第 一百八十五 章 · The Golden Key

. The Golden Key

In the winter time, when deep snow lay on the ground, a poor boy was

forced to go out on a sledge to fetch wood. When he had gathered it

together, and packed it, he wished, as he was so frozen with cold, not

to go home at once, but to light a fire and warm himself a little. So

he scraped away the snow, and as he was thus clearing the ground, he

found a tiny, gold key. Hereupon he thought that where the key was, the

lock must be also, and dug in the ground and found an iron chest. “If

the key does but fit it!” thought he; “no doubt there are precious

things in that little box.” He searched, but no keyhole was there. At

last he discovered one, but so small that it was hardly visible. He

tried it, and the key fitted it exactly. Then he turned it once round,

and now we must wait until he has quite unlocked it and opened the lid,

and then we shall learn what wonderful things were lying in that box.

Children’s Legends

Legend 1 St. Joseph in the Forest

There was once on a time a mother who had three daughters, the eldest

of whom was rude and wicked, the second much better, although she had

her faults, but the youngest was a pious, good child. The mother was,

however, so strange, that it was just the eldest daughter whom she most

loved, and she could not bear the youngest. On this account, she often

sent the poor girl out into the great forest in order to get rid of

her, for she thought she would lose herself and never come back again.

But the guardian-angel which every good child has, did not forsake her,

but always brought her into the right path again. Once, however, the

guardian-angel behaved as if he were not there, and the child could not

find her way out of the forest again. She walked on constantly until

evening came, and then she saw a tiny light burning in the distance,

ran up to it at once, and came to a little hut. She knocked, the door

opened, and she came to a second door, where she knocked again. An old

man, who had a snow-white beard and looked venerable, opened it for

her; and he was no other than St. Joseph. He said quite kindly, “Come,

dear child, seat thyself on my little chair by the fire, and warm

thyself; I will fetch thee clear water if thou art thirsty; but here in

the forest, I have nothing for thee to eat but a couple of little

roots, which thou must first scrape and boil.”

St. Joseph gave her the roots. The girl scraped them clean, then she

brought a piece of pancake and the bread that her mother had given her

to take with her; mixed all together in a pan, and cooked herself a

thick soup. When it was ready, St. Joseph said, “I am so hungry; give

me some of thy food.” The child was quite willing, and gave him more

than she kept for herself, but God’s blessing was with her, so that she

was satisfied. When they had eaten, St. Joseph said, “Now we will go to

bed; I have, however, only one bed, lay thyself in it. I will lie on

the ground on the straw.” “No,” answered she, “stay in your own bed,

the straw is soft enough for me.” St. Joseph, however, took the child

in his arms, and carried her into the little bed, and there she said

her prayers, and fell asleep. Next morning when she awoke, she wanted

to say good morning to St. Joseph, but she did not see him. Then she

got up and looked for him, but could not find him anywhere; at last she

perceived, behind the door, a bag with money so heavy that she could

just carry it, and on it was written that it was for the child who had

slept there that night. On this she took the bag, bounded away with it,

and got safely to her mother, and as she gave her mother all the money,

she could not help being satisfied with her.

The next day, the second child also took a fancy to go into the forest.

Her mother gave her a much larger piece of pancake and bread. It

happened with her just as with the first child. In the evening she came

to St. Joseph’s little hut, who gave her roots for a thick soup. When

it was ready, he likewise said to her, “I am so hungry, give me some of

thy food.” Then the child said, “You may have your share.” Afterwards,

when St. Joseph offered her his bed and wanted to lie on the straw, she

replied, “No, lie down in the bed, there is plenty of room for both of

us.” St. Joseph took her in his arms and put her in the bed, and laid

himself on the straw.

In the morning when the child awoke and looked for St. Joseph, he had

vanished, but behind the door she found a little sack of money that was

about as long as a hand, and on it was written that it was for the

child who had slept there last night. So she took the little bag and

ran home with it, and took it to her mother, but she secretly kept two

pieces for herself.

The eldest daughter had by this time grown curious, and the next

morning also insisted on going out into the forest. Her mother gave her

pancakes with her—as many as she wanted, and bread and cheese as well.

