive mountain which held on its head the +city of Jerusalem. + +But the narrow mountain city, with its walls and towers, which lay like +a jeweled coronet upon the cliff's smooth height, was this day magnified +a thousand-fold. All the hills which encircled the valley were bedecked +with gay tents, and with a swarm of human beings. + +It was evident to Faustina that all the inhabitants were on their way to +Jerusalem to celebrate some great holiday. Those from a distance had +already come, and had managed to put their tents in order. On the other +hand, those who lived near the city were still on their way. Along all +the shining rock-heights one saw them come streaming in like an unbroken +sea of white robes, of songs, of holiday cheer. + +For some time the old woman surveyed these seething throngs of people +and the long rows of tent-poles. Thereupon she said to the young Roman +who rode beside her: + +"Verily, Sulpicius, the whole nation must have come to Jerusalem." + +"It really appears like it," replied the Roman, who had been chosen by +Tiberius to accompany Faustina because he had, during a number of years, +lived in Judea. "They celebrate now the great Spring Festival, and at +this time all the people, both old and young, come to Jerusalem." + +Faustina reflected a moment. "I am glad that we came to this city on the +day that the people celebrate their festival," said she. "It can not +signify anything else than that the gods protect our journey. Do you +think it likely that he whom we seek, the Prophet of Nazareth, has also +come to Jerusalem to participate in the festivities?" + +"You are surely right, Faustina," said the Roman. "He must be here in +Jerusalem. This is indeed a decree of the gods. Strong and vigorous +though you be, you may consider yourself fortunate if you escape making +the long and troublesome journey up to Galilee." + +At once he rode over to a couple of wayfarers and asked them if they +thought the Prophet of Nazareth was in Jerusalem. + +"We have seen him here every day at this season," answered one. "Surely +he must be here even this year, for he is a holy and righteous man." + +A woman stretched forth her hand and pointed towards a hill, which lay +east of the city. "Do you see the foot of that mountain, which is +covered with olive trees?" she said. "It is there that the Galileans +usually raise their tents, and there you will get the most reliable +information about him whom you seek." + +They journeyed farther, and traveled on a winding path all the way down +to the bottom of the valley, and then they began to ride up toward +Zion's hill, to reach the city on its heights. The woman who had spoken +went along the same way. + +The steep ascending road was encompassed here by low walls, and upon +these countless beggars and cripples sat or lolled. "Look," said the +woman who had spoken, pointing to one of the beggars who sat on the +wall, "there is a Galilean! I recollect that I have seen him among the +Prophet's disciples. He can tell you where you will find him you seek." + +Faustina and Sulpicius rode up to the man who had been pointed out to +her. He was a poor old man with a heavy iron-gray beard. His face was +bronzed by heat and sunshine. He asked no alms; on the contrary, he was +so engrossed in anxious thought that he did not even glance at the +passers-by. + +Nor did he hear that Sulpicius addressed him, and the latter had to +repeat his question several times. + +"My friend, I've been told that you are a Galilean. I beg you, +therefore, to tell me where I shall find the Prophet from Nazareth!" + +The Galilean gave a sudden start and looked around him, confused. But +when he finally comprehended what was wanted of him, he was seized with +rage mixed with terror. "What are you talking about?" he burst out. "Why +do you ask me about that man? I know nothing of him. I'm not a +Galilean." + +The Hebrew woman now joined in the conversation. "Still I have seen you +in his company," she protested. "Do not fear, but tell this noble Roman +lady, who is the Emperor's friend, where she is most likely to find +him." + +But the terrified disciple grew more and more irascible. "Have all the +people gone mad to-day?" said he. "Are they possessed by an evil spirit, +since they come again and again and ask me about that man? Why will no +one believe me when I say that I do not know the Prophet? I do not come +from his country. I have never seen him." + +His irritability attracted attention, and a couple of beggars who sat on +the wall beside him also began to dispute his word. + +"Certainly you were among his disciples," said one. "We all know that +you came with him from Galilee." + +Then the man raised his arms toward heaven and cried: "I could not +endure it in Jerusalem to-day on that man's account, and now they will +not even leave me in peace out here among the beggars! Why don't you +believe me when I say to you that I have never seen him?" + +Faustina turned away with a shrug. "Let us go farther!" said she. "The +man is mad. From him we will learn nothing." + +They went farther up the mountain. Faustina was not more than two steps +from the city gate, when the Hebrew woman who had wished to help her +find the Prophet called to her to be careful. She pulled in her reins +and saw that a man lay in the road, just in front of the horse's feet, +where the crush was greatest. It was a miracle that he had not already +been trampled to death by animals or people. + +The man lay upon his back and stared upward with lusterless eyes. He did +not move, although the camels placed their heavy feet close beside him. +He was poorly clad, and besides he was covered with dust and dirt. In +fact, he had thrown so much gravel over himself that it looked as if he +tried to hide himself, to be more easily over-ridden and trampled down. + +"What does this mean? Why does this man lie here on the road?" asked +Faustina. + +Instantly the man began shouting to the passers-by: + +"In mercy, brothers and sisters, drive your horses and camels over me! +Do not turn aside for me! Trample me to dust! I have betrayed innocent +blood. Trample me to dust!" + +Sulpicius caught Faustina's horse by the bridle and turned it to one +side. "It is a sinner who wants to do penance," said he. "Do not let +this delay your journey. These people are peculiar and one must let them +follow their own bent." + +The man in the road continued to shout: "Set your heels on my heart! Let +the camels crush my breast and the asses dig their hoofs into my eyes!" + +But Faustina seemed loath to ride past the miserable man without trying +to make him rise. She remained all the while beside him. + +The Hebrew woman who had wished to serve her once before, pushed her way +forward again. "This man also belonged to the Prophet's disciples," said +she. "Do you wish me to ask him about his Master?" + +Faustina nodded affirmatively, and the woman bent down over the man. + +"What have you Galileans done this day with your Master?" she asked. "I +meet you scattered on highways and byways, but him I see nowhere." + +But when she questioned in this manner, the man who lay in the dust rose +to his knees. "What evil spirit hath possessed you to ask me about him?" +he said, in a voice that was filled with despair. "You see, surely, that +I have lain down in the road to be trampled to death. Is not that enough +for you? Shall you come also and ask me what I have done with him?" + +When she repeated the question, the man staggered to his feet and put +both hands to his ears. + +"Woe unto you, that you can not let me die in peace!" he cried. He +forced his way through the crowds that thronged in front of the gate, +and rushed away shrieking with terror, while his torn robe fluttered +around him like dark wings. + +"It appears to me as though we had come to a nation of madmen," said +Faustina, when she saw the man flee. She had become depressed by seeing +these disciples of the Prophet. Could the man who numbered such fools +among his followers do anything for the Emperor? + +Even the Hebrew woman looked distressed, and she said very earnestly to +Faustina: "Mistress, delay not in your search for him whom you would +find! I fear some evil has befallen him, since his disciples are beside +themselves and can not bear to hear him spoken of." + +Faustina and her retinue finally rode through the gate archway and came +in on the narrow and dark streets, which were alive with people. It +seemed well-nigh impossible to get through the city. The riders time and +again had to stand still. Slaves and soldiers tried in vain to clear the +way. The people continued to rush on in a compact, irresistible stream. + +"Verily," said the old woman, "the streets of Rome are peaceful pleasure +gardens compared with these!" + +Sulpicius soon saw that almost insurmountable difficulties awaited them. + +"On these overcrowded streets it is easier to walk than to ride," said +he. "If you are not too fatigued, I should advise you to walk to the +Governor's palace. It is a good distance away, but if we ride we +certainly will not get there until after midnight." + +Faustina accepted the suggestion at once. She dismounted, and left her +horse with one of the slaves. Thereupon the Roman travelers began to +walk through the city. + +This was much better. They pushed their way quickly toward the heart of +the city, and Sulpicius showed Faustina a rather wide street, which they +were nearing. + +"Look, Faustina," he said, "if we take this street, we will soon be +there. It leads directly down to our quarters." + +But just as they were about to turn into the street, the worst obstacle +met them. + +It happened that the very moment when Faustina reached the street which +extended from the Governor's palace to Righteousness' Gate and Golgotha, +they brought through it a prisoner, who was to be taken out and +crucified. Before him ran a crowd of wild youths who wanted to witness +the execution. They raced up the street, waved their arms in rapture +towards the hill, and emitted unintelligible howls--in their delight at +being allowed to view something which they did not see every day. + +Behind them came companies of men in silken robes, who appeared to +belong to the city's élite and foremost. Then came women, many of whom +had tear-stained faces. A gathering of poor and maimed staggered +forward, uttering shrieks that pierced the ears. + +"O God!" they cried, "save him! Send Thine angel and save him! Send a +deliverer in his direst need!" + +Finally there came a few Roman soldiers on great horses. They kept guard +so that none of the people could dash up to the prisoner and try to +rescue him. + +Directly behind them followed the executioners, whose task it was to +lead forward the man that was to be crucified. They had laid a heavy +wooden cross over his shoulder, but he was too weak for this burden. It +weighed him down so that his body was almost bent to the ground. He held +his head down so far that no one could see his face. + +Faustina stood at the opening of the little bystreet and saw the doomed +man's heavy tread. She noticed, with surprise, that he wore a purple +mantle, and that a crown of thorns was pressed down upon his head. + +"Who is this man?" she asked. + +One of the bystanders answered her: "It is one who wished to make +himself Emperor." + +"And must he suffer death for a thing which is scarcely worth striving +after?" said the old woman sadly. + +The doomed man staggered under the cross. He dragged himself forward +more and more slowly. The executioners had tied a rope around his waist, +and they began to pull on it to hasten the speed. But as they pulled the +rope the man fell, and lay there with the cross over him. + +There was a terrible uproar. The Roman soldiers had all they could do to +hold the crowds back. They drew their swords on a couple of women who +tried to rush forward to help the fallen man. The executioners attempted +to force him up with cuffs and lashes, but he could not move because of +the cross. Finally two of them took hold of the cross to remove it. + +Then he raised his head, and old Faustina could see his face. The cheeks +were streaked by lashes from a whip, and from his brow, which was +wounded by the thorn-crown, trickled some drops of blood. His hair hung +in knotted tangles, clotted with sweat and blood. His jaw was firm set, +but his lips trembled, as if they struggled to suppress a cry. His eyes, +tear-filled and almost blinded from torture and fatigue, stared straight +ahead. + +But back of this half-dead person's face, the old woman saw--as in a +vision--a pale and beautiful One with glorious, majestic eyes and gentle +features, and she was seized with sudden grief--touched by the unknown +man's misfortune and degradation. + +"Oh, what have they done with you, you poor soul!" she burst out, and +moved a step nearer him, while her eyes filled with tears. She forgot +her own sorrow and anxiety for this tortured man's distress. She thought +her heart would burst from pity. She, like the other women, wanted to +rush forward and tear him away from the executioners! + +The fallen man saw how she came toward him, and he crept closer to her. +It was as though he had expected to find protection with her against all +those who persecuted and tortured him. He embraced her knees. He pressed +himself against her, like a child who clings close to his mother for +safety. + +The old woman bent over him, and as the tears streamed down her cheeks, +she felt the most blissful joy because he had come and sought protection +with her. She placed one arm around his neck, and as a mother first of +all wipes away the tears from her child's eyes, she laid her kerchief of +sheer fine linen over his face, to wipe away the tears and the blood. + +But now the executioners were ready with the cross. They came now and +snatched away the prisoner. Impatient over the delay, they dragged him +off in wild haste. The condemned man uttered a groan when he was led +away from the refuge he had found, but he made no resistance. + +Faustina embraced him to hold him back, and when her feeble old hands +were powerless and she saw him borne away, she felt as if some one had +torn from her her own child, and she cried: "No, no! Do not take him +from me! He must not die! He shall not die!" + +She felt the most intense grief and indignation because he was being led +away. She wanted to rush after him. She wanted to fight with the +executioners and tear him from them. + +But with the first step she took, she was seized with weakness and +dizziness. Sulpicius made haste to place his arm around her, to prevent +her from falling. + +On one side of the street he saw a little shop, and carried her in. +There was neither bench nor chair inside, but the shopkeeper was a +kindly man. He helped her over to a rug, and arranged a bed for her on +the stone floor. + +She was not unconscious, but such a great dizziness had seized her that +she could not sit up, but was forced to lie down. + +"She has made a long journey to-day, and the noise and crush in the city +have been too much for her," said Sulpicius to the merchant. "She is +very old, and no one is so strong as not to be conquered by age." + +"This is a trying day, even for one who is not old," said the merchant. +"The air is almost too heavy to breathe. It would not surprise me if a +severe storm were in store for us." + +Sulpicius bent over the old woman. She had fallen asleep, and she slept +with calm, regular respirations after all the excitement and fatigue. + +He walked over to the shop door, stood there, and looked at the crowds +while he awaited her waking. + + VII + +The Roman governor at Jerusalem had a young wife, and she had had a +dream during the night preceding the day when Faustina entered the city. + +She dreamed that she stood on the roof of her house and looked down upon +the beautiful court, which, according to the Oriental custom, was paved +with marble, and planted with rare growths. + +But in the court she saw assembled all the sick and blind and halt there +were in the world. She saw before her the pest-ridden, with bodies +swollen with boils; lepers with disfigured faces; the paralytics, who +could not move, but lay helpless upon the ground, and all the wretched +creatures who writhed in torment and pain. + +They all crowded up towards the entrance, to get into the house; and a +number of those who walked foremost pounded on the palace door. + +At last she saw that a slave opened the door and came out on the +threshold, and she heard him ask what they wanted. + +Then they answered him, saying: "We seek the great Prophet whom God hath +sent to the world. Where is the Prophet of Nazareth, he who is master of +all suffering? Where is he who can deliver us from all our torment?" + +Then the slave answered them in an arrogant and indifferent tone--as +palace servants do when they turn away the poor stranger: + +"It will profit you nothing to seek the great Prophet. Pilate has killed +him." + +Then there arose among all the sick a grief and a moaning and a gnashing +of teeth which she could not bear to hear. Her heart was wrung with +compassion, and tears streamed from her eyes. But when she had begun to +weep, she awakened. + +Again she fell asleep; and again she dreamed that she stood on the roof +of her house and looked down upon the big court, which was as broad as a +square. + +And behold! the court was filled with all the insane and soul-sick and +those possessed of evil spirits. And she saw those who were naked and +those who were covered with their long hair, and those who had braided +themselves crowns of straw and mantles of grass and believed they were +kings, and those who crawled on the ground and thought themselves +beasts, and those who came dragging heavy stones, which they believed to +be gold, and those who thought that the evil spirits spoke through their +mouths. + +She saw all these crowd up toward the palace gate. And the ones who +stood nearest to it knocked and pounded to get in. + +At last the door