Part 10 (2/2)

”No, certainly, comrade, a lamb has no heart. Only reflect, and it will occur to you that it really has not.”

”Well,” replied his companion, ”it is quite sufficient. There is no heart there, so I need none of the lamb. You may eat it all.”

”Well, what I cannot eat I'll put in my knapsack,” said Brother Merry.

Then he ate some, and disposed of the rest as he had said. Now, as they continued their journey, the saint contrived that a great stream should flow right across their path, so that they must be obliged to ford it. Then said he--

”Go you first.”

”No,” answered Brother Merry; ”go you first,” thinking that if the water were too deep he would stay on the bank where he was. However, the saint waded through, and the water only reached to his knees; but when Brother Merry ventured, the stream seemed suddenly to increase in depth, and he was soon up to his neck in the water.

”Help me, comrade,” he cried.

”Will you confess,” said the saint, ”that you ate the lamb's heart?”

The soldier still denied it, and the water got still deeper, until it reached his mouth. Then the saint said again--

”Will you confess, then, that you ate the lamb's heart?”

Brother Merry still denied what he had done, and as the saint did not wish to let him drown he helped him out of his danger.

They journeyed on until they came to a kingdom where they heard that the king's daughter lay dangerously ill.

”Holloa! brother,” said the soldier, ”here's a catch for us. If we can only cure her we shall be made for ever.”

The saint, however, was not quick enough for Brother Merry.

”Come, Brother Heart,” said the soldier, ”put your best foot forward, so that we may come in at the right time.”

But the saint went still slower, though his companion kept pus.h.i.+ng and driving him, till at last they heard that the princess was dead.

”This comes of your creeping so,” said the soldier.

”Now be still,” said the saint, ”for I can do more than make the sick whole; I can bring the dead to life again.”

”If that's true,” said Brother Merry, ”you must at least earn half the kingdom for us.”

At length they arrived at the king's palace, where everybody was in great trouble, but the saint told the king he would restore his daughter to him. They conducted him to where she lay, and he commanded them to let him have a caldron of water, and when it had been brought, he ordered all the people to go away, and let n.o.body remain with him but Brother Merry. Then he divided the limbs of the dead princess, and throwing them into the water, lighted a fire under the caldron, and boiled them. When all the flesh had fallen from the bones, the saint took them, laid them on a table, and placed them together in their natural order. Having done this, he walked before them, and said--

”Arise, thou dead one!”

As he repeated these words the third time the princess arose, alive, well, and beautiful.

The king was greatly rejoiced, and said to the saint--

”Require for thy reward what thou wilt. Though it should be half my empire, I will give it you.”

<script>