In the evening she found St. Joseph in his little hut, just as the two

others had found him. When the soup was ready and St. Joseph said, “I

am so hungry, give me some of thy food,” the girl answered, “Wait until

I am satisfied; then if there is anything left thou shalt have it.” She

ate, however, nearly the whole of it, and St. Joseph had to scrape the

dish. Afterwards, the good old man offered her his bed, and wanted to

lie on the straw. She took it without making any opposition, laid

herself down in the little bed, and left the hard straw to the

white-haired man. Next morning when she awoke, St. Joseph was not to be

found, but she did not trouble herself about that. She looked behind

the door for a money-bag. She fancied something was lying on the

ground, but as she could not very well distinguish what it was, she

stooped down, and examined it closely, but it remained hanging to her

nose, and when she got up again, she saw, to her horror, that it was a

second nose, which was hanging fast to her own. Then she began to

scream and howl, but that did no good; she was forced to see it always

on her nose, for it stretched out so far. Then she ran out and screamed

without stopping till she met St. Joseph, at whose feet she fell and

begged until, out of pity, he took the nose off her again, and even

gave her two farthings. When she got home, her mother was standing

before the door, and asked, “What hast thou had given to thee?” Then

she lied and said, “A great bag of money, but I have lost it on the

way.” “Lost it!” cried the mother, “oh, but we will soon find it

again,” and took her by the hand, and wanted to seek it with her. At

first she began to cry, and did not wish to go, but at last she went.

On the way, however, so many lizards and snakes broke loose on both of

them, that they did not know how to save themselves. At last they stung

the wicked child to death, and they stung the mother in the foot,

because she had not brought her up better.

Legend 2 The Twelve Apostles

Three hundred years before the birth of the Lord Christ, there lived a

mother who had twelve sons, but was so poor and needy that she no

longer knew how she was to keep them alive at all. She prayed to God

daily that he would grant that all her sons might be on the earth with

the Redeemer who was promised. When her necessity became still greater

she sent one of them after the other out into the world to seek bread

for her. The eldest was called Peter, and he went out and had already

walked a long way, a whole day’s journey, when he came into a great

forest. He sought for a way out, but could find none, and went farther

and farther astray, and at the same time felt such great hunger that he

could scarcely stand. At length he became so weak that he was forced to

lie down, and he believed death to be at hand. Suddenly there stood

beside him a small boy who shone with brightness, and was as beautiful

and kind as an angel. The child smote his little hands together, until

Peter was forced to look up and saw him. Then the child said, “Why art

thou sitting there in such trouble?” “Alas!” answered Peter, “I am

going about the world seeking bread, that I may yet see the dear

Saviour who is promised, that is my greatest desire.” The child said,

“Come with me, and thy wish shall be fulfilled.” He took poor Peter by

the hand, and led him between some cliffs to a great cavern. When they

entered it, everything was shining with gold, silver, and crystal, and

in the midst of it twelve cradles were standing side by side. Then said

the little angel, “Lie down in the first, and sleep a while, I will

rock thee.” Peter did so, and the angel sang to him and rocked him

until he was al seep. And when he was asleep, the second brother came

also, guided thither by his guardian angel, and he was rocked to sleep

like the first, and thus came the others, one after the other, until

all twelve lay there sleeping in the golden cradles. They slept,

however, three hundred years, until the night when the Saviour of the

world was born. Then they awoke, and were with him on earth, and were

called the twelve apostles.

Legend 3 The Rose

There was once a poor woman who had two children. The youngest had to

go every day into the forest to fetch wood. Once when she had gone a

long way to seek it, a little child, who was quite strong, came and

helped her industriously to pick up the wood and carry it home, and

then before a moment had passed the strange child disappeared. The

child told her mother this, but at first she would not believe it. At

length she brought a rose home, and told her mother that the beautiful

child had given her this rose, and had told her that when it was in

full bloom, he would return. The mother put the rose in water. One

morning her child could not get out of bed, the mother went to the bed

and found her dead, but she lay looking very happy. On the same

morning, the rose was in full bloom.