opened, and a slave stepped out on the threshold and +asked: "What do you want?" + +Then all began to cry aloud, saying: "Where is the great Prophet of +Nazareth, he who was sent of God, and who shall restore to us our souls +and our wits?" + +She heard the slave answer them in the most indifferent tone: "It is +useless for you to seek the great Prophet, Pilate has killed him." + +When this was said, they uttered a shriek as wild as a beast's howl, and +in their despair they began to lacerate themselves until the blood ran +down on the stones. And when she that dreamed saw their distress, she +wrung her hands and moaned. And her own moans awakened her. + +But again she fell asleep, and again, in her dream, she was on the roof +of her house. Round about her sat her slaves, who played for her upon +cymbals and zithers, and the almond trees shook their white blossoms +over her, and clambering rose-vines exhaled their perfume. + +As she sat there, a voice spoke to her: "Go over to the balustrade which +incloses the roof, and see who they are that stand and wait in your +court!" + +But in the dream she declined, and said: "I do not care to see any more +of those who throng my court to-night." + +Just then she heard a clanking of chains and a pounding of heavy +hammers, and the pounding of wood against wood. Her slaves ceased their +singing and playing and hurried over to the railing and looked down. Nor +could she herself remain seated, but walked thither and looked down on +the court. + +Then she saw that the court was filled with all the poor prisoners in +the world. She saw those who must lie in dark prison dungeons, fettered +with heavy chains; she saw those who labored in the dark mines come +dragging their heavy planks, and those who were rowers on war galleys +come with their heavy iron-bound oars. And those who were condemned to +be crucified came dragging their crosses, and those who were to be +beheaded came with their broadaxes. She saw those who were sent into +slavery to foreign lands and whose eyes burned with homesickness. She +saw those who must serve as beasts of burden, and whose backs were +bleeding from lashes. + +All these unfortunates cried as with one voice: "Open, open!" + +Then the slave who guarded the entrance stepped to the door and asked: +"What is it that you wish?" + +And these answered like the others: "We seek the great Prophet of +Nazareth, who has come to the world to give the prisoners their freedom +and the slaves their lost happiness." + +The slave answered them in a tired and indifferent tone: "You can not +find him here. Pilate has killed him." + +When this was said, she who dreamed thought that among all the unhappy +there arose such an outburst of scorn and blasphemy that heaven and +earth trembled. She was ice-cold with fright, and her body shook so that +she awaked. + +When she was thoroughly awake, she sat up in bed and thought to herself: +"I would not dream more. Now I want to remain awake all night, that I +may escape seeing more of this horror." + +And even whilst she was thinking thus, drowsiness crept in upon her +anew, and she laid her head on the pillow and fell asleep. + +Again she dreamed that she sat on the roof of her house, and now her +little son ran back and forth up there, and played with a ball. + +Then she heard a voice that said to her: "Go over to the balustrade, +which incloses the roof, and see who they are that stand and wait in +your court!" But she who dreamed said to herself: "I have seen enough +misery this night. I can not endure any more. I would remain where I +am." + +At that moment her son threw his ball so that it dropped outside the +balustrade, and the child ran forward and clambered up on the railing. +Then she was frightened. She rushed over and seized hold of the child. + +But with that she happened to cast her eyes downward, and once more she +saw that the court was full of people. + +In the court were all the peoples of earth who had been wounded in +battle. They came with severed bodies, with cut-off limbs, and with big +open wounds from which the blood oozed, so that the whole court was +drenched with it. + +And beside these, came all the people in the world who had lost their +loved ones on the battlefield. They were the fatherless who mourned +their protectors, and the young maidens who cried for their lovers, and +the aged who sighed for their sons. + +The foremost among them pushed against the door, and the watchman came +out as before, and opened it. + +He asked all these, who had been wounded in battles and skirmishes: +"What seek ye in this house?" + +And they answered: "We seek the great Prophet of Nazareth, who shall +prohibit wars and rumors of wars and bring peace to the earth. We seek +him who shall convert spears into scythes and swords into pruning +hooks." + +Then answered the slave somewhat impatiently: "Let no more come to +pester me! I have already said it often enough. The great Prophet is not +here. Pilate has killed him." + +Thereupon he closed the gate. But she who dreamed thought of all the +lamentation which would come now. "I do not wish to hear it," said she, +and rushed away from the balustrade. That instant she awoke. Then she +discovered that in her terror she had jumped out of her bed and down on +the cold stone floor. + +Again she thought she did not want to sleep more that night, and again +sleep overpowered her, and she closed her eyes and began to dream. + +She sat once more on the roof of her house, and beside her stood her +husband. She told him of her dreams, and he ridiculed her. + +Again she heard a voice, which said to her: "Go see the people who wait +in your court!" + +But she thought: "I would not see them. I have seen enough misery +to-night." + +Just then she heard three loud raps on the gate, and her husband walked +over to the balustrade to see who it was that asked admittance to his +house. + +But no sooner had he leaned over the railing, than he beckoned to his +wife to come over to him. + +"Know you not this man?" said he, and pointed down. + +When she looked down on the court, she found that it was filled with +horses and riders, slaves were busy unloading asses and camels. It +looked as though a distinguished traveler might have landed. + +At the entrance gate stood the traveler. He was a large elderly man with +broad shoulders and a heavy and gloomy appearance. + +The dreamer recognized the stranger instantly, and whispered to her +husband: "It is Cæsar Tiberius, who is here in Jerusalem. It can not be +any one else." + +"I also seem to recognize him," said her husband; at the same time he +placed his finger on his mouth, as a signal that they should be quiet +and listen to what was said down in the court. + +They saw that the doorkeeper came out and asked the stranger: "Whom seek +you?" + +And the traveler answered: "I seek the great Prophet of Nazareth, who is +endowed with God's power to perform miracles. It is Emperor Tiberius who +calls him, that he may liberate him from a terrible disease, which no +other physician can cure." + +When he had spoken, the slave bowed very humbly and said: "My lord, be +not wroth! but your wish can not be fulfilled." + +Then the Emperor turned toward his slaves, who waited below in the +court, and gave them a command. + +Then the slaves hastened forward--some with handfuls of ornaments, +others carried goblets studded with pearls, other again dragged sacks +filled with gold coin. + +The Emperor turned to the slave who guarded the gate, and said: "All +this shall be his, if he helps Tiberius. With this he can give riches to +all the world's poor." + +But the doorkeeper bowed still lower and said: "Master, be not wroth +with thy servant, but thy request can not be fulfilled." + +Then the Emperor beckoned again to his slaves, and a pair of them +hurried forward with a richly embroidered robe, upon which glittered a +breastpiece of jewels. + +And the Emperor said to the slave: "See! This which I offer him is the +power over Judea. He shall rule his people like the highest judge, if he +will only come and heal Tiberius!" + +The slave bowed still nearer the earth, and said: "Master, it is not +within my power to help you." + +Then the Emperor beckoned once again, and his slaves rushed up with a +golden coronet and a purple mantle. + +"See," he said, "this is the Emperor's will: He promises to appoint the +Prophet his successor, and give him dominion over the world. He shall +have power to rule the world according to his God's will, if he will +only stretch forth his hand and heal Tiberius!" + +Then the slave fell at the Emperor's feet and said in an imploring tone: +"Master, it does not lie in my power to attend to thy command. He whom +thou seekest is no longer here. Pilate hath killed him." + + VIII + +When the young woman awoke, it was already full, clear day, and her +female slaves stood and waited that they might help her dress. + +She was very silent while she dressed, but finally she asked the slave +who arranged her hair, if her husband was up. She learned that he had +been called out to pass judgment on a criminal. "I should have liked to +talk with him," said the young woman. + +"Mistress," said the slave, "it will be difficult to do so during the +trial. We will let you know as soon as it is over." + +She sat silent now until her toilet was completed. Then she asked: "Has +any among you heard of the Prophet of Nazareth?" + +"The Prophet of Nazareth is a Jewish miracle performer," answered one of +the slaves instantly. + +"It is strange, Mistress, that you should ask after him to-day," said +another slave. "It is just he whom the Jews have brought here to the +palace, to let him be tried by the Governor." + +She bade them go at once and ascertain for what cause he was arraigned, +and one of the slaves withdrew. When she returned she said: "They accuse +him of wanting to make himself King over this land, and they entreat the +Governor to let him be crucified." + +When the Governor's wife heard this, she grew terrified and said: "I +must speak with my husband, otherwise a terrible calamity will happen +here this day." + +When the slaves said once again that this was impossible, she began to +weep and shudder. And one among them was touched, so she said: "If you +will send a written message to the Governor, I will try and take it to +him." + +Immediately she took a stylus and wrote a few words on a wax tablet, and +this was given to Pilate. + +But him she did not meet alone the whole day; for when he had dismissed +the Jews, and the condemned man was taken to the place of execution, the +hour for repast was come, and to this Pilate had invited a few of the +Romans who visited Jerusalem at this season. They were the commander of +the troops and a young instructor in oratory, and several others +besides. + +This repast was not very gay, for the Governor's wife sat all the while +silent and dejected, and took no part in the conversation. + +When the guests asked if she was ill or distraught, the Governor +laughingly related about the message she had sent him in the morning. He +chaffed her because she had believed that a Roman governor would let +himself be guided in his judgments by a woman's dreams. + +She answered gently and sadly: "In truth, it was no dream, but a warning +sent by the gods. You should at least have let the man live through this +one day." + +They saw that she was seriously distressed. She would not be comforted, +no matter how much the guests exerted themselves, by keeping up the +conversation to make her forget these empty fancies. + +But after a while one of them raised his head and exclaimed: "What is +this? Have we sat so long at table that the day is already gone?" + +All looked up now, and they observed that a dim twilight settled down +over nature. Above all, it was remarkable to see how the whole +variegated play of color which it spread over all creatures and objects, +faded away slowly, so that all looked a uniform gray. + +Like everything else, even their own faces lost their color. "We +actually look like the dead," said the young orator with a shudder. "Our +cheeks are gray and our lips black." + +As this darkness grew more intense, the woman's fear increased. "Oh, my +friend!" she burst out at last. "Can't you perceive even now that the +Immortals would warn you? They are incensed because you condemned a holy +and innocent man. I am thinking that although he may already be on the +cross, he is surely not dead yet. Let him be taken down from the cross! +I would with mine own hands nurse his wounds. Only grant that he be +called back to life!" + +But Pilate answered laughingly: "You are surely right in that this is a +sign from the gods. But they do not let the sun lose its luster because +a Jewish heretic has been condemned to the cross. On the contrary, we +may expect that important matters shall appear, which concern the whole +kingdom. Who can tell how long old Tiberius----" + +He did not finish the sentence, for the darkness had become so profound +he could not see even the wine goblet standing in front of him. He broke +off, therefore, to order the slaves to fetch some lamps instantly. + +When it had become so light that he could see the faces of his guests, +it was impossible for him not to notice the depression which had come +over them. "Mark you!" he said half-angrily to his wife. "Now it is +apparent to me that you have succeeded with your dreams in driving away +the joys of the table. But if it must needs be that you can not think of +anything else to-day, then let us hear what you have dreamed. Tell it us +and we will try to interpret its meaning!" + +For this the young wife was ready at once. And while she related vision +after vision, the guests grew more and more serious. They ceased +emptying their goblets, and they sat with brows knit. The only one who +continued to laugh and to call the whole thing madness, was the Governor +himself. + +When the narrative was ended, the young rhetorician said: "Truly, this +is something more than a dream, for I have seen this day not the +Emperor, but his old friend Faustina, march into the city. Only it +surprises me that she has not already appeared in the Governor's +palace." + +"There is actually a rumor abroad to the effect that the Emperor has +been stricken with a terrible illness," observed the leader of the +troops. "It also seems very possible to me that your wife's dream may be +a god-sent warning." + +"There's nothing incredible in this, that Tiberius has sent messengers +after the Prophet to summon him to his sick-bed," agreed the young +rhetorician. + +The Commander turned with profound seriousness toward Pilate. "If the +Emperor has actually taken it into his head to let this miracle-worker +be summoned, it were better for you and for all of us that he found him +alive." + +Pilate answered irritably: "Is it the darkness that has turned you into +children? One would think that you had all been transformed into +dream-interpreters and prophets." + +But the courtier continued his argument: "It may not be impossible, +perhaps, to save the man's life, if you sent a swift messenger." + +"You want to make a laughing-stock of me," answered the Governor. "Tell +me, what would become of law and order in this land, if they learned +that the Governor pardoned a criminal because his wife has dreamed a bad +dream?" + +"It is the truth, however, and not a dream, that I have seen Faustina in +Jerusalem," said the young orator. + +"I shall take the responsibility of defending my actions before the +Emperor," said Pilate. "He will understand that this visionary, who let +himself be misused by my soldiers without resistance, would not have had +the power to help him." + +As he was speaking, the house was shaken by a noise like a powerful +rolling thunder, and an earthquake shook the ground. The Governor's +palace stood intact, but during some minutes just after the earthquake, +a terrific crash of crumbling houses and falling pillars was heard. + +As soon as a human voice could make itself heard, the Governor called a +slave. + +"Run out to the place of execution and command in my name that the +Prophet of Nazareth shall be taken down from the cross!" + +The slave hurried away. The guests filed from the dining-hall out on the +peristyle, to be under the open sky in case the earthquake should be +repeated. No one dared to utter a word, while they awaited the slave's +return. + +He came back very shortly. He stopped before the Governor. + +"You found him alive?" said he. + +"Master, he was dead, and on the very second that he gave up the ghost, +the earthquake occurred." + +The words were hardly spoken when two loud knocks sounded against the +outer gate. When these knocks were heard, they all staggered back and +leaped up, as though it had been a new earthquake. + +Immediately afterwards a slave came up. + +"It is the noble Faustina and the Emperor's kinsman Sulpicius. They are +come to beg you help them find the Prophet from Nazareth." + +A low murmur passed through the peristyle, and soft footfalls were +heard. When the Governor looked around, he noticed that his friends had +withdrawn from him, as from one upon whom misfortune has fallen. + + IX + +Old Faustina had returned to Capri and had sought out the Emperor. She +told him her story, and while she spoke she hardly dared look at him. +During her absence the illness had made frightful ravages, and she +thought to herself: "If there had been any pity among the Celestials, +they would have let me die before being forced to tell this poor, +tortured man that all hope is gone." + +To her astonishment, Tiberius listened to her with the utmost +indifference. When she related how the great miracle performer had been +crucified the same day that she had arrived in Jerusalem, and how near +she had been to saving him, she began to weep under the weight of her +failure. But Tiberius only remarked: "You actually grieve over this? Ah, +Faustina! A whole lifetime in Rome has not weaned you then of faith in +sorcerers and