There was once a priest who had for his servant a very good boy. One day the padre wanted the boy, and, after looking everywhere for him, went to church. Opening the door quietly, he looked in and there he saw that the statue of the child Jesus had left its shrine and was down on the floor talking and playing with the boy. The priest slipped softly away and ordered a very fine dinner cooked for the lad. When the boy returned to the convent, the padre asked him where he had been. "I have been down to the church playing with a friend." "Very well, there is your dinner. If you play with your friend again, ask him if I shall go to glory in heaven when I am dead." The boy took his dinner to the church and ate, sharing it With the child Jesus.
"Tell me, friend," said he to his heavenly companion, "will my master, the priest, go to glory in heaven?"
"No," said the child Jesus, "because he has neglected his father and mother." When the boy carried these words to the priest he became very sad, and asked the lad to inquire whether he might atone for his wrong by doing good to other old people. "No," came the answer. "It must be his father and mother who shall receive their dues, and it may be that he shall enter heaven alive."
So the priest sent for his poor old father and mother, and lavished on them every care, suffering no one else to do the least thing for them. At last the old people died, and the priest was very sad. Then one night, as he slept, came soft and very beautiful music around about and within the convent, and the boy awoke the priest to listen. "Oh," said the padre, "it is perhaps the angels come to carry us alive to heaven." And it was so. The angels carried the boy and the priest, his master, to be in glory in heaven.
Showing posts with label heaven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heaven. Show all posts
Monday, March 24, 2008
Friday, November 30, 2007
The Juan who Visited Heaven
The Juan who Visited Heaven
There was once an old couple who always prayed for a child, for they had always been childless. No matter how it looked, whether deformed or ugly, they must have a child. So after a short time they saw that their prayers would be answered, and in the course of nature a child was born, but the mother died at the birth.
The new-born child ran to the church, climbed into the tower, and began to hammer on the bells. The priest, hearing the noise, sent the sacristan to see what was the matter. The sacristan went, and seeing there a little child, asked what he was doing and told him to stop, for the priest would be angry; but the ringing of the bells went on. Then the priest went up. "Little boy," he said, "what is your name?" "Juan," said the child. "Why are you ringing the church bells?" "Because my mother is dead." "When did she die?" "Only now." "If you stop ringing the bells she shall have a fine funeral and you shall live with me and be as my son," said the priest. "Very well, sir, if you will let me stay in the church all I wish." To this the priest assented. The dead woman was buried with all the pomp of music, candles, and bells, and the boy went to live in the convent. Always after his school was done he would be in the church. The father did everything that was possible for him, for he knew that he was not a natural child.
After a time the padre sent for him to get his dinner, but he would not leave the church, so the priest had a good dinner cooked and sent it down to the church, but he told the sacristan to watch the church and see what happened. The sacristan watched and soon saw the statue of Jesus eating with the boy. This he told the padre, and the child's dinner was always sent to the church after that. One day not long after he went to the priest and said, "Master, my friend down at the church wants me to go away with him." "Where are you going?" "My friend wants me to go to heaven with him."
The priest consented and the little boy and the Lord Jesus went away together. As they walked the little boy saw that two roads ran along together, one thorny and the other smooth. Asked the boy of his companion, "Friend, why is this road where we walk so thorny, and that other yonder so smooth?" Said the Lord, "Hush, child, it is not fitting to disturb the peace of this place, but I will tell you. This is the path of the sinless and is thorny, but that smooth way yonder is the way of the sinners and never reaches heaven."
Again they came to a great house filled with young men and women who were all working hammering iron. Said the little boy, "Who are those who labor with the hammer?" "Hush, child, they are the souls of those who died unmarried."
They journeyed on, and on one side were bush pastures filled with poor cattle while on the opposite side of the road were pastures dry and bare where the cattle were very fat. The child inquired the meaning of the mystery. The Lord answered him, "Hush, child! These lean cattle in the rich pastures are the souls of sinners, while those fat cattle on dry and sunburnt ground are the souls of sinless ones."
After a while they crossed a river, one part of which was ruby red and the other spotless white. "Friend, what is this?" asked the boy. "Hush, child, the red is the blood of your mother whose life was given for yours, and the white is the milk which she desired to give to you, her child," said the Lord.
At last they came to a great house having seven stories, and there on a table they saw many candles, some long, some short, some burned out. Said Juan, "Friend, what are all these candles?" "Hush, child, those are the lives of your friends." "What are those empty candlesticks?" "Those are your mother and your uncle, who are dead." "Who is this long one?" "That is your father, who has long to live." "Who is this very short one?" "That is your master, who will die soon." "May I put in another?" "Yes, child, if you wish." So he changed it for a long one, and with his heavenly companion he returned to earth.