Legend 4 Poverty and Humility Lead to Heaven

There was once a King’s son who went out into the world, and he was

full of thought and sad. He looked at the sky, which was so beautifully

pure and blue, then he sighed, and said, “How well must all be with one

up there in heaven!” Then he saw a poor gray-haired man who was coming

along the road towards him, and he spoke to him, and asked, “How can I

get to heaven?” The man answered, “By poverty and humility. Put on my

ragged clothes, wander about the world for seven years, and get to know

what misery is, take no money, but if thou art hungry ask compassionate

hearts for a bit of bread; in this way thou wilt reach heaven.”

Then the King’s son took off his magnificent coat, and wore in its

place the beggar’s garment, went out into the wide world, and suffered

great misery. He took nothing but a little food, said nothing, but

prayed to the Lord to take him into his heaven. When the seven years

were over, he returned to his father’s palace, but no one recognized

him. He said to the servants, “Go and tell my parents that I have come

back again.” But the servants did not believe it, and laughed and left

him standing there. Then said he, “Go and tell it to my brothers that

they may come down, for I should so like to see them again.” The

servants would not do that either, but at last one of them went, and

told it to the King’s children, but these did not believe it, and did

not trouble themselves about it. Then he wrote a letter to his mother,

and described to her all his misery, but he did not say that he was her

son. So, out of pity, the Queen had a place under the stairs assigned

to him, and food taken to him daily by two servants. But one of them

was ill-natured and said, “Why should the beggar have the good food?”

and kept it for himself, or gave it to the dogs, and took the weak,

wasted-away beggar nothing but water; the other, however, was honest,

and took the beggar what was sent to him. It was little, but he could

live on it for a while, and all the time he was quite patient, but he

grew continually weaker. As, however, his illness increased, he desired

to receive the last sacrament. When the host was being elevated down

below, all the bells in the town and neighbourhood began to ring. After

mass the priest went to the poor man under the stairs, and there he lay

dead. In one hand he had a rose, in the other a lily, and beside him

was a paper in which was written his history.

When he was buried, a rose grew on one side of his grave, and a lily on

the other.

Legend 5 God’s Food

There were once upon a time two sisters, one of whom had no children

and was rich, and the other had five and was a widow, and so poor that

she no longer had food enough to satisfy herself and her children. In

her need, therefore, she went to her sister, and said, “My children and

I are suffering the greatest hunger; thou art rich, give me a mouthful

of bread.” The very rich sister was as hard as a stone, and said, “I

myself have nothing in the house,” and drove away the poor creature

with harsh words. After some time the husband of the rich sister came

home, and was just going to cut himself a piece of bread, but when he

made the first cut into the loaf, out flowed red blood. When the woman

saw that she was terrified and told him what had occurred. He hurried

away to help the widow and her children, but when he entered her room,

he found her praying. She had her two youngest children in her arms,

and the three eldest were lying dead. He offered her food, but she

answered, “For earthly food have we no longer any desire. God has

already satisfied the hunger of three of us, and he will hearken to our

supplications likewise.” Scarcely had she uttered these words than the

two little ones drew their last breath, whereupon her heart broke, and

she sank down dead.

