The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-07

see yonder little house? 1t is mine
Come home. with me for the night.
My daughter will be glad to bid you
welcome"
''Ah," said the youth, "that I should
love to do, but is the beam of your
dwelling strong?"
"Madman!" thought the old farmer
What shall I answer him." Then he
said aloud: Il have every reason to
believe that it is strong, but suppose
I go home ahead OF you and send you
word?" for he thought to himself that
he should not like to take a crazy man
into his home, if his daughter OBJ
jected.
Every WE'LL said the boy. Il will
wait here until you send messenger.
But don't mind telling me if the beam
| is weak"
With that the farmer ran all the
way home, embraced his very beauti-
full daughter, and said:
Il have a travelling companion with
me whom I should like to bring here
| for the night. He is a good fellow,
! but, unfortunately, he is crazy. Just
now he asked me if the beam of my
house was strong"
why, father" said the girl, 'he
| is not crazy at all. What he meant
| by asking for the beam Of your house
was that he wished to know whether
or not you could afford to entertain
! him.
"Eh?" said the old farmer. why,
I believe the child's right! But he
said many other queer things"
"The boy is undoubtedly clever,
| father" said the girl, "and you failed
to understand him. Tell me what else
he said"
Then her father told her how, at the
start Of the journey, the youth had
suggested that they carry each other
through the cornfield to make travel
ing easier.
| THAT was a very sensible thing in
deed, father" said his daughter. 'By
carrying one another he meant that
you should tell one another tales to
shorten the journey"
"That sounds sensible enough" said
her father. But then he gave me his
knife and told me to get him two
horses. Wasn't that a madman's say
| ing?"
mot a bit of it, replied the girl.
'By horses he meant stout sticks,
which help to carry one on a journey"
"And then" said the old man, "the
silly boy walked through the water
with his boots on, and said that we
should leave the carpet at the bottom
of the stream as we crossed over"
by the carpet of the stream he
meant the soles of your boots, which
protect your feet from the stones,
father; and, if you did not leave your
boots on when you crossed the stream,
you we're many times more foolish
than he"
''All that you say sounds sensible to
me-" said her father. 'But how can
you prove that the boy really is so
clever as you say, and not a mad
MANI" @1@
| Very easily replied the daughter.
Il will show you that, when he wanted
to know whether or not the beam of
iyour house was strong, he wished to
ask if you could afford to entertain
him.
The girl called a servant, and gave
him jars of milk and honey as gifts
for the stranger.
Co." she said, ''to the youth, who
waits by the stream. Give him these
gifts and say: The moon is full
there are twelve months to the year
and the sea is OVERCOMING"
The servant hurried away but, as
he crossed a field, he met hungry
man, who offered him money for the
milk and honey. The servant sold
half the milk and half of the honey
and filled jars up with water, so that
the stranger should not see that some
had been taken out. Then he went
on his way to the youth, who waited
by the stream, presented the gifts
: and said:
: "My mistress tells me that the
moon is full; there are twelve months
in the year, and the sea is overflow
ing"
: BY this the youth knew that the
old farmer was wealthy and could
afford to keep guest. He lifted the
jar of milk to his lips, but one taste
showed him that there was water in
the milk. Then he tasted the jar oil
honey, and knew at once that there
was water in the honey.
!. Return to your Mistress" he sale
, to the servant. Tell her that I an
| coming at once. But say that the
moon is new; there are eleven months
in the year, and the sea is not full OF
water"
Not knowing what the words meant
the servant ran on ahead to deliver
the message to his mistress, who knew
by it that the servant had stolen part
of the strangers gifts, and punished
her slave accordingly.
Now, when the Grand Vizier's sor
came to the farmers house, of course
he fell in love with the young, beauti
full and clever daughter at once. II
was quite the proper thing to do under
the circumstances, you know; and he
L was decidedly proper person. In fact
he had always been celebrated fol-