Part 28 (1/2)
”Be off with you, you old vagabond!” the oldest brother shouted angrily.
”If I gave a cup of wine to every beggar that comes along I'd soon be a beggar myself!”
The Angel lifted his staff, made the sign of the cross, and lo! the wine and all the wine-presses disappeared and in their place flowed a broad deep river.
”In your prosperity you have forgotten G.o.d's poor,” the Angel said. ”Go back to your pear tree.”
Then the Angel went to the second brother who was busy in his dairy.
”Brother,” the Angel said, ”in heaven's name, I pray you, give me a morsel of cheese.”
”A morsel of cheese, you lazy good-for-nothing!” the second brother cried. ”Be off with you or I'll call the dogs!”
The Angel lifted his staff, made the sign of the cross, and lo! the sheep and the dairy and all the busy laborers disappeared and he and the second brother were standing there alone in a field where flocks of pigeons were feeding.
”In your prosperity you have forgotten G.o.d's poor,” the Angel said. ”Go back to your pear tree!”
Then the Angel made his way to the forest where he had left the youngest brother and his wife. He found them in great poverty living in a mean little hut.
”G.o.d be with you!” said the Angel still in the guise of an old beggar.
”I pray you in heaven's name give me shelter for the night and a bite of supper.”
”We are poor ourselves,” the youngest brother said.
”But come in, you are welcome to share what we have.”
They put the old beggar to rest at the most comfortable place beside the fire and the wife set three places for the evening meal. They were so poor that the loaf that was baking in the oven was not made of grain ground at the mill but of pounded bark gathered from the trees.
”Alas,” the wife murmured to herself, ”it shames me that we have no real bread to put before our guest.”
Imagine then her surprise when she opened the oven and saw a browned loaf of wheaten bread.
”G.o.d be praised!” she cried.
She drew a pitcher of water at the spring but when she began pouring it into the cups she found to her joy that it was changed to wine.
”In your happiness,” the Angel said, ”you have not forgotten G.o.d's poor and G.o.d will reward you!”
He raised his staff, made the sign of the cross, and lo! the mean little hut disappeared and in its place arose a stately palace full of riches and beautiful things. Servants pa.s.sed hither and thither and addressed the poor man respectfully as ”My lord!” and his wife as ”My lady!”
The old beggar arose and as he went he blessed them both, saying:
”G.o.d gives you these riches and they will be yours to enjoy so long as you share them with others.”
They must have remembered the Angel's words for all their lives long they were happy and prosperous.
[Ill.u.s.tration]