There he told his master, the padre, all that he had seen and heard and how he had changed the candles; and he and his master lived together a very long time. And in the fullness of time the padre died, but Juan went to heaven one day with his Lord and never returned.
There was once an old couple who always prayed for a child, for they had always been childless. No matter how it looked, whether deformed or ugly, they must have a child. So after a short time they saw that their prayers would be answered, and in the course of nature a child was born, but the mother died at the birth.
The new-born child ran to the church, climbed into the tower, and began to hammer on the bells. The priest, hearing the noise, sent the sacristan to see what was the matter. The sacristan went, and seeing there a little child, asked what he was doing and told him to stop, for the priest would be angry; but the ringing of the bells went on. Then the priest went up. "Little boy," he said, "what is your name?" "Juan," said the child. "Why are you ringing the church bells?" "Because my mother is dead." "When did she die?" "Only now." "If you stop ringing the bells she shall have a fine funeral and you shall live with me and be as my son," said the priest. "Very well, sir, if you will let me stay in the church all I wish." To this the priest assented. The dead woman was buried with all the pomp of music, candles, and bells, and the boy went to live in the convent. Always after his school was done he would be in the church. The father did everything that was possible for him, for he knew that he was not a natural child.
After a time the padre sent for him to get his dinner, but he would not leave the church, so the priest had a good dinner cooked and sent it down to the church, but he told the sacristan to watch the church and see what happened. The sacristan watched and soon saw the statue of Jesus eating with the boy. This he told the padre, and the child's dinner was always sent to the church after that. One day not long after he went to the priest and said, "Master, my friend down at the church wants me to go away with him." "Where are you going?" "My friend wants me to go to heaven with him."
The priest consented and the little boy and the Lord Jesus went away together. As they walked the little boy saw that two roads ran along together, one thorny and the other smooth. Asked the boy of his companion, "Friend, why is this road where we walk so thorny, and that other yonder so smooth?" Said the Lord, "Hush, child, it is not fitting to disturb the peace of this place, but I will tell you. This is the path of the sinless and is thorny, but that smooth way yonder is the way of the sinners and never reaches heaven."
Again they came to a great house filled with young men and women who were all working hammering iron. Said the little boy, "Who are those who labor with the hammer?" "Hush, child, they are the souls of those who died unmarried."
They journeyed on, and on one side were bush pastures filled with poor cattle while on the opposite side of the road were pastures dry and bare where the cattle were very fat. The child inquired the meaning of the mystery. The Lord answered him, "Hush, child! These lean cattle in the rich pastures are the souls of sinners, while those fat cattle on dry and sunburnt ground are the souls of sinless ones."
After a while they crossed a river, one part of which was ruby red and the other spotless white. "Friend, what is this?" asked the boy. "Hush, child, the red is the blood of your mother whose life was given for yours, and the white is the milk which she desired to give to you, her child," said the Lord.
At last they came to a great house having seven stories, and there on a table they saw many candles, some long, some short, some burned out. Said Juan, "Friend, what are all these candles?" "Hush, child, those are the lives of your friends." "What are those empty candlesticks?" "Those are your mother and your uncle, who are dead." "Who is this long one?" "That is your father, who has long to live." "Who is this very short one?" "That is your master, who will die soon." "May I put in another?" "Yes, child, if you wish." So he changed it for a long one, and with his heavenly companion he returned to earth.
There he told his master, the padre, all that he had seen and heard and how he had changed the candles; and he and his master lived together a very long time. And in the fullness of time the padre died, but Juan went to heaven one day with his Lord and never returned.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Magboloto
There was once a man named Magboloto who lived in the depths of the mountains. One day on going down to a brook he saw three goddesses bathing in the water. They had left their wings on the bank, and Magboloto managed to slip down and steal one pair of them. When the goddesses had finished bathing and looked for their wings, they could not find those belonging to the youngest, Macaya. At last the two goddesses put on their wings and flew up to heaven, leaving behind them Macaya, who wept bitterly, since without her wings she could not go home. Then Magboloto, feigning to have come from a distance, met her and asked: "Why do you weep, lady?"
"Why do you ask, if you will not help me in my trouble?" answered Macaya.
"I will do my best to help you," said Magboloto, "if you will tell me about it."
So Macaya told him that she had lost her wings, and therefore could not return to her home in heaven.
"I am sorry not to be able to help you out of your trouble," said Magboloto, "but we terrestrial people do not use wings, nor know where to get them. The only thing I can do for you is to offer you a home with me." Macaya was obliged to accept his offer, since there was nothing else for her to do.