miracle workers, which you imbibed during your childhood +in the Sabine mountains!" + +Then the old woman perceived that Tiberius had never expected any help +from the Prophet of Nazareth. + +"Why did you let me make the journey to that distant land, if you +believed all the while that it was useless?" + +"You are the only friend I have," said the Emperor. "Why should I deny +your prayer, so long as I still have the power to grant it." + +But the old woman did not like it that the Emperor had taken her for a +fool. + +"Ah! this is your usual cunning," she burst out. "This is just what I +can tolerate least in you." + +"You should not have come back to me," said Tiberius. "You should have +remained in the mountains." + +It looked for a moment as if these two, who had clashed so often, would +again fall into a war of words, but the old woman's anger subsided +immediately. The times were past when she could quarrel in earnest with +the Emperor. She lowered her voice again; but she could not altogether +relinquish every effort to obtain justice. + +"But this man was really a prophet," she said. "I have seen him. When +his eyes met mine, I thought he was a god. I was mad to allow him to go +to his death." + +"I am glad you let him die," said Tiberius. "He was a traitor and a +dangerous agitator." + +Faustina was about to burst into another passion--then checked herself. + +"I have spoken with many of his friends in Jerusalem about him," said +she. "He had not committed the crimes for which he was arraigned." + +"Even if he had not committed just these crimes, he was surely no better +than any one else," said the Emperor wearily. "Where will you find the +person who during his lifetime has not a thousand times deserved death?" + +But these remarks of the Emperor decided Faustina to undertake something +which she had until now hesitated about. "I will show you a proof of his +power," said she. "I said to you just now that I laid my kerchief over +his face. It is the same kerchief which I hold in my hand. Will you look +at it a moment?" + +She spread the kerchief out before the Emperor, and he saw delineated +thereon the shadowy likeness of a human face. + +The old woman's voice shook with emotion as she continued: "This man saw +that I loved him. I know not by what power he was enabled to leave me +his portrait. But mine eyes fill up with tears when I see it." + +The Emperor leaned forward and regarded the picture, which appeared to +be made up of blood and tears and the dark shadows of grief. Gradually +the whole face stood out before him, exactly as it had been imprinted +upon the kerchief. He saw the blood-drops on the forehead, the piercing +thorn-crown, the hair, which was matted with blood, and the mouth whose +lips seemed to quiver with agony. + +He bent down closer and closer to the picture. The face stood out +clearer and clearer. From out the shadow-like outlines, all at once, he +saw the eyes sparkle as with hidden life. And while they spoke to him of +the most terrible suffering, they also revealed a purity and sublimity +which he had never seen before. + +He lay upon his couch and drank in the picture with his eyes. "Is this a +mortal?" he said softly and slowly. "Is this a mortal?" + +Again he lay still and regarded the picture. The tears began to stream +down his cheeks. "I mourn over thy death, thou Unknown!" he whispered. + +"Faustina!" he cried out at last. "Why did you let this man die? He +would have healed me." + +And again he was lost in the picture. + +"O Man!" he said, after a moment, "if I can not gain my health from +thee, I can still avenge thy murder. My hand shall rest heavily upon +those who have robbed me of thee!" + +Again he lay still a long time; then he let himself glide down to the +floor--and he knelt before the picture: + +"Thou art Man!" said he. "Thou art that which I never dreamed I should +see." And he pointed to his disfigured face and destroyed hands. "I and +all others are wild beasts and monsters, but thou art Man." + +He bowed his head so low before the picture that it touched the floor. +"Have pity on me, thou Unknown!" he sobbed, and his tears watered the +stones. + +"If thou hadst lived, thy glance alone would have healed me," he said. + +The poor old woman was terror-stricken over what she had done. It would +have been wiser not to show the Emperor the picture, thought she. From +the start she had been afraid that if he should see it his grief would +be too overwhelming. + +And in her despair over the Emperor's grief, she snatched the picture +away, as if to remove it from his sight. + +Then the Emperor looked up. And, lo! his features were transformed, and +he was as he had been before the illness. It was as if the illness had +had its root and sustenance in the contempt and hatred of mankind which +had lived in his heart; and it had been forced to flee the very moment +he had felt love and compassion. + +The following day Tiberius despatched three messengers. + +The first messenger traveled to Rome with the command that the Senate +should institute investigations as to how the governor of Palestine +administered his official duties and punish him, should it appear that +he oppressed the people and condemned the innocent to death. + +The second messenger went to the vineyard-laborer and his wife, to thank +them and reward them for the counsel they had given the Emperor, and +also to tell them how everything had turned out. When they had heard +all, they wept silently, and the man said: "I know that all my life I +shall ponder what would have happened if these two had met." But the +woman answered: "It could not happen in any other way. It was too great +a thought that these two should meet. God knew that the world could not +support it." + +The third messenger traveled to Palestine and brought back with him to +Capri some of Jesus' disciples, and these began to teach there the +doctrine that had been preached by the Crucified One. + +When the disciples landed at Capri, old Faustina lay upon her death-bed. +Still they had time before her death to make of her a follower of the +great Prophet, and to baptize her. And in the baptism she was called +Veronica, because to her it had been granted to give to mankind the true +likeness of their Saviour. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: Robin Redbreast] + + ROBIN REDBREAST + + +It happened at the time when our Lord created the world, when He not +only made heaven and earth, but all the animals and the plants as well, +at the same time giving them their names. + +There have been many histories concerning that time, and if we knew them +all, we should have light upon everything in this world which we can not +now comprehend. + +At that time it happened one day when our Lord sat in His Paradise and +painted the little birds, that the colors in our Lord's paint pot gave +out, and the goldfinch would have been without color if our Lord had not +wiped all His paint brushes on its feathers. + +It was then that the donkey got his long ears, because he could not +remember the name that had been given him. + +No sooner had he taken a few steps over the meadows of Paradise than he +forgot, and three times he came back to ask his name. At last our Lord +grew somewhat impatient, took him by his two ears, and said: + +"Thy name is ass, ass, ass!" And while He thus spake our Lord pulled +both of his ears that the ass might hear better, and remember what was +said to him. It was on the same day, also, that the bee was punished. + +Now, when the bee was created, she began immediately to gather honey, +and the animals and human beings who caught the delicious odor of the +honey came and wanted to taste of it. But the bee wanted to keep it all +for herself and with her poisonous sting pursued every living creature +that approached her hive. Our Lord saw this and at once called the bee +to Him and punished her. + +"I gave thee the gift of gathering honey, which is the sweetest thing in +all creation," said our Lord, "but I did not give thee the right to be +cruel to thy neighbor. Remember well that every time thou stingest any +creature who desires to taste of thy honey, thou shalt surely die!" + +Ah, yes! It was at that time, too, that the cricket became blind and the +ant missed her wings, so many strange things happened on that day! + +Our Lord sat there, big and gentle, and planned and created all day +long, and towards evening He conceived the idea of making a little gray +bird. "Remember your name is Robin Redbreast," said our Lord to the +bird, as soon as it was finished. Then He held it in the palm of His +open hand and let it fly. + +After the bird had been testing his wings a while, and had seen +something of the beautiful world in which he was destined to live, he +became curious to see what he himself was like. He noticed that he was +entirely gray, and that his breast was just as gray as all the rest of +him. Robin Redbreast twisted and turned in all directions as he viewed +himself in the mirror of a clear lake, but he couldn't find a single red +feather. Then he flew back to our Lord. + +Our Lord sat there on His throne, big and gentle. Out of His hands came +butterflies that fluttered about His head; doves cooed on His shoulders; +and out of the earth beneath Him grew the rose, the lily, and the daisy. + +The little bird's heart beat heavily with fright, but with easy curves +he flew nearer and nearer our Lord, till at last he rested on our Lord's +hand. Then our Lord asked what the little bird wanted. "I only wish to +ask you about one thing," said the little bird. "What is it you wish to +know?" said our Lord. "Why should I be called Red Breast, when I am all +gray, from the bill to the very end of my tail? Why am I called Red +Breast when I do not possess one single red feather?" The bird looked +beseechingly on our Lord with his tiny black eyes--then turned his head. +About him he saw pheasants all red under a sprinkle of gold dust, +parrots with marvelous red neck-bands, cocks with red combs, to say +nothing about the butterflies, the goldfinches, and the roses! And +naturally he thought how little he needed--just one tiny drop of color +on his breast and he, too, would be a beautiful bird, and his name would +fit him. "Why should I be called Red Breast when I am so entirely gray?" +asked the bird once again, and waited for our Lord to say: "Ah, my +friend, I see that I have forgotten to paint your breast feathers red, +but wait a moment and it shall be done." + +But our Lord only smiled a little and said: "I have called you Robin +Redbreast, and Robin Redbreast shall your name be, but you must look to +it that you yourself earn your red breast feathers." Then our Lord +lifted His hand and let the bird fly once more--out into the world. + +The bird flew down into Paradise, meditating deeply. + +What could a little bird like him do to earn for himself red feathers? +The only thing he could think of was to make his nest in a brier bush. +He built it in among the thorns in the close thicket. It looked as if he +waited for a rose leaf to cling to his throat and give him color. + + * * * * * + +Countless years had come and gone since that day, which was the happiest +in all the world! Human beings had already advanced so far that they had +learned to cultivate the earth and sail the seas. They had procured +clothes and ornaments for themselves, and had long since learned to +build big temples and great cities--such as Thebes, Rome, and Jerusalem. + + * * * * * + +Then there dawned a _new_ day, one that will long be remembered in the +world's history. On the morning of this day Robin Redbreast sat upon a +little naked hillock outside of Jerusalem's walls, and sang to his young +ones, who rested in a tiny nest in a brier bush. + +Robin Redbreast told the little ones all about that wonderful day of +creation, and how the Lord had given names to everything, just as each +Redbreast had told it ever since the first Redbreast had heard God's +word, and gone out of God's hand. "And mark you," he ended sorrowfully, +"so many years have gone, so many roses have bloomed, so many little +birds have come out of their eggs since Creation Day, but Robin +Redbreast is still a little gray bird. He has not yet succeeded in +gaining his red feathers." + +The little young ones opened wide their tiny bills, and asked if their +forbears had never tried to do any great thing to earn the priceless red +color. + +"We have all done what we could," said the little bird, "but we have all +gone amiss. Even the first Robin Redbreast met one day another bird +exactly like himself, and he began immediately to love it with such a +mighty love that he could feel his breast burn. 'Ah!' he thought then, +'now I understand! It was our Lord's meaning that I should love with so +much ardor that my breast should grow red in color from the very warmth +of the love that lives in my heart.' But he missed it, as all those who +came after him have missed it, and as even you shall miss it." + +The little young ones twittered, utterly bewildered, and already began +to mourn because the red color would not come to beautify their little, +downy gray breasts. + +"We had also hoped that song would help us," said the grown-up bird, +speaking in long-drawn-out tones--"the first Robin Redbreast sang until +his heart swelled within him, he was so carried away, and he dared to +hope anew. 'Ah!' he thought, 'it is the glow of the song which lives in +my soul that will color my breast feathers red.' But he missed it, as +all the others have missed it and as even you shall miss it." Again was +heard a sad "peep" from the young ones' half-naked throats. + +"We had also counted on our courage and our valor," said the bird. "The +first Robin Redbreast fought bravely with other birds, until his breast +flamed with the pride of conquest. 'Ah!' he thought, 'my breast feathers +shall become red from the love of battle which burns in my heart.' He, +too, missed it, as all those who came after him have missed it, and as +even you shall miss it." The little young ones peeped courageously that +they still wished to try and win the much-sought-for prize, but the bird +answered them sorrowfully that it would be impossible. What could they +do when so many splendid ancestors had missed the mark? What could they +do more than love, sing, and fight? What could--the little bird stopped +short, for out of one of the gates of Jerusalem came a crowd of people +marching, and the whole procession rushed toward the hillock, where the +bird had its nest. There were riders on proud horses, soldiers with long +spears, executioners with nails and hammers. There were judges and +priests in the procession, weeping women, and above all a mob of mad, +loose people running about--a filthy, howling mob of loiterers. + +The little gray bird sat trembling on the edge of his nest. He feared +each instant that the little brier bush would be trampled down and his +young ones killed! + +"Be careful!" he cried to the little defenseless young ones, "creep +together and remain quiet. Here comes a horse that will ride right over +us! Here comes a warrior with iron-shod sandals! Here comes the whole +wild, storming mob!" Immediately the bird ceased his cry of warning and +grew calm and quiet. He almost forgot the danger hovering over him. +Finally he hopped down into the nest and spread his wings over the young +ones. + +"Oh! this is too terrible," said he. "I don't wish you to witness this +awful sight! There are three miscreants who are going to be crucified!" +And he spread his wings so that the little ones could see nothing. + +They caught only the sound of hammers, the cries of anguish, and the +wild shrieks of the mob. + +Robin Redbreast followed the whole spectacle with his eyes, which grew +big with terror. He could not take his glance from the three +unfortunates. + +"How terrible human beings are!" said the bird after a little while. "It +isn't enough that they nail these poor creatures to a cross, but they +must needs place a crown of piercing thorns upon the head of one of +them. I see that the thorns have wounded his brow so that the blood +flows," he continued. "And this man is so beautiful, and looks about him +with such mild glances that every one ought to love him. I feel as if an +arrow were shooting through my heart, when I see him suffer!" + +The little bird began to feel a stronger and stronger pity for the +thorn-crowned sufferer. "Oh! if I were only my brother the eagle," +thought he, "I would draw the nails from his hands, and with my strong +claws I would drive away all those who torture him!" He saw how the +blood trickled down from the brow of the Crucified One, and he could no +longer remain quiet in his nest. "Even if I am little and weak, I can +still do something for this poor tortured one," thought the bird. Then +he left his nest and flew out into the air, striking wide circles around +the Crucified One. He flew around him several times without daring to +approach, for he was a shy little bird, who had never dared to go near a +human being. But little by little he gained courage, flew close to him, +and drew with his little bill a thorn that had become imbedded in the +brow of the Crucified One. And as he did this there fell on his breast a +drop of blood from the face of the Crucified One;--it spread quickly and +floated out and colored all the little fine breast feathers. + +Then the Crucified One opened his lips and whispered to the bird: +"Because of thy compassion, thou hast won all that thy kind have been +striving after, ever since the world was created." + +As soon as the bird had returned to his nest his young ones cried to +him: "Thy breast is red! Thy breast feathers are redder than the roses!" + +"It is only a drop of blood from the poor man's forehead," said the +bird; "it will vanish as soon as I bathe in a pool or a clear well." + +But no matter how much the little bird bathed, the red color did not +vanish--and when his little young ones grew up, the blood-red color +shone also on their breast feathers, just as it shines on every Robin +Redbreast's throat and breast until this very day. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: Our Lord and Saint Peter] + + OUR LORD AND SAINT PETER + + +It happened at the time when our Lord and Saint Peter were newly arrived +in Paradise, after having wandered on earth and suffered hardships +during many sorrowful years. + +One can imagine that the change was a joy to Saint Peter! One can +picture to oneself that it was quite another matter to sit upon Paradise +Mountain and look out over the world, instead of wandering from door to +door, like a beggar. It was another matter to walk about in the +beautiful gardens of Paradise, instead of roaming around on earth, not +knowing if one would be given house-room on a stormy night, or if one +would be forced to tramp the highway in the chill and darkness. + +One can imagine what a joy it must have been to get to the right place +at last after such a journey. Saint Peter, to be sure, had not always +been certain that all would end well. He couldn't very well help feeling +doubtful and troubled at times, for it had been almost impossible for +poor Saint Peter to understand why there was any earthly need for them +to have such a hard time of it, if our Lord was lord of all the world. + +Now, no yearning could come to torment him any more. That he was glad of +this one can well believe. + +Now, he could actually laugh at all the misery which he and our Lord had +been forced to endure, and at the little that they had been obliged to +content themselves with. + +Once, when things had turned out so badly for them that Saint Peter +thought he couldn't stand it any longer, our Lord had taken him to a +high mountain, and had begun the ascent without telling him what they +were there for. + +They had wandered past the cities at the foot of the mountain, and the +castles higher up. They had gone past the farms and cabins, and had left +behind them the last wood-chopper's cave. + +They had come at last to the part where the mountain stood naked, +without verdure and trees, and where a hermit had built him a hut, +wherein he might shelter needy travelers. + +Afterward, they had walked over the snowfields, where the mountain-rats +sleep, and come to the piled-up ice masses, which stood on edge and +a-tilt, and where scarcely a chamois could pass. + +Up there our Lord had found a little red-breasted bird, that lay frozen +to death on the ice, and He had picked up the bullfinch and tucked it in +His bosom. And Saint Peter remembered he had wondered if this was to be +their dinner. + +They had wandered a long while on the slippery ice-blocks, and it had +seemed to Saint Peter that he had never been so near perdition; for a +deadly cold wind and a deadly dark mist enveloped them, and as far as he +could discover, there wasn't a living thing to be found. And, still, +they were only half-way up the mountain. + +Then he begged our Lord to let him turn back. + +"Not yet," said our Lord, "for I want to show you something which will +give you courage to meet all sorrows." + +For this they had gone on through mist and cold until they had reached +an interminably high wall, which prevented them from going farther. + +"This wall extends all around the mountain," said our Lord, "and you +can't step over it at any point. Nor can any living creature see +anything of that which lies behind it, for it is here that Paradise +begins; and all the way up to the mountain's summit live the blessed +dead." + +But Saint Peter couldn't help looking doubtful. "In there is neither +darkness nor cold," said our Lord, "but there it is always summer, with +the bright light of suns and stars." + +But Saint Peter was not able to persuade himself to believe this. + +Then our Lord took the little bird which He had just found on the ice, +and, bending backwards, threw it over the wall, so that it fell down +into Paradise. + +And immediately thereafter Saint Peter heard a loud, joyous trill, and +recognized a bullfinch's song, and was greatly astonished. + +He turned toward our Lord and said: "Let us return to the earth and +suffer all that must be suffered, for now I see that you speak the +truth, and that there is a place where Life overcomes death." + +And they descended from the mountain and began their wanderings again. + +And it was years before Saint Peter saw any more than this one glimpse +of Paradise; but he had always longed for the land beyond the wall. And +now at last he was there, and did not have to strive and yearn any more. +Now he could drink bliss in full measure all day long from never-dying +streams. + +But Saint Peter had not been in Paradise a fortnight before it happened +that an angel came to our Lord where He sat upon His throne, bowed seven +times before Him, and told Him that a great sorrow must have come upon +Saint Peter. He would neither eat nor drink, and his eyelids were red, +as though he had not slept for several nights. + +As soon as our Lord heard this, He rose and went to seek Saint Peter. + +He found him far away, on one of the outskirts of Paradise, where he lay +upon the ground, as if he were too exhausted to stand, and he had rent +his garments and strewn his hair with ashes. + +When our Lord saw him so distressed, He sat down on the ground beside +him, and talked to him, just as He would have done had they still been +wandering around in this world of trouble. + +"What is it that makes you so sad, Saint Peter?" said our Lord. + +But grief had overpowered Saint Peter, so that he could not answer. + +"What is it that makes you so sad?" asked our Lord once again. + +When our Lord repeated the question, Saint Peter took the gold crown +from his head and threw it at our Lord's feet, as much as to say he +wanted no further share in His honor and glory. + +But our Lord understood, of course, that Saint Peter was so disconsolate +that he knew not what he did. He showed no anger at him. + +"You must tell me what troubles you," said He, just as gently as before, +and with an even greater love in His voice. + +But now Saint Peter jumped up; and then our Lord knew that he was not +only disconsolate, but downright angry. He came toward our Lord with +clenched fists and snapping eyes. + +"Now I want a dismissal from your service!" said Saint Peter. "I can not +remain another day in Paradise." + +Our Lord tried to calm him, just as He had been obliged to do many times +before, when Saint Peter had flared up. + +"Oh, certainly you can go," said He, "but you must first tell me what it +is that displeases you." + +"I can tell you that I awaited a better reward than this when we two +endured all sorts of misery down on earth," said Saint Peter. + +Our Lord saw that Saint Peter's soul was filled with bitterness, and He +felt no anger at him. + +"I tell you that you are free to go whither you will," said He, "if you +will only let me know what is troubling you." + +Then, at last, Saint Peter told our Lord why he was so unhappy. "I had +an old mother," said he, "and she died a few days ago." + +"Now I know what distresses you," said our Lord. "You suffer because +your mother has not come into Paradise." + +"That is true," said Saint Peter, and at the same time his grief became +so overwhelming that he began to sob and moan. + +"I think I deserved at least that she should be permitted to come here," +said he. + +But when our Lord learned what it was that Saint Peter was grieving +over, He, in turn, became distressed. Saint Peter's mother had not been +such that she could enter the Heavenly Kingdom. She had never thought of +anything except to hoard money, and to the poor who had knocked at her +door she had never given so much as a copper or a crust of bread. But +our Lord understood that it was impossible for Saint Peter to grasp the +fact that his mother had been so greedy that she was not entitled to +bliss. + +"Saint Peter," said He, "how can you be so sure that your mother would +feel at home here with us?" + +"You say such things only that you may not have to listen to my +prayers," said Saint Peter. "Who wouldn't be happy in Paradise?" + +"One who does not feel joy over the happiness of others can not rest +content here," said our Lord. + +"Then there are others than my mother who do not belong here," said +Saint Peter, and our Lord observed that he was thinking of Him. + +And He felt deeply grieved because Saint Peter had been stricken with +such a heavy sorrow that he no longer knew what he said. He stood a +moment and expected that Saint Peter would repent, and understand that +his mother was not fit for Paradise. But the Saint would not give in. + +Then our Lord called an angel and commanded that he should fly down into +hell and bring Saint Peter's mother to Paradise. + +"Let me see how he carries her," said Saint Peter. + +Our Lord took Saint Peter by the hand and led him out to a steep +precipice which leaned slantingly to one side. And He showed him that he +only had to lean over the precipice very, very little to be able to look +down into hell. + +When Saint Peter glanced down, he could not at first see anything more +than if he had looked into a deep well. It was as though an endless +chasm opened under him. + +The first thing which he could faintly distinguish was the angel, who +had already started on his way to the nether regions. Saint Peter saw +how the angel dived down into the great darkness, without the least +fear, and spread his wings just a little, so as not to descend too +rapidly. + +But when Saint Peter's eyes had become a little more used to the +darkness he began to see more and more. In the first place, he saw that +Paradise lay on a ring-mountain, which encircled a wide chasm, and it +was at the bottom of this chasm that the souls of the sinful had their +abode. He saw how the angel sank and sank a long while without reaching +the depths. He became absolutely terrified because it was such a long +distance down there. + +"May he only come up again with my mother!" said he. + +Our Lord only looked at Saint Peter with great sorrowful eyes. "There is +no weight too heavy for my angel to carry," said He. + +It was so far down to the nether regions that no ray of sunlight could +penetrate thither: there darkness reigned. But it was as if the angel in +his flight must have brought with him a little clearness and light, so +that it was possible for Saint Peter to see how it looked down there. + +It was an endless, black rock-desert. Sharp, pointed rocks covered the +entire foundation. There was not a green blade, not a tree, not a sign +of life. + +But all over, on the sharp rocks, were condemned souls. They hung over +the edges, whither they had clambered that they might swing themselves +up from the ravine; and when they saw that they could get nowhere, they +remained up there, petrified with anguish. + +Saint Peter saw some of them sit or lie with arms extended in ceaseless +longing, and with eyes fixedly turned upwards. Others had covered their +faces with their hands, as if they would shut out the hopeless horror +around them. They were all rigid; there was not one among them who had +the power to move. Some lay in the water-pools, perfectly still, without +trying to rise from them. + +But the most dreadful thing of all was--there was such a great throng of +the lost. It was as though the bottom of the ravine were made up of +nothing but bodies and heads. + +And Saint Peter was struck with a new fear. "You shall see that he will +not find her," said he to our Lord. + +Once more our Lord looked at him with the same grieved expression. He +knew of course that Saint Peter did not need to be uneasy about the +angel. + +But to Saint Peter it looked all the while as if the angel could not +find his mother in that great company of lost souls. He spread his wings +and flew back and forth over the nether regions, while he sought her. + +Suddenly one of the poor lost creatures caught a glimpse of the angel, +and he sprang up and stretched his arms towards him and cried: "Take me +with you! Take me with you!" + +Then, all at once, the whole throng was alive. All the millions upon +millions who languished in hell, roused themselves that instant, and +raised their arms and cried to the angel that he should take them with +him to the blessed Paradise. + +Their shrieks were heard all the way up to our Lord and Saint Peter, +whose hearts throbbed with anguish as they heard. + +The angel swayed high above the condemned; but as he traveled back and +forth, to find the one whom he sought, they all rushed after him, so +that it looked as though they had been swept on by a whirlwind. + +At last the angel caught sight of the one he was to take with him. He +folded his wings over his back and shot down like a streak of lightning, +and the astonished Saint Peter gave a cry of joy when he saw the angel +place an arm around his mother and lift her up. + +"Blessed be thou that bringest my mother to me!" said he. + +Our Lord laid His hand gently on Saint Peter's shoulder, as if He would +warn him not to abandon himself to joy too soon. + +But Saint Peter was ready to weep for joy, because his mother was saved. +He could not understand that anything further would have the power to +part them. And his joy increased when he saw that, quick as the angel +had been when he had lifted her up, still several of the lost souls had +succeeded in attaching themselves to her who was to be saved, in order +that they, too, might be borne to Paradise with her. + +There must have been a dozen who clung to the old woman, and Saint Peter +thought it was a great honor for his mother to help so many poor +unfortunate beings out of perdition. + +Nor did the angel do aught to hinder them. He seemed not at all troubled +with his burden, but rose and rose, and moved his wings with no more +effort than if he were carrying a little dead birdling to heaven. + +But then Saint Peter saw that his mother began to free herself from the +lost souls that had clung to her. She gripped their hands and loosened +their hold, so that one after another tumbled down into hell. + +Saint Peter could hear how they begged and implored her; but the old +woman did not desire that any one but herself should be saved. She freed +herself from more and more of them, and let them fall down into misery. +And as they fell, all space was filled with their lamentations and +curses. + +Then Saint Peter begged and implored his mother to show some compassion, +but she would not listen, and kept right on as before. + +And Saint Peter saw how the angel flew slower and slower, the lighter +his burden became. Such fear took hold of Saint Peter that his legs +shook, and he was forced to drop on his knees. + +Finally, there was only one condemned soul who still clung to St. +Peter's mother. This was a young woman who hung on her neck and begged +and cried in her ear that she would let her go along with her to the +blessed Paradise. + +The angel with his burden had already come so far that Saint Peter +stretched out his arms to receive his mother. He thought that the angel +had to make only two or three wing-strokes more to reach the mountain. + +Then, all of a sudden, the angel held his wings perfectly still, and his +countenance became dark as night. + +For now the old woman had stretched her hands back of her and gripped +the arms of the young woman who hung about her neck, and she clutched +and tore until she succeeded in separating the clasped hands, so that +she was free from this last one also. + +When the condemned one fell the angel sank several fathoms lower, and it +appeared as though he had not the strength to lift his wings again. + +He looked down upon the old woman with a deep, sorrowful glance; his +hold around her waist loosened, and he let her fall, as if she were too +heavy a burden for him, now that she was alone. + +Thereupon he swung himself with a single stroke up into Paradise. + +But Saint Peter lay for a long while in the same place, and sobbed, and +our Lord stood silent beside him. + +"Saint Peter," said our Lord at last, "I never thought that you would +weep like this after you had reached Paradise." + +Then God's old servant raised his head and answered: "What kind of a +Paradise is this, where I can hear the moans of my dearest ones, and see +the sufferings of my fellow men!" + +The face of our Lord became o'ercast by the deepest sorrow. "What did I +desire more than to prepare a Paradise for all, of nothing but light and +happiness?" He said. "Do you not understand that it was because of this +I went down among men and taught them to love their neighbors as +themselves? For as long as they do this not, there will be no refuge in +heaven or on earth where pain and sorrow cannot reach them." + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: The Sacred Flame] + + THE SACRED FLAME + + + I + +A great many years ago, when the city of Florence had only just been +made a republic, a man lived there named Raniero di Raniero. He was the +son of an armorer, and had learned his father's trade, but he did not +care much to pursue it. + +This Raniero was the strongest of men. It was said of him that he bore a +heavy iron armor as lightly as others wear a silk shirt. He was still a +young man, but already he had given many proofs of his strength. Once he +was in a house where grain was stored in the loft. Too much grain had +been heaped there; and while Raniero was in the house one of the loft +beams broke down, and the whole roof was about to fall in. He raised his +arms and held the roof up until the people managed to fetch beams and +poles to prop it. + +It was also said of Raniero that he was the bravest man that had ever +lived in Florence, and that he could never get enough of fighting. As +soon as he heard any noise in the street, he rushed out from the +workshop, in hopes that a fight had arisen in which he might +participate. If he could only distinguish himself, he fought just as +readily with humble peasants as with armored horsemen. He rushed