Part 29 (1/2)

”That's an easy question to decide. Of course Evil is stronger than Good in this world.”

Without a word the younger brother took out one of his golden ducats and handed it over.

”Now,” sneered the older one, ”are you convinced?”

”No, brother, I am not. No matter what this monk says I know that Good is stronger than Evil.”

”You do, do you? Then suppose we repeat the wager and ask the next man we meet to decide between us.”

”Very well, brother, I'm willing.”

The next man they overtook looked like an old farmer, but in reality he was the Devil again who had taken the guise of a farmer. They put the question to him and of course the Devil made the same answer:

”Evil is stronger than Good in this world.”

So again the younger brother paid his wager but insisted that he still believed Good to be stronger than Evil.

”Then we'll make a third wager,” the other said.

With the Devil's help the older brother won the third golden ducat which was all the money the younger one had. Then the older brother suggested that they wager their horses and the Devil, disguised in another form, again acted as umpire and the younger one of course lost his horse.

”Now I have nothing more to lose,” he said, ”but I am still so sure that Good is stronger than Evil that I am willing to wager the very eyes out of my head!”

”The more fool you!” the other one cried brutally.

Without another word he knocked his younger brother down and gouged out his eyes.

”Now let G.o.d take care of you if He can! As for me I put my trust in the Devil!”

”May G.o.d forgive you for speaking so!” the younger one said.

”I don't care whether He does or not! Nothing can harm me! I'm strong and I'm rich and I know how to take care of myself. As for you, you poor blind beggar, is there anything you would like me to do for you before I ride away?”

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Vilas at Play_]

”All I ask of you, brother, is that you lead me to the spring that is under the fir tree not far from here. There I can bathe my wounds and sit in the shade.”

”I'll do that much for you,” the older one said, taking the blinded man by the hand. ”For the rest, G.o.d will have to take care of you.”

With that he led him over to the fir tree and left him. The blinded man groped his way to the spring and bathed his wounds, then sat down under the tree and prayed G.o.d for help and protection.

When night came he fell asleep and he slept until midnight when he was awakened by the sound of voices at the spring. A company of Vilas were bathing and playing as they bathed. He was blind, as you remember, so he couldn't see their beautiful forms but he knew that they must be Vilas from their voices which were as sweet as gurgling waters and murmuring treetops. Human voices are never half so lovely. Yes, they must be Vilas from the mountains and the woods.

”Ho, sisters!” cried one of them, ”if only men knew that we bathed in this spring, they could come to-morrow and be healed in its water--the maimed and the halt and blind! To-morrow this water would heal even the king's daughter who is afflicted with leprosy!”

When they were gone the blind man crept down to the spring and bathed his face. At the first touch of the healing water his wounds closed and his sight was restored. With a heart full of grat.i.tude he knelt down and thanked G.o.d for the miracle. Then when morning came he filled a vessel with the precious water and hurried to the king's palace.

”Tell the king,” he said to the guards, ”that I have come to heal his daughter.”