About a year after Macaya became Magboloto's wife they had a child. One day, as Magboloto was making rice soup on the hearth, Macaya was swinging the child in a hammock. Accidentally, she noticed a bundle stuck into one of the bamboo posts in the partition. She withdrew the bundle, and upon unrolling it found, oh, joy! her long-lost wings, which Magboloto had hidden in the hollow bamboo. She at once put them on, and leaving her husband and child, flew up to join her celestial family.
Magboloto, on missing his wife, began calling loudly for her. As he could not find her, he looked for the wings, and seeing that they were gone, knew at once what had happened. He began to weep bitterly, especially as he did not know how to take care of the child. So leaving it in the care of a relative, he set out to find the way to heaven. He had walked a great distance when he met North Wind. "Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked North Wind.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," answered Magboloto.
"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," said North Wind. "Well," replied Magboloto, "I have a wife who came from heaven. But now she has flown away, leaving a little child for me to take care of, and I am in great sorrow. Please show me the way that leads to her home."
"Magboloto," said North Wind, "I do not know the way, but my brother, East Wind, can tell you. Good-by."
Magboloto went on his way, and after a while he met East Wind. "Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked East Wind.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," said Magboloto.
"Tell me all your trouble and I will help you," answered East Wind.
Then Magboloto related all his sorrow, just as he had done to North Wind.
"Well," said East Wind, "I do not know the way, but my brother, South Wind, may be able to show it to you. Good-by."
Magboloto went on, and at last met South Wind.
"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked South Wind.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," said Magboloto.
"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," answered South Wind.
Then Magboloto told him his story, just as he had done to North Wind and East Wind.
"Well," said South Wind, "I do not know the way to heaven, but my brother, West Wind, can tell you the course to be taken to get there. Good-by."
Magboloto went on and on, and at last met West Wind. "Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked West Wind.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," answered Magboloto.
"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," answered West Wind, and Magboloto did as he was bidden.
"Magboloto," said West Wind, "I don't know the way to heaven, but my friend, Mr. Eagle, does. Good-by."
Magboloto went on until he met Mr. Eagle.
"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked Mr. Eagle.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," answered Magboloto.
"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," replied Mr. Eagle. Then Magboloto told Mr. Eagle his trouble.
"Magboloto," said Mr. Eagle, "get upon my back and I will carry you to your wife's home."
Magboloto climbed upon Mr. Eagle's back and they flew up until they reached Macaya's house. Then Magboloto requested Macaya's grandmother, with whom she lived, to let her granddaughter return to earth with him.
"By no means," said the grandmother, "unless you will spread ten jars of lunga (a certain very small grain) out to dry and gather them again in the evening."
So Magboloto spread the jars of lunga on the sand, and at noon began to gather them up; but sunset had come before he had gathered more than five handfuls, so he sat down and began to cry like a little boy.
The king of the ants heard him, and wishing to help him, asked:--"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?"
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me."
"Tell me about it and I will help you."
So Magboloto told the king of the ants all his history, and the condition imposed by the grandmother before he could have his wife, and how impossible it was to fulfil it.
"Well, Magboloto, you shall be helped," said the king of the ants. Then he blew his horn, and in a little while all his subjects came, and began picking up the grain and putting it into the jars. In a few moments all the grain was in the jars.
The next morning Magboloto went to get his wife, but the grandmother stopped him, saying:--
"You shall not take my granddaughter away until you have first hulled a hundred bushels of rice."
Magboloto was in despair, for he knew that to hull one hundred bushels of rice would take him not less than one hundred days, and the grandmother required him to do it in one day; so he cried like a child at his misfortune. The king of the rats heard him crying, and at once came to help him.
"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked King Rat.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me."
"Relate the matter, and I will."
Magboloto told him his trouble. Then the king of the rats called his subjects together and ordered them to gnaw the hulls from the rice. In an instant the rice was all hulled.
The next morning Magboloto made ready to depart with his wife, but the grandmother stopped him again, saying:--
"You may not go until you have chopped down all the trees you see on that mountain over there."
There were more than a million trees, so Magboloto was in great trouble, and as usual he began to weep.
The king of the wild boars heard him and came up, saying:--
"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?"
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me."
"Relate the matter, and I will."
Magboloto related all that had happened to him. Then the king of the wild boars called all his subjects together and set them at work cutting down the trees with their tusks. In a few minutes the trees were all down.
When the grandmother saw that Magboloto accomplished every task she gave him to do she became tired of trying to think of things for him to do; so she allowed him to depart with Macaya, and leaving the celestial abode they descended to their home on the earth, where they lived happily together for many years.
"Why do you ask, if you will not help me in my trouble?" answered Macaya.
"I will do my best to help you," said Magboloto, "if you will tell me about it."
So Macaya told him that she had lost her wings, and therefore could not return to her home in heaven.