into a +fight like a lunatic, without counting his opponents. + +Florence was not very powerful in his time. The people were mostly wool +spinners and cloth weavers, and these asked nothing better than to be +allowed to perform their tasks in peace. Sturdy men were plentiful, but +they were not quarrelsome, and they were proud of the fact that in their +city better order prevailed than elsewhere. Raniero often grumbled +because he was not born in a country where there was a king who gathered +around him valiant men, and declared that in such an event he would have +attained great honor and renown. + +Raniero was loud-mouthed and boastful; cruel to animals, harsh toward +his wife, and not good for any one to live with. He would have been +handsome if he had not had several deep scars across his face which +disfigured him. He was quick to jump at conclusions, and quick to act, +though his way was often violent. + +Raniero was married to Francesca, who was the daughter of Jacopo degli +Uberti, a wise and influential man. Jacopo had not been very anxious to +give his daughter to such a bully as Raniero, but had opposed the +marriage until the very last. Francesca forced him to relent, by +declaring that she would never marry any one else. When Jacopo finally +gave his consent, he said to Raniero: "I have observed that men like you +can more easily win a woman's love than keep it; therefore I shall exact +this promise from you: If my daughter finds life with you so hard that +she wishes to come back to me, you will not prevent her." Francesca said +it was needless to exact such a promise, since she was so fond of +Raniero that nothing could separate her from him. But Raniero gave his +promise promptly. "Of one thing you can be assured, Jacopo," said he--"I +will not try to hold any woman who wishes to flee from me." + +Then Francesca went to live with Raniero, and all was well between them +for a time. When they had been married a few weeks, Raniero took it into +his head that he would practice marksmanship. For several days he aimed +at a painting which hung upon a wall. He soon became skilled, and hit +the mark every time. At last he thought he would like to try and shoot +at a more difficult mark. He looked around for something suitable, but +discovered nothing except a quail that sat in a cage above the courtyard +gate. The bird belonged to Francesca, and she was very fond of it; but, +despite this, Raniero sent a page to open the cage, and shot the quail +as it swung itself into the air. + +This seemed to him a very good shot, and he boasted of it to any one who +would listen to him. + +When Francesca learned that Raniero had shot her bird, she grew pale and +looked hard at him. She marveled that he had wished to do a thing which +must bring grief to her; but she forgave him promptly and loved him as +before. + +Then all went well again for a time. + +Raniero's father-in-law, Jacopo, was a flax weaver. He had a large +establishment, where much work was done. Raniero thought he had +discovered that hemp was mixed with the flax in Jacopo's workshop, and +he did not keep silent about it, but talked of it here and there in the +city. At last Jacopo also heard this chatter, and tried at once to put a +stop to it. He let several other flax weavers examine his yarn and +cloth, and they found all of it to be of the very finest flax. Only in +one pack, which was designed to be sold outside of Florence, was there +any mixture. Then Jacopo said that the deception had been practised +without his knowledge or consent, by some one among his journeymen. He +apprehended at once that he would find it difficult to convince people +of this. He had always been famed for honesty, and he felt very keenly +that his honor had been smirched. + +Raniero, on the other hand, plumed himself upon having succeeded in +exposing a fraud, and he bragged about it even in Francesca's hearing. + +She felt deeply grieved; at the same time she was as astonished as when +he shot the bird. As she thought of this, she seemed suddenly to see her +love before her; and it was like a great piece of shimmery gold cloth. +She could see how big it was, and how it shimmered. But from one corner +a piece had been cut away, so that it was not as big and as beautiful as +it had been in the beginning. + +Still, it was as yet damaged so very little that she thought: "It will +probably last as long as I live. It is so great that it can never come +to an end." + +Again, there was a period during which she and Raniero were just as +happy as they had been at first. + +Francesca had a brother named Taddeo. He had been in Venice on a +business trip, and, while there, had purchased garments of silk and +velvet. When he came home he paraded around in them. Now, in Florence it +was not the custom to go about expensively clad, so there were many who +made fun of him. + +One night Taddeo and Raniero were out in the wine shops. Taddeo was +dressed in a green cloak with sable linings, and a violet jacket. +Raniero tempted him to drink so much wine that he fell asleep, and then +he took his cloak off him and hung it upon a scarecrow that was set up +in a cabbage patch. + +When Francesca heard of this she was vexed again with Raniero. That +moment she saw before her the big piece of gold cloth--which was her +love--and she seemed to see how it diminished, as Raniero cut away piece +after piece. + +After this, things were patched up between them for a time, but +Francesca was no longer so happy as in former days, because she always +feared that Raniero would commit some misdemeanor that would hurt her +love. + +This was not long in coming, either, for Raniero could never be +tranquil. He wished that people should always speak of him and praise +his courage and daring. + +At that time the cathedral in Florence was much smaller than the present +one, and there hung at the top of one of its towers a big, heavy shield, +which had been placed there by one of Francesca's ancestors. It was the +heaviest shield any man in Florence had been able to lift, and all the +Uberti family were proud because it was one of their own who had climbed +up in the tower and hung it there. + +But Raniero climbed up to the shield one day, hung it on his back, and +came down with it. + +When Francesca heard of this for the first time she spoke to Raniero of +what troubled her, and begged him not to humiliate her family in this +way. Raniero, who had expected that she would commend him for his feat, +became very angry. He retorted that he had long observed that she did +not rejoice in his success, but thought only of her own kin. "It's +something else I am thinking of," said Francesca, "and that is my love. +I know not what will become of it if you keep on in this way." + +After this they frequently exchanged harsh words, for Raniero happened +nearly always to do the very thing that was most distasteful to +Francesca. + +There was a workman in Raniero's shop who was little and lame. This man +had loved Francesca before she was married, and continued to love her +even after her marriage. Raniero, who knew this, undertook to joke with +him before all who sat at a table. It went so far that finally the man +could no longer bear to be held up to ridicule in Francesca's hearing, +so he rushed upon Raniero and wanted to fight with him. But Raniero only +smiled derisively and kicked him aside. Then the poor fellow thought he +did not care to live any longer, and went off and hanged himself. + +When this happened, Francesca and Raniero had been married about a year. +Francesca thought continually that she saw her love before her as a +shimmery piece of cloth, but on all sides large pieces were cut away, so +that it was scarcely half as big as it had been in the beginning. + +She became very much alarmed when she saw this, and thought: "If I stay +with Raniero another year, he will destroy my love. I shall become just +as poor as I have hitherto been rich." + +Then she concluded to leave Raniero's house and go to live with her +father, that the day might not come when she should hate Raniero as much +as she now loved him. + +Jacopo degli Uberti was sitting at the loom with all his workmen busy +around him when he saw her coming. He said that now the thing had come +to pass which he had long expected, and bade her be welcome. Instantly +he ordered all the people to leave off their work and arm themselves and +close the house. + +Then Jacopo went over to Raniero. He met him in the workshop. "My +daughter has this day returned to me and begged that she may live again +under my roof," he said to his son-in-law. "And now I expect that you +will not compel her to return to you, after the promise you have given +me." + +Raniero did not seem to take this very seriously, but answered calmly: +"Even if I had not given you my word, I would not demand the return of a +woman who does not wish to be mine." + +He knew how much Francesca loved him, and said to himself: "She will be +back with me before evening." + +Yet she did not appear either that day or the next. + +The third day Raniero went out and pursued a couple of robbers who had +long disturbed the Florentine merchants. He succeeded in catching them, +and took them captives to Florence. + +He remained quiet a couple of days, until he was positive that this feat +was known throughout the city. But it did not turn out as he had +expected--that it would bring Francesca back to him. + +Raniero had the greatest desire to appeal to the courts, to force her +return to him, but he felt himself unable to do this because of his +promise. It seemed impossible for him to live in the same city with a +wife who had abandoned him, so he moved away from Florence. + +He first became a soldier, and very soon he made himself commander of a +volunteer company. He was always in a fight, and served many masters. + +He won much renown as a warrior, as he had always said he would. He was +made a knight by the Emperor, and was accounted a great man. + +Before he left Florence, he had made a vow at a sacred image of the +Madonna in the Cathedral to present to the Blessed Virgin the best and +rarest that he won in every battle. Before this image one always saw +costly gifts, which were presented by Raniero. + +Raniero was aware that all his deeds were known in his native city. He +marveled much that Francesca degli Uberti did not come back to him, when +she knew all about his success. + +At that time sermons were preached to start the Crusades for the +recovery of the Holy Sepulchre from the Saracens, and Raniero took the +cross and departed for the Orient. He not only hoped to win castles and +lands to rule over, but also to succeed in performing such brilliant +feats that his wife would again be fond of him, and return to him. + + II + +The night succeeding the day on which Jerusalem had been captured, there +was great rejoicing in the Crusaders' camp, outside the city. In almost +every tent they celebrated with drinking bouts, and noise and roystering +were heard in every direction. + +Raniero di Raniero sat and drank with some comrades; and in his tent it +was even more hilarious than elsewhere. The servants barely had time to +fill the goblets before they were empty again. + +Raniero had the best of reasons for celebrating, because during the day +he had won greater glory than ever before. In the morning, when the city +was besieged, he had been the first to scale the walls after Godfrey of +Boulogne; and in the evening he had been honored for his bravery in the +presence of the whole corps. + +When the plunder and murder were ended, and the Crusaders in penitents' +cloaks and with lighted candles marched into the Church of the Holy +Sepulchre, it had been announced to Raniero by Godfrey that he should be +the first who might light his candle from the sacred candles which burn +before Christ's tomb. It appeared to Raniero that Godfrey wished in this +manner to show that he considered him the bravest man in the whole +corps; and he was very happy over the way in which he had been rewarded +for his achievements. + +As the night wore on, Raniero and his guests were in the best of +spirits; a fool and a couple of musicians who had wandered all over the +camp and amused the people with their pranks, came into Raniero's tent, +and the fool asked permission to narrate a comic story. + +Raniero knew that this particular fool was in great demand for his +drollery, and he promised to listen to his narrative. + +"It happened once," said the fool, "that our Lord and Saint Peter sat a +whole day upon the highest tower in Paradise Stronghold, and looked down +upon the earth. They had so much to look at, that they scarcely found +time to exchange a word. Our Lord kept perfectly still the whole time, +but Saint Peter sometimes clapped his hands for joy, and again turned +his head away in disgust. Sometimes he applauded and smiled, and anon he +wept and commiserated. Finally, as it drew toward the close of day, and +twilight sank down over Paradise, our Lord turned to Saint Peter and +said that now he must surely be satisfied and content. 'What is it that +I should be content with?' Saint Peter asked, in an impetuous tone. +'Why,' said our Lord slowly, 'I thought that you would be pleased with +what you have seen to-day.' But Saint Peter did not care to be +conciliated. 'It is true,' said he, 'that for many years I have bemoaned +the fact that Jerusalem should be in the power of unbelievers, but after +all that has happened to-day, I think it might just as well have +remained as it was.'" + +Raniero understood now that the fool spoke of what had taken place +during the day. Both he and the other knights began to listen with +greater interest than in the beginning. + +"When Saint Peter had said this," continued the fool, as he cast a +furtive glance at the knights, "he leaned over the pinnacle of the tower +and pointed toward the earth. He showed our Lord a city which lay upon a +great solitary rock that shot up from a mountain valley. 'Do you see +those mounds of corpses?' he said. 'And do you see the naked and +wretched prisoners who moan in the night chill? And do you see all the +smoking ruins of the conflagration?' It appeared as if our Lord did not +wish to answer him, but Saint Peter went on with his lamentations. He +said that he had certainly been vexed with that city many times, but he +had not wished it so ill as that it should come to look like this. Then, +at last, our Lord answered, and tried an objection: 'Still, you can not +deny that the Christian knights have risked their lives with the utmost +fearlessness,' said He." + +Then the fool was interrupted by bravos, but he made haste to continue. + +"Oh, don't interrupt me!" he said. "Now I don't remember where I left +off--ah! to be sure, I was just going to say that Saint Peter wiped away +a tear or two which sprang to his eyes and prevented him from seeing. 'I +never would have thought they could be such beasts,' said he. 'They have +murdered and plundered the whole day. Why you went to all the trouble of +letting yourself be crucified in order to gain such devotees, I can't in +the least comprehend.'" + +The knights took up the fun good-naturedly. They began to laugh loud and +merrily. "What, fool! Is Saint Peter so wroth with us?" shrieked one of +them. + +"Be silent now, and let us hear if our Lord spoke in our defense!" +interposed another. + +"No, our Lord was silent. He knew of old that when Saint Peter had once +got a-going, it wasn't worth while to argue with him. He went on in his +way, and said that our Lord needn't trouble to tell him that finally +they remembered to which city they had come, and went to church +barefooted and in penitents' garb. That spirit had, of course, not +lasted long enough to be worth mentioning. And thereupon he leaned once +more over the tower and pointed downward toward Jerusalem. He pointed +out the Christians' camp outside the city. 'Do you see how your knights +celebrate their victories?' he asked. And our Lord saw that there was +revelry everywhere in the camp. Knights and soldiers sat and looked upon +Syrian dancers. Filled goblets went the rounds while they threw dice for +the spoils of war and----" + +"They listened to fools who told vile stories," interpolated Raniero. +"Was not this also a great sin?" + +The fool laughed and shook his head at Raniero, as much as to say, +"Wait! I will pay you back." + +"No, don't interrupt me!" he begged once again. "A poor fool forgets so +easily what he would say. Ah! it was this: Saint Peter asked our Lord if +He thought these people were much of a credit to Him. To this, of +course, our Lord had to reply that He didn't think they were. + +"'They were robbers and murderers before they left home, and robbers and +murderers they are even to-day. This undertaking you could just as well +have left undone. No good will come of it,' said Saint Peter." + +"Come, come, fool!" said Raniero in a threatening tone. But the fool +seemed to consider it an honor to test how far he could go without some +one jumping up and throwing him out, and he continued fearlessly. + +"Our Lord only bowed His head, like one who acknowledges that he is +being justly rebuked. But almost at the same instant He leaned forward +eagerly and peered down with closer scrutiny than before. Saint Peter +also glanced down. 