The little devil went to the big devil and began to boast that he had earned the crust. The big devil went to see.
He came to the peasant’s house and saw that the peasant had some guests and was treating them with whisky. His wife poured it out, but just as she. was about to carry it round she tripped against the table and let a glass fall.
The peasant was furious and shouted at her. “ You devil’s fool 1 “ he said; “ can’t you take care, you idiot, and not pour the spirit on the floor as if it were dirty water ! “
The little devil nudged the big one with his elbow, and said : “ What do you think he would do now if someone stole his crust? “
When the peasant had finished swearing, he began to carry the spirit round himself. Soon a poor peasant re-turning from his day’s work came in uninvited, and sat down. He saw the people drinking, and being very weary, he thought he would also like to have a drink. So he sat and sat, licking his lips, but the master didn’t offer him any, and only muttered under his breath : “ I don’t make whisky for all the vagrants that happen to want it.”
This pleased the big devil; but the little devil only boasted the more and said : “ You wait; you’ll see some more ! “
The rich peasants drank and the master drank also. Then they all began to toady to each other, and to flatter and speak oily and lying words to one another.
The big devil listened and listened, and praised the little devil. “ If,” said he, “ this drink can make them as full of lies and cunning as I have seen, then they are in our hands.
“Wait a bit,” said the little devil, “this is only the beginning; wait till they drink a little more. Now, like foxes, they are wagging their tails and trying to trick each other, but soon they’ll be as cruel as wolves.”
The peasants drank another glass each, and their talk grew louder and rougher. Instead of oily words, there was wrangling and curses, and soon they worked themselves into a fury and flew at eacb other and smashed each others noses in. The master also fought and got beaten.
The big devil looked on and was very pleased. “This is good,” he said.
But the little devil said : “ Wait a bit, there’s more to follow. Let them drink a little more. Now they rage like wolves, but soon they will wallow like swine.”
The peasants drank again, and soon were maudlin drunk. They shouted, and muttered they knew not what, unable to understand each other.
Presently they began to disperse and went slouching through the streets, alone or in twos and threes. The master went to see his guests off, but he fell into the if utter and lay covered with filth and grunting like a pig.
This pleased the big devil immensely. “ You have made a good drink,” he said, “ and you deserve your crust. Only tell me, what did you make it of? You must have mixed in it first the blood of the fox that was why they grew as cunning as foxes; then the blood of the wolf that was why they grew as cruel as wolves; then the blood of the swine that was why they grovelled like pigs.”
“ No,” said the little devil, “ I did none of those things. The only thing I did was to give him more bread than he needed. The blood of the beast is always in man but when he earns his bread with labour it hasn’t free scope. At first the man was willing to Part with his last crust, but when he began to have more bread than he needed, he began also to think how to provide for his pleasures. And I taught him a pleasure to drink whisky. And as soon as he began to turn God’s gift into spirit for his own pleasure, the blood of the fox and of the wolf and of the swine rose up within him. And as long as he continues to drink he will always remain a beast.”
The big devil praised the little devil and forgave him for losing the crust and appointed him chief among his servants.
The Repentant Sinner
Translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude 1906
AND HE SAID unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’-Luke xxiii. 42, 43.
THERE was once a man who lived for seventy years in the world, and lived in sin all that time. He fell ill but even then did not repent. Only at the last moment, as he was dying, he wept and said:
‘Lord! forgive me, as Thou forgavest the thief upon the cross.’
And as he said these words, his soul left his body. And the soul of the sinner, feeling love towards God and faith in His mercy, went to the gates of heaven and knocked, praying to be let into the heavenly kingdom.
Then a voice spoke from within the gate:
‘What man is it that knocks at the gates of Paradise and what deeds did he do during his life?’
And the voice of the Accuser replied, recounting all the man’s evil deeds, and not a single good one.
And the voice from within the gates answered:
‘Sinners cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Go hence!’
Then the man said:
‘Lord, I hear thy voice, but cannot see thy face, nor do I know thy name.’
The voice answered:
‘I am Peter, the Apostle.’
And the sinner replied:
‘Have pity on me, Apostle Peter! Remember man’s weakness, and God’s mercy. Wert not thou a disciple of Christ? Didst not thou hear his teaching from his own lips, and hadst thou not his example before thee? Remember then how, when he sorrowed and was grieved in spirit, and three times asked thee to keep awake and pray, thou didst sleep, because thine eyes were heavy, and three times he found thee sleeping. So it was with me. Remember, also, how thou didst promise to be faithful unto death, and yet didst thrice deny him, when he was taken before Caiaphas. So it was with me. And remember, too, how when the cock crowed thou didst go out and didst weep bitterly. So it is with me. Thou canst not refuse to let me in.’
And the voice behind the gates was silent.
Then the sinner stood a little while, and again began to knock, and to ask to be let into the kingdom of heaven.
And he heard another voice behind the gates, which said:
‘Who is this man, and how did he live on earth?’
And the voice of the Accuser again repeated all the sinner’s evil deeds, and not a single good one.
And the voice from behind the gates replied:
‘Go hence! Such sinners cannot live with us in Paradise.’ Then the sinner said:
‘Lord, I hear thy voice, but I see thee not, nor do I know thy name.’
And the voice answered:
‘I am David; king and prophet.’
The sinner did not despair, nor did he leave the gates of Paradise, but said:
Have pity on me, King David! Remember man’s weakness, and God’s mercy. God loved thee and exalted thee among men. Thou hadst all: a kingdom, and honour, and riches, and wives, and children; but thou sawest from thy house-top the wife of a poor man, and sin entered into thee, and thou tookest the wife of Uriah, and didst slay him with the sword of the Ammonites. Thou, a rich man, didst take from the poor man his one ewe lamb, and didst kill him. I have done likewise. Remember, then, how thou didst repent, and how thou saidst, “I acknowledge my transgressions: my sin is ever before me?” I have done the same. Thou canst not refuse to let me in.’
And the voice from within the gates was silent.
The sinner having stood a little while, began knocking again, and asking to be let into the kingdom of heaven. And a third voice was heard within the gates, saying:
‘Who is this man, and how has he spent his life on earth?’
And the voice of the Accuser replied for the third time, recounting the sinner’s evil deeds, and not mentioning one good deed.
And the voice within the gates said:
‘DePart hence! Sinners cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.’
And the sinner said:
‘Thy voice I hear, but thy face I see not, neither do I know thy name.’
Then the voice replied:
‘I am John the Divine, the beloved disciple of Christ.’
And the sinner rejoiced and said:
‘Now surely I shall be allowed to enter. Peter and David must let me in, because they know man’s weakness and God’s mercy; and thou wilt let me in, because thou lovest much. Was it not thou, John the Divine who wrote that God is Love, and that he who loves not, knows not God? And in thine old age didst thou not say unto men: “Brethren, love one another.” How, then, canst thou look on me with hatred, and drive me away? Either thou must renounce what thou hast said, or loving me, must let me enter the kingdom of heaven.’
And the gates of Paradise opened, and John embraced the repentant sinner and took