Legend 6 The Three Green Twigs

There was once on a time a hermit who lived in a forest at the foot of

a mountain, and passed his time in prayer and good works, and every

evening he carried, to the glory of God, two pails of water up the

mountain. Many a beast drank of it, and many a plant was refreshed by

it, for on the heights above, a strong wind blew continually, which

dried the air and the ground, and the wild birds which dread mankind

wheel about there, and with their sharp eyes search for a drink. And

because the hermit was so pious, an angel of God, visible to his eyes,

went up with him, counted his steps, and when the work was completed,

brought him his food, even as the prophet of old was by God’s command

fed by the raven. When the hermit in his piety had already reached a

great age, it happened that he once saw from afar a poor sinner being

taken to the gallows. He said carelessly to himself, “There, that one

is getting his deserts!” In the evening, when he was carrying the water

up the mountain, the angel who usually accompanied him did not appear,

and also brought him no food. Then he was terrified, and searched his

heart, and tried to think how he could have sinned, as God was so

angry, but he did not discover it. Then he neither ate nor drank, threw

himself down on the ground, and prayed day and night. And as he was one

day thus bitterly weeping in the forest, he heard a little bird singing

beautifully and delightfully, and then he was still more troubled and

said, “How joyously thou singest, the Lord is not angry with thee. Ah,

if thou couldst but tell me how I can have offended him, that I might

do penance, and then my heart also would be glad again.” Then the bird

began to speak and said, “Thou hast done injustice, in that thou hast

condemned a poor sinner who was being led to the gallows, and for that

the Lord is angry with thee. He alone sits in judgement. However, if

thou wilt do penance and repent thy sins, he will forgive thee.” Then

the angel stood beside him with a dry branch in his hand and said,

“Thou shalt carry this dry branch until three green twigs sprout out of

it, but at night when thou wilt sleep, thou shalt lay it under thy

head. Thou shalt beg thy bread from door to door, and not tarry more

than one night in the same house. That is the penance which the Lord

lays on thee.”

Then the hermit took the piece of wood, and went back into the world,

which he had not seen for so long. He ate and drank nothing but what

was given him at the doors; many petitions were, however, not listened

to, and many doors remained shut to him, so that he often did not get a

crumb of bread.

Once when he had gone from door to door from morning till night, and no

one had given him anything, and no one would shelter him for the night,

he went forth into a forest, and at last found a cave which someone had

made, and an old woman was sitting in it. Then said he, “Good woman,

keep me with you in your house for this night;” but she said, “No, I

dare not, even if I wished, I have three sons who are wicked and wild,

if they come home from their robbing expedition, and find you, they

would kill us both.” The hermit said, “Let me stay, they will do no

injury either to you or to me.” and the woman was compassionate, and

let herself be persuaded. Then the man lay down beneath the stairs, and

put the bit of wood under his head. When the old woman saw him do that,

she asked the reason of it, on which he told her that he carried the

bit of wood about with him for a penance, and used it at night for a

pillow, and that he had offended the Lord, because, when he had seen a

poor sinner on the way to the gallows, he had said he was getting his

deserts. Then the woman began to weep and cried, “If the Lord thus

punishes one single word, how will it fare with my sons when they

appear before him in judgment?”

At midnight the robbers came home and blustered and stormed. They made

a fire, and when it had lighted up the cave and they saw a man lying

under the stairs, they fell in a rage and cried to their mother, “Who

is the man? Have we not forbidden any one whatsoever to be taken in?”

Then said the mother, “Let him alone, it is a poor sinner who is

expiating his crime.” The robbers asked, “What has he done?” “Old man,”

cried they, “tell us thy sins.” The old man raised himself and told

them how he, by one single word, had so sinned that God was angry with

him, and how he was now expiating this crime. The robbers were so

powerfully touched in their hearts by this story, that they were

shocked with their life up to this time, reflected, and began with

hearty repentance to do penance for it. The hermit, after he had

converted the three sinners, lay down to sleep again under the stairs.

In the morning, however, they found him dead, and out of the dry wood

on which his head lay, three green twigs had grown up on high. Thus the

Lord had once more received him into his favour.

Legend 7 Our Lady’s Little Glass

Once upon a time a waggoner’s cart which was heavily laden with wine

had stuck so fast that in spite of all that he could do, he could not

get it to move again. Then it chanced that Our Lady just happened to

come by that way, and when she perceived the poor man’s distress, she

said to him, “I am tired and thirsty, give me a glass of wine, and I

will set thy cart free for thee.” “Willingly,” answered the waggoner,

“but I have no glass in which I can give thee the wine.” Then Our Lady

plucked a little white flower with red stripes, called field bindweed,

which looks very like a glass, and gave it to the waggoner. He filled

it with wine, and then Our Lady drank it, and in the self-same instant

the cart was set free, and the waggoner could drive onwards. The little

flower is still always called Our Lady’s Little Glass.