'What are you looking for?' he wondered." + +The fool delivered this speech with much animated facial play. All the +knights saw our Lord and Saint Peter before their eyes, and they +wondered what it was our Lord had caught sight of. + +"Our Lord answered that it was nothing in particular," said the fool. +"Saint Peter gazed in the direction of our Lord's glance, but he could +discover nothing except that our Lord sat and looked down into a big +tent, outside of which a couple of Saracen heads were set up on long +lances, and where a lot of fine rugs, golden vessels, and costly +weapons, captured in the Holy City, were piled up. In that tent they +carried on as they did everywhere else in the camp. A company of knights +sat and emptied their goblets. The only difference might be that here +there were more drinking and roystering than elsewhere. Saint Peter +could not comprehend why our Lord was so pleased when He looked down +there, that His eyes fairly sparkled with delight. So many hard and +cruel faces he had rarely before seen gathered around a drinking table. +And he who was host at the board and sat at the head of the table was +the most dreadful of all. He was a man of thirty-five, frightfully big +and coarse, with a blowsy countenance covered with scars and scratches, +calloused hands, and a loud, bellowing voice." + +Here the fool paused a moment, as if he feared to go on, but both +Raniero and the others liked to hear him talk of themselves, and only +laughed at his audacity. "You're a daring fellow," said Raniero, "so let +us see what you are driving at!" + +"Finally, our Lord said a few words," continued the fool, "which made +Saint Peter understand what He rejoiced over. He asked Saint Peter if He +saw wrongly, or if it could actually be true that one of the knights had +a burning candle beside him." + +Raniero gave a start at these words. Now, at last, he was angry with the +fool, and reached out his hand for a heavy wine pitcher to throw at his +face, but he controlled himself that he might hear whether the fellow +wished to speak to his credit or discredit. + +"Saint Peter saw now," narrated the fool, "that, although the tent was +lighted mostly by torches, one of the knights really had a burning wax +candle beside him. It was a long, thick candle, one of the sort made to +burn twenty-four hours. The knight, who had no candlestick to set it in, +had gathered together some stones and piled them around it, to make it +stand." + +The company burst into shrieks of laughter at this. All pointed at a +candle which stood on the table beside Raniero, and was exactly like the +one the fool had described. The blood mounted to Raniero's head; for +this was the candle which he had a few hours before been permitted to +light at the Holy Sepulchre. He had been unable to make up his mind to +let it die out. + +"When Saint Peter saw that candle," said the fool, "it dawned upon him +what it was that our Lord was so happy over, but at the same time he +could not help feeling just a little sorry for Him. 'Oh,' he said, 'it +was the same knight that leaped upon the wall this morning immediately +after the gentleman of Boulogne, and who this evening was permitted to +light his candle at the Holy Sepulchre ahead of all the others. 'True!' +said our Lord. 'And, as you see, his candle is still burning.'" + +The fool talked very fast now, casting an occasional sly glance at +Raniero. "Saint Peter could not help pitying our Lord. 'Can't you +understand why he keeps that candle burning?' said he. 'You must believe +that he thinks of your sufferings and death whenever he looks at it. But +he thinks only of the glory which he won when he was acknowledged to be +the bravest man in the troop after Godfrey.'" + +At this all Raniero's guests laughed. Raniero was very angry, but he, +too, forced himself to laugh. He knew they would have found it still +more amusing if he hadn't been able to take a little fun. + +"But our Lord contradicted Saint Peter," said the fool. "'Don't you see +how careful he is with the light?' asked He. 'He puts his hand before +the flame as soon as any one raises the tent-flap, for fear the draught +will blow it out. And he is constantly occupied in chasing away the +moths which fly around it and threaten to extinguish it.'" + +The laughter grew merrier and merrier, for what the fool said was the +truth. Raniero found it more and more difficult to control himself. He +felt he could not endure that any one should jest about the sacred +candle. + +"Still, Saint Peter was dubious," continued the fool. "He asked our Lord +if He knew that knight. 'He's not one who goes often to Mass or wears +out the prie-dieu,' said he. But our Lord could not be swerved from His +opinion. + +"'Saint Peter, Saint Peter,' He said earnestly. 'Remember that +henceforth this knight shall become more pious than Godfrey. Whence do +piety and gentleness spring, if not from my sepulchre? You shall see +Raniero di Raniero help widows and distressed prisoners. You shall see +him care for the sick and despairing as he now cares for the sacred +candle flame.'" + +At this they laughed inordinately. It struck them all as very ludicrous, +for they knew Raniero's disposition and mode of living. But he himself +found both the jokes and laughter intolerable. He sprang to his feet and +wanted to reprove the fool. As he did this, he bumped so hard against +the table--which was only a door set up on loose boxes--that it wabbled, +and the candle fell down. It was evident now how careful Raniero was to +keep the candle burning. He controlled his anger and gave himself time +to pick it up and brighten the flame, before he rushed upon the fool. +But when he had trimmed the light the fool had already darted out of the +tent, and Raniero knew it would be useless to pursue him in the +darkness. "I shall probably run across him another time," he thought, +and sat down. + +Meanwhile the guests had laughed mockingly, and one of them turned to +Raniero and wanted to continue the jesting. He said: "There is one +thing, however, which is certain, Raniero, and that is--this time you +can't send to the Madonna in Florence the most precious thing you have +won in the battle." + +Raniero asked why he thought that he should not follow his old habit +this time. + +"For no other reason," said the knight, "than that the most precious +thing you have won is that sacred candle flame, which you were permitted +to light at the church of the Holy Sepulchre in presence of the whole +corps. Surely you can't send that to Florence!" + +Again the other knights laughed, but Raniero was now in the mood to +undertake the wildest projects, just to put an end to their laughter. He +came to a conclusion quickly, called to an old squire, and said to him: +"Make ready, Giovanni, for a long journey. To-morrow you shall travel to +Florence with this sacred candle flame." + +But the squire said a blunt no to this command. "This is something which +I don't care to undertake," he said. "How should it be possible to +travel to Florence with a candle flame? It would be extinguished before +I had left the camp." + +Raniero asked one after another of his men. He received the same reply +from all. They scarcely seemed to take his command seriously. + +It was a foregone conclusion that the foreign knights who were his +guests should laugh even louder and more merrily, as it became apparent +that none of Raniero's men wished to carry out his order. + +Raniero grew more and more excited. Finally he lost his patience and +shouted: "This candle flame shall nevertheless be borne to Florence; and +since no one else will ride there with it, I will do so myself!" + +"Consider before you promise anything of the kind!" said a knight. "You +ride away from a principality." + +"I swear to you that I will carry this sacred flame to Florence!" +exclaimed Raniero. "I shall do what no one else has cared to undertake." + +The old squire defended himself. "Master, it's another matter for you. +You can take with you a large retinue but me you would send alone." + +But Raniero was clean out of himself, and did not consider his words. +"I, too, shall travel alone," said he. + +But with this declaration Raniero had carried his point. Every one in +the tent had ceased laughing. Terrified, they sat and stared at him. + +"Why don't you laugh any more?" asked Raniero. "This undertaking surely +can't be anything but a child's game for a brave man." + + III + +The next morning at dawn Raniero mounted his horse. He was in full +armor, but over it he had thrown a coarse pilgrim cloak, so that the +iron dress should not become overheated by exposure to the sun's rays. +He was armed with a sword and battle-club, and rode a good horse. He +held in his hand a burning candle, and to the saddle he had tied a +couple of bundles of long wax candles, so the flame should not die out +for lack of nourishment. + +Raniero rode slowly through the long, encumbered tent street, and thus +far all went well. It was still so early that the mists which had arisen +from the deep dales surrounding Jerusalem were not dispersed, and +Raniero rode forward as in a white night. The whole troop slept, and +Raniero passed the guards easily. None of them called out his name, for +the mist prevented their seeing him, and the roads were covered with a +dust-like soil a foot high, which made the horse's tramp inaudible. + +Raniero was soon outside the camp and started on the road which led to +Joppa. Here it was smoother, but he rode very slowly now, because of the +candle, which burned feebly in the thick mist. Big insects kept dashing +against the flame. Raniero had all he could do guarding it, but he was +in the best of spirits and thought all the while that the mission which +he had undertaken was so easy that a child could manage it. + +Meanwhile, the horse grew weary of the slow pace, and began to trot. The +flame began to flicker in the wind. It didn't help that Raniero tried to +shield it with his hand and with the cloak. He saw that it was about to +be extinguished. + +But he had no desire to abandon the project so soon. He stopped the +horse, sat still a moment, and pondered. Then he dismounted and tried +sitting backwards, so that his body shielded the flame from the wind. In +this way he succeeded in keeping it burning; but he realized now that +the journey would be more difficult than he had thought at the +beginning. + +When he had passed the mountains which surround Jerusalem, the fog +lifted. He rode forward now in the greatest solitude. There were no +people, houses, green trees, nor plants--only bare rocks. + +Here Raniero was attacked by robbers. They were idle folk, who followed +the camp without permission, and lived by theft and plunder. They had +lain in hiding behind a hill, and Raniero--who rode backwards--had not +seen them until they had surrounded him and brandished their swords at +him. + +There were about twelve men. They looked wretched, and rode poor horses. +Raniero saw at once that it would not be difficult for him to break +through this company and ride on. And after his proud boast of the night +before, he was unwilling to abandon his undertaking easily. + +He saw no other means of escape than to compromise with the robbers. He +told them that, since he was armed and rode a good horse, it might be +difficult to overpower him if he defended himself. And as he was bound +by a vow, he did not wish to offer resistance, but they could take +whatever they wanted, without a struggle, if only they promised not to +put out his light. + +The robbers had expected a hard struggle, and were very happy over +Raniero's proposal, and began immediately to plunder him. They took from +him armor and steed, weapons and money. The only thing they let him keep +was the coarse cloak and the two bundles of wax candles. They sacredly +kept their promise, also, not to put out the candle flame. + +One of them mounted Raniero's horse. When he noticed what a fine animal +he was, he felt a little sorry for the rider. He called out to him: +"Come, come, we must not be too cruel toward a Christian. You shall have +my old horse to ride." + +It was a miserable old screw of a horse. It moved as stiffly, and with +as much difficulty, as if it were made of wood. + +When the robbers had gone at last, and Raniero had mounted the wretched +horse, he said to himself: "I must have become bewitched by this candle +flame. For its sake I must now travel along the roads like a crazy +beggar." + +He knew it would be wise for him to turn back, because the undertaking +was really impracticable. But such an intense yearning to accomplish it +had come over him that he could not resist the desire to go on. +Therefore, he went farther. He saw all around him the same bare, +yellowish hills. + +After a while he came across a goatherd, who tended four goats. When +Raniero saw the animals grazing on the barren ground, he wondered if +they ate earth. + +This goatherd had owned a larger flock, which had been stolen from him +by the Crusaders. When he noticed a solitary Christian come riding +toward him, he tried to do him all the harm he could. He rushed up to +him and struck at his light with his staff. Raniero was so taken up by +the flame that he could not defend himself even against a goatherd. He +only drew the candle close to him to protect it. The goatherd struck at +it several times more, then he paused, astonished, and ceased striking. +He noticed that Raniero's cloak had caught fire, but Raniero did nothing +to smother the blaze, so long as the sacred flame was in danger. The +goatherd looked as though he felt ashamed. For a long time he followed +Raniero, and in one place, where the road was very narrow, with a deep +chasm on each side of it, he came up and led the horse for him. + +Raniero smiled and thought the goatherd surely regarded him as a holy +man who had undertaken a voluntary penance. + +Toward evening Raniero began to meet people. Rumors of the fall of +Jerusalem had already spread to the coast, and a throng of people had +immediately prepared to go up there. There were pilgrims who for years +had awaited an opportunity to get into Jerusalem, also some +newly-arrived troops; but they were mostly merchants who were hastening +with provisions. + +When these throngs met Raniero, who came riding backwards with a burning +candle in his hand, they cried: "A madman, a madman!" + +The majority were Italians; and Raniero heard how they shouted in his +own tongue, "Pazzo, pazzo!" which means "a madman, a madman." + +Raniero, who had been able to keep himself well in check all day, became +intensely irritated by these ever-recurring shouts. Instantly he +dismounted and began to chastise the offenders with his hard fists. When +they saw how heavy the blows were, they took to their heels, and Raniero +soon stood alone on the road. + +Now Raniero was himself again. "In truth they were right to call me a +madman," he said, as he looked around for the light. He did not know +what he had done with it. At last he saw that it had rolled down into a +hollow. The flame was extinguished, but he saw fire gleam from a dry +grass-tuft close beside it, and understood that luck was with him, for +the flame had ignited the grass before it had gone out. + +"This might have been an inglorious end of a deal of trouble," he +thought, as he lit the candle and stepped into the saddle. He was rather +mortified. It did not seem to him very probable that his journey would +be a success. + +In the evening Raniero reached Ramle, and rode up to a place where +caravans usually had night harbor. It was a large covered yard. All +around it were little stalls where travelers could put up their horses. +There were no rooms, but folk could sleep beside the animals. + +The place was overcrowded with people, yet the host found room for +Raniero and his horse. He also gave fodder to the horse and food to the +rider. + +When Raniero perceived that he was well treated, he thought: "I almost +believe the robbers did me a service when they took from me my armor and +my horse. I shall certainly get out of the country more easily with my +light burden, if they mistake me for a lunatic." + +When he had led the horse into the stall, he sat down on a sheaf of +straw and held the candle in his hands. It was his intention not to fall +asleep, but to remain awake all night. + +But he had hardly seated himself when he fell asleep. He was fearfully +exhausted, and in his sleep he stretched out full length and did not +wake till morning. + +When he awoke he saw neither flame nor candle. He searched in the straw +for the candle, but did not find it anywhere. + +"Some one has taken it from me and extinguished it," he said. He tried +to persuade himself that he was glad that all was over, and that he need +not pursue an impossible undertaking. + +But as he pondered, he felt a sense of emptiness and loss. He thought +that never before had he so longed to succeed in anything on which he +had set his mind. + +He led the horse out and groomed and saddled it. + +When he was ready to set out, the host who owned the caravansary came up +to him with a burning candle. He said in Frankish: "When you fell asleep +last night, I had to take your light from you, but here you have it +again." + +Raniero betrayed nothing, but said very calmly: "It was wise of you to +extinguish it." + +"I have not extinguished it," said the man. "I noticed that it was +burning when you arrived, and I thought it was of importance to you that +it should continue to burn. If you see how much it has decreased, you +will understand that it has been burning all night." + +Raniero beamed with happiness. He commended the host heartily, and rode +away in the best of spirits. + + IV + +When Raniero broke away from the camp at Jerusalem, he intended to +travel from Joppa to Italy by sea, but changed his mind after he had +been robbed of his money, and concluded to make the journey by land. + +It was a long journey. From Joppa he went northward along the Syrian +coast. Then he rode westward along the peninsula of Asia Minor, then +northward again, all the way to Constantinople. From there he still had +a monotonously long distance to travel to reach Florence. During the +whole journey Raniero had lived upon the contributions of the pious. +They that shared their bread with him mostly were pilgrims who at this +time traveled _en masse_ to Jerusalem. + +Regardless of the fact that he nearly always rode alone, his days were +neither long nor monotonous. He must always guard the candle flame, and +on its account he never could feel at ease. It needed only a puff of +breeze--a rain-drop--and there would have been an end to it. + +As Raniero rode over lonely