"I am sorry not to be able to help you out of your trouble," said Magboloto, "but we terrestrial people do not use wings, nor know where to get them. The only thing I can do for you is to offer you a home with me." Macaya was obliged to accept his offer, since there was nothing else for her to do.
About a year after Macaya became Magboloto's wife they had a child. One day, as Magboloto was making rice soup on the hearth, Macaya was swinging the child in a hammock. Accidentally, she noticed a bundle stuck into one of the bamboo posts in the partition. She withdrew the bundle, and upon unrolling it found, oh, joy! her long-lost wings, which Magboloto had hidden in the hollow bamboo. She at once put them on, and leaving her husband and child, flew up to join her celestial family.
Magboloto, on missing his wife, began calling loudly for her. As he could not find her, he looked for the wings, and seeing that they were gone, knew at once what had happened. He began to weep bitterly, especially as he did not know how to take care of the child. So leaving it in the care of a relative, he set out to find the way to heaven. He had walked a great distance when he met North Wind. "Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked North Wind.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," answered Magboloto.
"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," said North Wind. "Well," replied Magboloto, "I have a wife who came from heaven. But now she has flown away, leaving a little child for me to take care of, and I am in great sorrow. Please show me the way that leads to her home."
"Magboloto," said North Wind, "I do not know the way, but my brother, East Wind, can tell you. Good-by."
Magboloto went on his way, and after a while he met East Wind. "Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked East Wind.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," said Magboloto.
"Tell me all your trouble and I will help you," answered East Wind.
Then Magboloto related all his sorrow, just as he had done to North Wind.
"Well," said East Wind, "I do not know the way, but my brother, South Wind, may be able to show it to you. Good-by."
Magboloto went on, and at last met South Wind.
"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked South Wind.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," said Magboloto.
"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," answered South Wind.
Then Magboloto told him his story, just as he had done to North Wind and East Wind.
"Well," said South Wind, "I do not know the way to heaven, but my brother, West Wind, can tell you the course to be taken to get there. Good-by."
Magboloto went on and on, and at last met West Wind. "Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked West Wind.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," answered Magboloto.
"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," answered West Wind, and Magboloto did as he was bidden.
"Magboloto," said West Wind, "I don't know the way to heaven, but my friend, Mr. Eagle, does. Good-by."
Magboloto went on until he met Mr. Eagle.
"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked Mr. Eagle.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," answered Magboloto.
"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," replied Mr. Eagle. Then Magboloto told Mr. Eagle his trouble.
"Magboloto," said Mr. Eagle, "get upon my back and I will carry you to your wife's home."
Magboloto climbed upon Mr. Eagle's back and they flew up until they reached Macaya's house. Then Magboloto requested Macaya's grandmother, with whom she lived, to let her granddaughter return to earth with him.
"By no means," said the grandmother, "unless you will spread ten jars of lunga (a certain very small grain) out to dry and gather them again in the evening."
So Magboloto spread the jars of lunga on the sand, and at noon began to gather them up; but sunset had come before he had gathered more than five handfuls, so he sat down and began to cry like a little boy.
The king of the ants heard him, and wishing to help him, asked:--"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?"
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me."
"Tell me about it and I will help you."
So Magboloto told the king of the ants all his history, and the condition imposed by the grandmother before he could have his wife, and how impossible it was to fulfil it.
"Well, Magboloto, you shall be helped," said the king of the ants. Then he blew his horn, and in a little while all his subjects came, and began picking up the grain and putting it into the jars. In a few moments all the grain was in the jars.
The next morning Magboloto went to get his wife, but the grandmother stopped him, saying:--
"You shall not take my granddaughter away until you have first hulled a hundred bushels of rice."
Magboloto was in despair, for he knew that to hull one hundred bushels of rice would take him not less than one hundred days, and the grandmother required him to do it in one day; so he cried like a child at his misfortune. The king of the rats heard him crying, and at once came to help him.
"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked King Rat.
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me."
"Relate the matter, and I will."
Magboloto told him his trouble. Then the king of the rats called his subjects together and ordered them to gnaw the hulls from the rice. In an instant the rice was all hulled.
The next morning Magboloto made ready to depart with his wife, but the grandmother stopped him again, saying:--
"You may not go until you have chopped down all the trees you see on that mountain over there."
There were more than a million trees, so Magboloto was in great trouble, and as usual he began to weep.
The king of the wild boars heard him and came up, saying:--
"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?"
"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me."
"Relate the matter, and I will."
Magboloto related all that had happened to him. Then the king of the wild boars called all his subjects together and set them at work cutting down the trees with their tusks. In a few minutes the trees were all down.
When the grandmother saw that Magboloto accomplished every task she gave him to do she became tired of trying to think of things for him to do; so she allowed him to depart with Macaya, and leaving the celestial abode they descended to their home on the earth, where they lived happily together for many years.
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