Legend 8 The Aged Mother

In a large town there was an old woman who sat in the evening alone in

her room thinking how she had lost first her husband, then both her

children, then one by one all her relations, and at length, that very

day, her last friend, and now she was quite alone and desolate. She was

very sad at heart, and heaviest of all her losses to her was that of

her sons; and in her pain she blamed God for it. She was still sitting

lost in thought, when all at once she heard the bells ringing for early

prayer. She was surprised that she had thus in her sorrow watched

through the whole night, and lighted her lantern and went to church. It

was already lighted up when she arrived, but not as it usually was with

wax candles, but with a dim light. It was also crowded already with

people, and all the seats were filled; and when the old woman got to

her usual place it also was not empty, but the whole bench was entirely

full. And when she looked at the people, they were none other than her

dead relations who were sitting there in their old-fashioned garments,

but with pale faces. They neither spoke nor sang; but a soft humming

and whispering was heard all over the church. Then an aunt of hers

stood up, stepped forward, and said to the poor old woman, “Look there

beside the altar, and thou wilt see thy sons.” The old woman looked

there, and saw her two children, one hanging on the gallows, the other

bound to the wheel. Then said the aunt, “Behold, so would it have been

with them if they had lived, and if the good God had not taken them to

himself when they were innocent children.” The old woman went trembling

home, and on her knees thanked God for having dealt with her more

kindly than she had been able to understand, and on the third day she

lay down and died.

Legend 9 The Heavenly Wedding

A poor peasant-boy one day heard the priest say in church that

whosoever desired to enter into the kingdom of heaven must always go

straight onward. So he set out, and walked continually straight onwards

over hill and valley without ever turning aside. At length his way led

him into a great town, and into the midst of a church, where just at

that time God’s service was being performed. Now when he beheld all the

magnificence of this, he thought he had reached heaven, sat down, and

rejoiced with his whole heart. When the service was over, and the clerk

bade him go out, he replied, “No, I will not go out again, I am glad to

be in heaven at last.” So the clerk went to the priest, and told him

that there was a child in the church who would not go out again,

because he believed he was in heaven. The priest said, “If he believes

that, we will leave him inside.” So he went to him, and asked if he had

any inclination to work. “Yes,” the little fellow replied, “I am

accustomed to work, but I will not go out of heaven again.” So he

stayed in the church, and when he saw how the people came and knelt and

prayed to Our Lady with the blessed child Jesus which was carved in

wood, he thought “that is the good God,” and said, “Dear God, how thin

you are! The people must certainly let you starve; but every day I will

give you half my dinner.” From this time forth, he every day took half

his dinner to the image, and the image began to enjoy the food. When a

few weeks had gone by, people remarked that the image was growing

larger and stout and strong, and wondered much. The priest also could

not understand it, but stayed in the church, and followed the little

boy about, and then he saw how he shared his food with the Virgin Mary,

and how she accepted it.

After some time the boy became ill, and for eight days could not leave

his bed; but as soon as he could get up again, the first thing he did

was to take his food to Our Lady. The priest followed him, and heard

him say, “Dear God, do not take it amiss that I have not brought you

anything for such a long time, for I have been ill and could not get

up.” Then the image answered him and said, “I have seen thy good-will,

and that is enough for me. Next Sunday thou shalt go with me to the

wedding.” The boy rejoiced at this, and repeated it to the priest, who

begged him to go and ask the image if he, too, might be permitted to

go. “No,” answered the image, “thou alone.” The priest wished to

prepare him first, and give him the holy communion and the child was

willing, and next Sunday, when the host came to him, he fell down and

died, and was at the eternal wedding.

Legend 10 The Hazel-Branch

One afternoon the Christ-child had laid himself in his cradle-bed and

had fallen asleep. Then his mother came to him, looked at him full of

gladness, and said, “Hast thou laid thyself down to sleep, my child?

Sleep sweetly, and in the meantime I will go into the wood, and fetch

thee a handful of strawberries, for I know that thou wilt be pleased

with them when thou awakest.” In the wood outside, she found a spot

with the most beautiful strawberries; but as she was stooping down to

gather one, an adder sprang up out of the grass. She was alarmed, left

the strawberries where they were, and hastened away. The adder darted

after her; but Our Lady, as you can readily understand, knew what it

was best to do. She hid herself behind a hazel-bush, and stood there

until the adder had crept away again. Then she gathered the

strawberries, and as she set out on her way home she said, “As the

hazel-bush has been my protection this time, it shall in future protect

others also.” Therefore, from the most remote times, a green

hazel-branch has been the safest protection against adders, snakes, and

everything else which creeps on the earth.