roads, and thought only about keeping the +flame alive, it occurred to him that once before he had been concerned +with something similar. Once before he had seen a person watch over +something which was just as sensitive as a candle flame. + +This recollection was so vague to him at first that he wondered if it +was something he had dreamed. + +But as he rode on alone through the country, it kept recurring to him +that he had participated in something similar once before. + +"It is as if all my life long I had heard tell of nothing else," said +he. + +One evening he rode into a city. It was after sundown, and the +housewives stood in their doorways and watched for their husbands. Then +he noticed one who was tall and slender, and had earnest eyes. She +reminded him of Francesca degli Uberti. + +Instantly it became clear to him what he had been pondering over. It +came to him that for Francesca her love must have been as a sacred flame +which she had always wished to keep burning, and which she had +constantly feared that Raniero would quench. He was astonished at this +thought, but grew more and more certain that the matter stood thus. For +the first time he began to understand why Francesca had left him, and +that it was not with feats of arms he should win her back. + + * * * * * + +The journey which Raniero made was of long duration. This was in part +due to the fact that he could not venture out when the weather was bad. +Then he sat in some caravansary, and guarded the candle flame. These +were very trying days. + +One day, when he rode over Mount Lebanon, he saw that a storm was +brewing. He was riding high up among awful precipices, and a frightful +distance from any human abode. Finally he saw on the summit of a rock +the tomb of a Saracen saint. It was a little square stone structure with +a vaulted roof. He thought it best to seek shelter there. + +He had barely entered when a snowstorm came up, which raged for two days +and nights. At the same time it grew so cold that he came near freezing +to death. + +Raniero knew that there were heaps of branches and twigs out on the +mountain, and it would not have been difficult for him to gather fuel +for a fire. But he considered the candle flame which he carried very +sacred, and did not wish to light anything from it, except the candles +before the Blessed Virgin's Altar. + +The storm increased, and at last he heard thunder and saw gleams of +lightning. + +Then came a flash which struck the mountain, just in front of the tomb, +and set fire to a tree. And in this way he was enabled to light his fire +without having to borrow of the sacred flame. + + * * * * * + +As Raniero was riding on through a desolate portion of the Cilician +mountain district, his candles were all used up. The candles which he +had brought with him from Jerusalem had long since been consumed; but +still he had been able to manage because he had found Christian +communities all along the way, of whom he had begged fresh candles. + +But now his resources were exhausted, and he thought that this would be +the end of his journey. + +When the candle was so nearly burned out that the flame scorched his +hand, he jumped from his horse and gathered branches and dry leaves and +lit these with the last of the flame. But up on the mountain there was +very little that would ignite, and the fire would soon burn out. + +While he sat and grieved because the sacred flame must die, he heard +singing down the road, and a procession of pilgrims came marching up the +steep path, bearing candles in their hands. They were on their way to a +grotto where a holy man had lived, and Raniero followed them. Among them +was a woman who was very old and had difficulty in walking, and Raniero +carried her up the mountain. + +When she thanked him afterwards, he made a sign to her that she should +give him her candle. She did so, and several others also presented him +with the candles which they carried. He extinguished the candles, +hurried down the steep path, and lit one of them with the last spark +from the fire lighted by the sacred flame. + + * * * * * + +One day at the noon hour it was very warm, and Raniero had lain down to +sleep in a thicket. He slept soundly, and the candle stood beside him +between a couple of stones. When he had been asleep a while, it began to +rain, and this continued for some time, without his waking. When at last +he was startled out of his sleep, the ground around him was wet, and he +hardly dared glance toward the light, for fear it might be quenched. + +But the light burned calmly and steadily in the rain, and Raniero saw +that this was because two little birds flew and fluttered just above the +flame. They caressed it with their bills, and held their wings +outspread, and in this way they protected the sacred flame from the +rain. + +He took off his hood immediately, and hung it over the candle. Thereupon +he reached out his hand for the two little birds, for he had been seized +with a desire to pet them. Neither of them flew away because of him, and +he could catch them. + +He was very much astonished that the birds were not afraid of him. "It +is because they know I have no thought except to protect that which is +the most sensitive of all, that they do not fear me," thought he. + + * * * * * + +Raniero rode in the vicinity of Nicæa, in Bithynia. Here he met some +western gentlemen who were conducting a party of recruits to the Holy +Land. In this company was Robert Taillefer, who was a wandering knight +and a troubadour. + +Raniero, in his torn cloak, came riding along with the candle in his +hand, and the warriors began as usual to shout, "A madman, a madman!" +But Robert silenced them, and addressed the rider. + +"Have you journeyed far in this manner?" he asked. + +"I have ridden like this all the way from Jerusalem," answered Raniero. + +"Has your light been extinguished many times during the journey?" + +"Still burns the flame that lighted the candle with which I rode away +from Jerusalem," responded Raniero. + +Then Robert Taillefer said to him: "I am also one of those who carry a +light, and I would that it burned always. But perchance you, who have +brought your light burning all the way from Jerusalem, can tell me what +I shall do that it may not become extinguished?" + +Then Raniero answered: "Master, it is a difficult task, although it +appears to be of slight importance. This little flame demands of you +that you shall entirely cease to think of anything else. It will not +allow you to have any sweet-heart--in case you should desire anything of +the sort--neither would you dare on account of this flame to sit down at +a revel. You can not have aught else in your thoughts than just this +flame, and must possess no other happiness. But my chief reason for +advising you against making the journey which I have weathered is that +you can not for an instant feel secure. It matters not through how many +perils you may have guarded the flame, you can not for an instant think +yourself secure, but must ever expect that the very next moment it may +fail you." + +But Robert Taillefer raised his head proudly and answered: "What you +have done for your sacred flame I may do for mine." + + * * * * * + +Raniero arrived in Italy. One day he rode through lonely roads up among +the mountains. A woman came running after him and begged him to give her +a light from his candle. "The fire in my hut is out," said she. "My +children are hungry. Give me a light that I may heat my oven and bake +bread for them!" + +She reached for the burning candle, but Raniero held it back because he +did not wish that anything should be lighted by that flame but the +candles before the image of the Blessed Virgin. + +Then the woman said to him: "Pilgrim, give me a light, for the life of +my children is the flame which I am in duty bound to keep burning!" And +because of these words he permitted her to light the wick of her lamp +from his flame. + +Several hours later he rode into a town. It lay far up on the mountain, +where it was very cold. A peasant stood in the road and saw the poor +wretch who came riding in his torn cloak. Instantly he stripped off the +short mantle which he wore, and flung it to him. But the mantle fell +directly over the candle and extinguished the flame. + +Then Raniero remembered the woman who had borrowed a light of him. He +turned back to her and had his candle lighted anew with sacred fire. + +When he was ready to ride farther, he said to her: "You say that the +sacred flame which you must guard is the life of your children. Can you +tell me what name this candle's flame bears, which I have carried over +long roads?" + +"Where was your candle lighted?" asked the woman. + +"It was lighted at Christ's sepulchre," said Raniero. + +"Then it can only be called Gentleness and Love of Humanity," said she. + +Raniero laughed at the answer. He thought himself a singular apostle of +virtues such as these. + + * * * * * + +Raniero rode forward between beautiful blue hills. He saw he was near +Florence. He was thinking that he must soon part with his light. He +thought of his tent in Jerusalem, which he had left filled with +trophies, and the brave soldiers who were still in Palestine, and who +would be glad to have him take up the business of war once more, and +bear them on to new conquests and honors. + +Then he perceived that he experienced no pleasure in thinking of this, +but that his thoughts were drawn in another direction. + +Then he realized for the first time that he was no longer the same man +that had gone from Jerusalem. The ride with the sacred flame had +compelled him to rejoice with all who were peaceable and wise and +compassionate, and to abhor the savage and warlike. + +He was happy every time he thought of people who labored peacefully in +their homes, and it occurred to him that he would willingly move into +his old workshop in Florence and do beautiful and artistic work. + +"Verily this flame has recreated me," he thought. "I believe it has made +a new man of me." + + V + +It was Eastertide when Raniero rode into Florence. + +He had scarcely come in through the city gate--riding backwards, with +his hood drawn down over his face and the burning candle in his +hand--when a beggar arose and shouted the customary "Pazzo, pazzo!" + +At this cry a street gamin darted out of a doorway, and a loafer, who +had had nothing else to do for a long time than to lie and gaze at the +clouds, jumped to his feet. Both began shouting the same thing: "Pazzo, +pazzo!" + +Now that there were three who shrieked, they made a good deal of noise +and so woke up all the street urchins. They came rushing out from nooks +and corners. As soon as they saw Raniero, in his torn coat, on the +wretched horse, they shouted: "Pazzo, pazzo!" + +But this was only what Raniero was accustomed to. He rode quietly up the +street, seeming: not to notice the shouters. + +Then they were not content with merely shouting, but one of them jumped +up and tried to blow out the light. Raniero raised the candle on high, +trying at the same time to prod his horse, to escape the boys. + +They kept even pace with him, and did everything they could to put out +the light. + +The more he exerted himself to protect the flame the more excited they +became. They leaped upon one another's backs, puffed their cheeks out, +and blew. They flung their caps at the candle. It was only because they +were so numerous and crowded on one another that they did not succeed in +quenching the flame. + +This was the largest procession on the street. People stood at the +windows and laughed. No one felt any sympathy with a madman, who wanted +to defend his candle flame. It was church hour, and many worshipers were +on their way to Mass. They, too, stopped and laughed at the sport. + +But now Raniero stood upright in the saddle, so that he could shield the +candle. He looked wild. The hood had fallen back and they saw his face, +which was wasted and pale, like a martyr's. The candle he held uplifted +as high as he could. + +The entire street was one great swarm of people. Even the older ones +began to take part in the play. The women waved their head-shawls and +the men swung their caps. Every one worked to extinguish the light. + +Raniero rode under the vine-covered balcony of a house. Upon this stood +a woman. She leaned over the lattice-work, snatched the candle, and ran +in with it. The woman was Francesca degli Uberti. + +The whole populace burst into shrieks of laughter and shouts, but +Raniero swayed in his saddle and fell to the street. + +As soon as he lay there stricken and unconscious, the street was emptied +of people. + +No one wished to take charge of the fallen man. His horse was the only +creature that stopped beside him. + +As soon as the crowds had got away from the street, Francesca degli +Uberti came out from her house, with the burning candle in her hand. She +was still pretty; her features were gentle, and her eyes were deep and +earnest. + +She went up to Raniero and bent over him. He lay senseless, but the +instant the candle light fell upon his face, he moved and roused +himself. It was apparent that the candle flame had complete power over +him. When Francesca saw that he had regained his senses, she said: "Here +is your candle. I snatched it from you, as I saw how anxious you were to +keep it burning. I knew of no other way to help you." + +Raniero had had a bad fall, and was hurt. But now nothing could hold him +back. He began to raise himself slowly. He wanted to walk, but wavered, +and was about to fall. Then he tried to mount his horse. Francesca +helped him. "Where do you wish to go?" she asked when he sat in the +saddle again. "I want to go to the cathedral," he answered. "Then I +shall accompany you," she said, "for I'm going to Mass." And she led the +horse for him. + +Francesca had recognized Raniero the very moment she saw him, but he did +not see who she was, for he did not take time to notice her. He kept his +gaze fixed upon the candle flame alone. + +They were absolutely silent all the way. Raniero thought only of the +flame, and of guarding it well these last moments. Francesca could not +speak, for she felt she did not wish to be certain of that which she +feared. She could not believe but that Raniero had come home insane. +Although she was almost certain of this, she would rather not speak with +him, in order to avoid any positive assurance. + +After a while Raniero heard some one weep near him. He looked around and +saw that it was Francesca degli Uberti, who walked beside him; and she +wept. But Raniero saw her only for an instant, and said nothing to her. +He wanted to think only of the sacred flame. + +Raniero let her conduct him to the sacristy. There he dismounted. He +thanked Francesca for her help, but looked all the while not upon her, +but on the light. He walked alone up to the priests in the sacristy. + +Francesca went into the church. It was Easter Eve, and all the candles +stood unlighted upon the altars, as a symbol of mourning. Francesca +thought that every flame of hope which had ever burned within her was +now extinguished. + +In the church there was profound solemnity. There were many priests at +the altar. The canons sat in a body in the chancel, with the bishop +among them. + +By and by Francesca noticed there was commotion among the priests. +Nearly all who were not needed to serve at Mass arose and went out into +the sacristy. Finally the bishop went, too. + +When Mass was over, a priest stepped up to the chancel railing and began +to speak to the people. He related that Raniero di Raniero had arrived +in Florence with sacred fire from Jerusalem. He narrated what the rider +had endured and suffered on the way. And he praised him exceeding much. + +The people sat spellbound and listened to this. Francesca had never +before experienced such a blissful moment. "O God!" she sighed, "this is +greater happiness than I can bear." Her tears fell as she listened. + +The priest talked long and well. Finally he said in a strong, thrilling +voice: "It may perchance appear like a trivial thing now, that a candle +flame has been brought to Florence. But I say to you: Pray God that He +will send Florence many bearers of Eternal Light; then she will become a +great power, and be extolled as a city among cities!" + +When the priest had finished speaking, the entrance doors of the church +were thrown open, and a procession of canons and monks and priests +marched up the center aisle toward the altar. The bishop came last, and +by his side walked Raniero, in the same cloak that he had worn during +the entire journey. + +But when Raniero had crossed the threshold of the cathedral, an old man +arose and walked toward him. It was Oddo, the father of the journeyman +who had once worked for Raniero, and had hanged himself because of him. + +When this man had come up to the bishop and Raniero, he bowed to them. +Thereupon he said in such a loud voice that all in the church heard him: +"It is a great thing for Florence that Raniero has come with sacred fire +from Jerusalem. Such a thing has never before been heard of or +conceived. For that reason perhaps there may be many who will say that +it is not possible. Therefore, I beg that all the people may know what +proofs and witnesses Raniero has brought with him, to assure us that +this is actually fire which was lighted in Jerusalem." + +When Raniero heard this he said: "God help me! how can I produce +witnesses? I have made the journey alone. Deserts and mountain wastes +must come and testify for me." + +"Raniero is an honest knight," said the bishop, "and we believe him on +his word." + +"Raniero must know himself that doubts will arise as to this," said +Oddo. "Surely, he can not have ridden entirely alone. His little pages +could certainly testify for him." + +Then Francesca degli Uberti rushed up to Raniero. "Why need we +witnesses?" said she. "All the women in Florence would swear on oath +that Raniero speaks the truth!" + +Then Raniero smiled, and his countenance brightened for a moment. +Thereupon he turned his thoughts and his gaze once more upon the candle +flame. + +There was great commotion in the church. Some said that Raniero should +not be allowed to light the candles on the altar until his claim was +substantiated. With this many of his old enemies sided. + +Then Jacopo degli Uberti rose and spoke in Raniero's behalf. "I believe +every one here knows that no very great friendship has existed between +my son-in-law and me," he said; "but now both my sons and I will answer +for him. We believe he has performed this task, and we know that one who +has been disposed to carry out such an undertaking is a wise, discreet, +and noble-minded man, whom we are glad to receive among us." + +But Oddo and many others were not disposed to let him taste of the bliss +he was yearning for. They got together in a close group and it was easy +to see that they did not care to withdraw their demand. + +Raniero apprehended that if this should develop into a fight, they would +immediately try to get at the candle. As he kept his eyes steadily fixed +upon his opponents, he raised the candle as high as he could. + +He looked exhausted in the extreme, and distraught. One could see that, +although he wished to hold out to the very last, he expected defeat. +What mattered it to him now if he were permitted to light the candles? +Oddo's word had been a death-blow. When doubt was once awakened, it +would spread and increase. He fancied that Oddo had already extinguished +the sacred flame forever. + +A little bird came fluttering through the great open doors into the +church. It flew straight into Raniero's light. He hadn't time to snatch +it aside, and the bird dashed against it and put out the flame. + +Raniero's arm dropped, and tears sprang to his eyes. The first moment he +felt this as a sort of relief. It was better thus than if human beings +had killed it. + +The little bird continued its flight into the church, fluttering +confusedly hither and thither, as birds do when they come into a room. + +Simultaneously a loud cry resounded throughout the church: "The bird is +on fire! The sacred candle flame has set its wings on fire!" + +The little bird chirped anxiously. For a few moments it fluttered about, +like a flickering flame, under the high chancel arches. Then it sank +suddenly and dropped dead upon the Madonna's Altar. + +But the moment the bird fell upon the Altar, Raniero was standing there. +He had forced his way through the church, no one had been able to stop +him. From the sparks which destroyed the bird's wings he lit the candles +before the Madonna's Altar. + +Then the bishop raised his staff and proclaimed: "God willed it! God +hath testified for him!" + +And all the people in the church, both his friends and opponents, +abandoned their doubts and conjectures. They cried as with one voice, +transported by God's miracle: "God willed it! God hath testified for +him!" + +Of Raniero there is now only a legend, which says he enjoyed great good +fortune for the remainder of his days, and was wise, and prudent, and +compassionate. But the people of Florence always called him Pazzo degli +Ranieri, in remembrance of the fact that they had believed him insane. +And this became his honorary title. He founded a dynasty, which was +named Pazzi, and is called so even to this day. + +It might also be worth mentioning that it became a custom in Florence, +each year at Easter Eve, to celebrate a festival in memory of Raniero's +home-coming with the sacred flame, and that, on this occasion, they +always let an artificial bird fly with fire through the church. This +festival would most likely have been celebrated even in our day had not +some changes taken place recently. + +But if it be true, as many hold, that the bearers of sacred fire who +have lived in Florence and have made the city one of the most glorious +on earth, have taken Raniero as their model, and have thereby been +encouraged to sacrifice, to suffer and endure, this may here be left +untold. + +For what has been done by this light, which in dark times has gone out +from Jerusalem, can neither be measured nor counted. + + THE END + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + THE HOME BOOK OF VERSE FOR YOUNG FOLKS + + Compiled by Burton E. Stevenson, Editor of + "The Home Book of Verse." + + With cover, and illustrations in color and black and white by + WILLY POGANY. Over 500 pages, large 12mo. $2.00 net. + +Not a rambling, hap-hazard collection but a vade-mecum for youth from +the ages of six or seven to sixteen or seventeen. It opens with Nursery +Rhymes and lullabies, progresses through child rhymes and jingles to +more mature nonsense verse; then come fairy verses and Christmas poems; +then nature verse and favorite rhymed stories; then through the trumpet +and drum period (where an attempt is made to teach true patriotism) to +the final appeal of "Life Lessons" and "A Garland of Gold" (the great +poems for all ages). + +This arrangement secures sequence of sentiment and a sort of cumulative +appeal. Nearly all the children's classics are included, and along with +them a body of verse not so well known but almost equally deserving. +There are many real "finds," most of which have never before appeared in +any anthology. + +Mr. Stevenson has banished doleful and pessimistic verse, and has dwelt +on hope, courage, cheerfulness and helpfulness. The book should serve, +too, as an introduction to the greater poems, informing taste for them +and appreciation of them, against the time when the boy or girl, grown +into youth and maiden, is ready to swim out into the full current of +English poetry. + + HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY + PUBLISHERS NEW YORK + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + LIFE-STORIES FOR THE YOUNG + +Dean Hodges' SAINTS AND HEROES: To the End of the Middle Ages. + +Illustrated. $1.35 net. + +Biographies of Cyprian, Athanasius, Ambrose, Chrysostom, Jerome, +Augustine, Benedict, Gregory the Great, Columba, Charlemagne, +Hildebrand, Anselm, Bernard, Becket, Langton, Dominic, Francis, +Wycliffe, Hus, Savonarola. + +Each of these men was a great person in his time, and represented its +best qualities. Their dramatic and adventurous experiences make the +story of their lives interesting as well as inspiring and suggestive. + +Church history and doctrine are touched upon only as they develop in the +biographies. + + "Here is much important history told in a readable and attractive + manner, and from the standpoint which makes history most vivid and + most likely to remain fixed in memory, namely, the standpoint of the + individual actor."--Springfield Republican. + +Dean Hodges' SAINTS AND HEROES: Since the Middle Ages + +Illustrated. $1.35 net. + +The new volume includes biographies of Luther, More, Loyola, Cranmer, +Calvin, Knox, Coligny, William the Silent, Laud, Cromwell, Fox, Wesley, +Bunyan and Brewster. + +John Buchan's SIR WALTER RALEIGH + +With double-page pictures in color; cover linings. Square + +12mo. Price, $2.00 net. + +A life of Raleigh told in eleven chapters. Each chapter covers some +important scene in his life and is told by some friend or follower as if +seen with his own eyes. Some of the characters are invented, but all +that they tell really happened. + +The narrative has spirit, color, and atmosphere, and is unusually well +written. + +America figures largely in the story, and American boys will enjoy this +book. + + HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY + PUBLISHERS VIII'12 NEW YORK + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + By CARROLL WATSON RANKIN + + ------------------------------------ + + STORIES FOR GIRLS + + THE CINDER POND + Illustrated by Ada C. Williamson. $1.25 net. + +Years ago, a manufacturer built a great dock, jutting out from and then +turning parallel to the shore of a northern Michigan town. The factory +was abandoned, and following the habits of small towns, the space +between the dock and the shore became "The Cinder Pond." Jean started +life in the colony of squatters that came to live in the shanties on the +dock, but fortune, heroism, and a mystery combine to change her fortunes +and those of her friends near the Cinder Pond. + + THE CASTAWAYS OF PETE'S PATCH + Illustrated by Ada C. Williamson. $1.25 net. + +A tale of five girls and two youthful grown-ups who enjoyed +unpremeditated camping. + + DANDELION COTTAGE + Illustrated by Mmes. Shinn and Finley. $1.50. + +Four young girls secure the use of a tumbledown cottage. They set up +housekeeping under numerous disadvantages, and have many amusements and +queer experiences. + + "A capital story. It is refreshing to come upon an author who can + tell us about real little girls, with sensible ordinary parents, + girls who are neither phenomenal nor silly."--Outlook. + + THE ADOPTING OF ROSA MARIE + A sequel to "Dandelion Cottage." Illustrated by Mrs. Shinn. $1.50. + +The little girls who played at keeping house in the earlier book, +enlarge their activities to the extent of playing mother to a little +Indian girl. + + "Those who have read 'Dandelion Cottage' will need no urging to + follow further.... A lovable group of four real children, happily not + perfect, but full of girlish plans and pranks.... A delightful sense + of humor."--Boston Transcript. + + THE GIRLS OF GARDENVILLE + Illustrated by Mary Wellman. 12mo. $1.50. + +Interesting, amusing, and natural stories of a girls' club. + + "Will captivate as many adults as if it were written for them.... + The secret of Mrs. Rankin's charm is her naturalness ... real + girls ... not young ladies with 'pigtails,' but girls of sixteen + who are not twenty-five ... as original as amusing."--Boston Transcript. + + HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY + PUBLISHERS NEW YORK + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + BOOKS FOR GIRLS + By BEULAH MARIE DIX + + BETTY-BIDE-AT-HOME + Illustrated by Faith Avery. 12mo. $1.25 net. + +A story of family life. Betty is just ready for college, her brother is +studying medicine, her sister is almost able to make her own way in the +world, when a sudden catastrophe compels Betty to choose between her own +ambitions and her mother's happiness. Betty stays at home and learns +many things, among them the fact that duty and success can be combined. +The account of her literary ventures will help girls who want to write. + +Betty is a spirited, energetic, lovable girl. The style and atmosphere +of the story are both better than is usually the case in girls' stories. + + FRIENDS IN THE END + Illustrated by Faith Avery. 12mo. $1.25 net. + +An out-of-door story for girls which tells how Dorothea Marden went, +under protest, from the city to spend the summer at a farm in the New +Hampshire mountains; how she met Jo Gifford from South Tuxboro, who had +red hair, and knew she shouldn't like her, but did; how Dorothea and Jo, +at the farm, fell out with the young folks close by at Camp Comfort; how +they carried on the war, with varying success, and how they were sorry +that they did so, and how they were glad in the end to make peace. + +"Will attract boys and girls equally and be good for both."--Outlook. + +"More than the usual plot and literary completeness."--Christian +Register. + + HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY + PUBLISHERS VIII'12 NEW YORK + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + BY ALICE CALHOUN HAINES + For Young Folks from 9 to 16 Years old. + + ------------------------------------ + + PARTNERS FOR FAIR + With illustrations by Faith Avery. $1.25 net. + +A story full of action, not untinged by pathos, of a boy and his +faithful dog and their wanderings after the poorhouse burns down. They +have interesting experiences with a traveling circus; the boy is thrown +from a moving train, and has a lively time with the Mexican Insurrectos, +from whom he is rescued by our troops. + + THE LUCK OF THE DUDLEY GRAHAMS + Illustrated by Francis Day. 300 pp., 12mo. $1.50. + +A family story of city life. Lightened by humor and an airship. + + "Among the very best of books for young folks. Appeals especially + to girls."--Wisconsin List for Township Libraries. + + "Promises to be perennially popular. A family of happy, healthy, + inventive, bright children make the best of restricted conditions and + prove themselves masters of circumstances."--Christian Register. + + "Sparkles with cleverness and humor."--Brooklyn Eagle. + + COCK-A-DOODLE HILL + A sequel to the above. Illustrated by Francis Day. + 296 pp., 12mo. $1.50. + +"Cockle-a-doodle Hill" is where the Dudley Graham family went to live +when they left New York, and here Ernie started her chicken-farm, with +one solitary fowl, "Hennerietta." The pictures of country scenes and the +adventures and experiences of this household of young people are very +life-like. + + "No better book for young people than 'The Luck of the Dudley + Grahams' was offered last year. 'Cock-a-Doodle Hill' is another + of similar qualities."--Philadelphia Press. + + HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY + PUBLISHERS (VIII'12) NEW YORK + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + COMPANION STORIES OF COUNTRY LIFE + FOR BOYS By CHARLES P. BURTON + + ------------------------------------ + + THE BOYS OF BOB'S HILL + Illustrated by George A. Williams. 12mo. $1.25. + +A lively story of a party of boys in a small New England town. + + "A first-rate juvenile ... a real story for the live human boy--any + boy will read it eagerly to the end ... quite thrilling adventures." + --Chicago Record-Herald. + + "Tom Sawyer would have been a worthy member of the Bob's Hill + crowd and shared their good times and thrilling adventures with + uncommon relish.... A jolly group of youngsters as nearly true to + the real thing in boy nature as one can ever expect to find between + covers."--Christian Register. + + THE BOB'S CAVE BOYS + Illustrated by Victor Perard. $1.50. + + "It would be hard to find anything better in the literature of New + England boy life. Healthy, red-blooded, human boys, full of fun, + into trouble and out again, but frank, honest, and clean." + --The Congregationalist. + + THE BOB'S HILL BRAVES + Illustrated by H. S. DeLay. 12mo. $1.50. + +The "Bob's Hill" band spend a vacation in Illinois, where they play at +being Indians, hear thrilling tales of real Indians, and learn much +frontier history. A history of especial interest to "Boy Scouts." + + "Merry youngsters. Capital. Thrilling tales of the red men and + explorers. These healthy red-blooded, New England boys." + --Philadelphia Press. + + THE BOY SCOUTS OF BOB'S HILL + Illustrated by Gordon Grant. 12mo. $1.25 net. + +The "Bob's Hill" band organizes a Boy Scouts band and have many +adventures. Mr. Burton brings in tales told around a camp-fire of La +Salle, Joliet, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Northwestern Reservation. + + CAMP BOB'S HILL + Illustrated by Gordon Grant. $1.25 net. + +A tale of Boy Scouts on their summer vacation. + + HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY + PUBLISHERS NEW YORK + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + SHORT PLAYS ABOUT FAMOUS AUTHORS + + (Goldsmith, Dickens, Heine, Fannie Burney, Shakespeare) + + By Maude Morrison Frank. $1.00 net. + +The Mistake at the Manor shows the fifteen-year-old Goldsmith in the +midst of the humorous incident in his life which later formed the basis +of "She Stoops to Conquer." + +A Christmas Eve With Charles Dickens reveals the author as a poor +factory boy in a lodging-house, dreaming of an old-time family +Christmas. + +When Heine was Twenty-one dramatizes the early disobedience of the +author in writing poetry against his uncle's orders. + +Miss Burney at Court deals with an interesting incident in the life of +the author of "Evelina" when she was at the Court of George III. + +The Fairies' Plea, which is an adaptation of Thomas Hood's poem, shows +Shakespeare intervening to save the fairies from the scythe of Time. + +Designed in general for young people near enough to the college age to +feel an interest in the personal and human aspects of literature, but +the last two could easily be handled by younger actors. They can +successfully be given by groups or societies of young people without the +aid of a professional coach. + + LITTLE PLAYS FROM AMERICAN HISTORY + FOR YOUNG FOLKS + + By Alice Johnstone Walker. $1.00 net. + +Hiding the Regicides, a number of brief and stirring episodes, +concerning the pursuit of Colonels Whalley and Goff by the officers of +Charles II at New Haven in old colony days. + +Mrs. Murray's Dinner Party, in three acts, is a lively comedy about a +Patriot hostess and British Officers in Revolutionary Days. + +Scenes from Lincoln's Time; the martyred President does not himself +appear. They cover Lincoln's helping a little girl with her trunk, women +preparing lint for the wounded, a visit to the White House of an +important delegation from New York, and of the mother of a soldier boy +sentenced to death--and the coming of the army of liberation to the +darkies. + +Tho big events are touched upon, the mounting of all these little plays +is simplicity itself, and they have stood the test of frequent school +performance. + + HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY + Publishers New York + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Christ Legends, by Selma Lagerlöf + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHRIST LEGENDS *** + +***** This file should be named 44818-8.txt or 44818-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/8/1/44818/ + +Produced by Shaun Pinder, Roger Frank and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at + www.gutenberg.org/license. + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 +North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email +contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the +Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + |