’Yehaveheardthatitwassaid，Aneyeforaneye，andatoothforatooth，butIsayuntoyou，Resistnothimthatisevil。’——Matt。
’Vengeanceismine；Iwillrepay。’——Rom。xii。19。
ASONwasborntoapoorpeasant。Hewasgladandwenttohisneighbourtoaskhimtostandgodfathertotheboy。Theneighbourrefused——hedidnotlikestandinggodfathertoapoorman’schild。Thepeasantaskedanotherneighbour，buthetoorefused，andafterthatthepoorfatherwenttoeveryhouseinthevillage，butfoundnoonewillingtobegodfathertohisson。Sohesetofftoanothervillage，andonthewayhemetamanwhostoppedandsaid:
’Good-day，mygoodman；whereareyouoffto？’
’Godhasgivenmeachild，’saidthepeasant，’torejoicemyeyesinyouth，tocomfortmyoldage，andtoprayformysoulafterdeath。ButIampoor，andnooneinourvillagewillstandgodfathertohim，soIamnowonmywaytoseekagodfatherforhimelsewhere。’
’Letmebegodfather，’saidthestranger。
Thepeasantwasglad，andthankedhim，butadded:’AndwhomshallI
asktobegodmother？’
’Gotothetown，’repliedthestranger，’and，inthesquare，youwillseeastonehousewithshop-windowsinthefront。Attheentranceyouwillfindthetradesmantowhomitbelongs。Askhimtolethisdaughterstandgodmothertoyourchild。’
Thepeasanthesitated。
’HowcanIaskarichtradesman？’saidhe。’Hewilldespiseme，andwillnotlethisdaughtercome。’
’Don’ttroubleaboutthat。Goandask。Geteverythingreadybyto-morrowmorning，andIwillcometothechristening。’
Thepoorpeasantreturnedhome，andthendrovetothetowntofindthetradesman。Hehadhardlytakenhishorseintotheyard，whenthetradesmanhimselfcameout。
’Whatdoyouwant？’saidhe。
’Why，sir，’saidthepeasant，’youseeGodhasgivenmeasontorejoicemyeyesinyouth，tocomfortmyoldage，andtoprayformysoulafterdeath。Besokindastoletyourdaughterstandgodmothertohim。
’Andwhenisthechristening？’saidthetradesman。
’To-morrowmorning。’
’Verywell。Goinpeace。SheshallbewithyouatMassto-morrowmorning。’
Thenextdaythegodmothercame，andthegodfatheralso，andtheinfantwasbaptized。Immediatelyafterthechristeningthegodfatherwentaway。Theydidnotknowwhohewas，andneversawhimagain。
Thechildgrewuptobeajoytohisparents。Hewasstrong，willingtowork，cleverandobedient。Whenhewastenyearsoldhisparentssenthimtoschooltolearntoreadandwrite。Whatotherslearntinfiveyears，helearntinone，andsoontherewasnothingmoretheycouldteachhim。
Eastercameround，andtheboywenttoseehisgodmother，togiveherhisEastergreeting。
’Fatherandmother，’saidhewhenhegothomeagain，’wheredoesmygodfatherlive？IshouldliketogivehimmyEastergreeting，too。’
Andhisfatheranswered:
’Weknownothingaboutyourgodfather，dearson。Weoftenregretitourselves。Sincethedayyouwerechristenedwehaveneverseenhim，norhadanynewsofhim。Wedonotknowwherehelives，orevenwhetherheisstillalive。’
Thesonbowedtohisparents。
’Fatherandmother，’saidhe，’letmegoandlookformygodfather。
ImustfindhimandgivehimmyEastergreeting。
Sohisfatherandmotherlethimgo，andtheboysetofftofindhisgodfather。
Theboyleftthehouseandsetoutalongtheroad。Hehadbeenwalkingforseveralhourswhenhemetastrangerwhostoppedhimandsaid:
’Good-daytoyou，myboy。Whereareyougoing？’
Andtheboyanswered:
’IwenttoseemygodmotherandtogivehermyEastergreeting，andwhenIgothomeIaskedmyparentswheremygodfatherlives，thatImightgoandgreethimalso。Theytoldmetheydidnotknow。TheysaidhewentawayassoonasIwaschristened，andtheyknownothingabouthim，notevenifhebestillalive。ButIwishedtoseemygodfather，andsoIhavesetouttolookforhim。’
Thenthestrangersaid:’Iamyourgodfather。’
Theboywasgladtohearthis。AfterkissinghisgodfatherthreetimesforanEastergreeting，heaskedhim:
’Whichwayareyougoingnow，godfather？Ifyouarecomingourway，pleasecometoourhouse；butifyouaregoinghome，Iwillgowithyou。’
’Ihavenotimenow，’repliedhisgodfather，’tocometoyourhouse。
Ihavebusinessinseveralvillages；butIshallreturnhomeagainto-morrow。Comeandseemethen。’
’ButhowshallIfindyou，godfather？’
’Whenyouleavehome，gostraighttowardstherisingsun，andyouwillcometoaforest；goingthroughtheforestyouwillcometoaglade。Whenyoureachthisgladesitdownandrestawhile，andlookaroundyouandseewhathappens。Onthefurthersideoftheforestyouwillfindagarden，andinitahousewithagoldenroof。Thatismyhome。Gouptothegate，andIwillmyselfbetheretomeetyou。’
Andhavingsaidthisthegodfatherdisappearedfromhisgodson’ssight。
Theboydidashisgodfatherhadtoldhim。Hewalkedeastwarduntilhereachedaforest，andtherehecametoaglade，andinthemidstofthegladehesawapinetreetoabranchofwhichwastiedaropesupportingaheavylogofoak。Closeunderthislogstoodawoodentroughfilledwithhoney。Hardlyhadtheboyhadtimetowonderwhythehoneywasplacedthere，andwhytheloghungaboveit，whenheheardacracklinginthewood，andsawsomebearsapproaching；ashe-bear，followedbyayearlingandthreetinycubs。Theshe-bear，sniffingtheair，wentstraighttothetrough，thecubsfollowingher。Shethrusthermuzzleintothehoney，andcalledthecubstodothesame。Theyscamperedupandbegantoeat。Astheydidso，thelog，whichtheshe-bearhadmovedasidewithherhead，swungawayalittleand，returning，gavethecubsapush。Seeingthistheshe-bearshovedthelogawaywithherpaw。Itswungfurtheroutandreturnedmoreforcibly，strikingonecubonthebackandanotheronthehead。Thecubsranawayhowlingwithpain，andthemother，withagrowl，caughttheloginherforepawsand，raisingitaboveherheadflungitaway。
Thelogflewhighintheairandtheyearling，rushingtothetrough，pushedhismuzzleintothehoneyandbegantosucknoisily。Theothersalsodrewnear，buttheyhadnotreachedthetroughwhenthelog，flyingback，strucktheyearlingontheheadandkilledhim。Themothergrowledlouderthanbeforeand，seizingthelog，flungitfromherwithallhermight。Itflewhigherthanthebranchitwastiedto；sohighthattheropeslackened；andtheshe-bearreturnedtothetrough，andthelittlecubsafterher。Thelogflewhigherandhigher，thenstopped，andbegantofall。Theneareritcamethefasteritswung，andatlast，atfullspeed，itcrasheddownonherhead。Theshe-bearrolledover，herlegsjerkedandshedied！
Thecubsranawayintotheforest。
Theboywatchedallthisinsurprise，andthencontinuedhisway。Leavingtheforest，hecameuponalargegardeninthemidstofwhichstoodaloftypalacewithagoldenroof。Atthegatestoodhisgodfather，smiling。Hewelcomedhisgodson，andledhimthroughthegatewayintothegarden。Theboyhadneverdreamedofsuchbeautyanddelightassurroundedhiminthatplace。
Thenhisgodfatherledhimintothepalace，whichwasevenmorebeautifulinsidethanoutside。Thegodfathershowedtheboythroughalltherooms:eachbrighterandfinerthantheother，butatlasttheycametoonedoorthatwassealedup。
’Youseethisdoor，’saidhe。’Itisnotlocked，butonlysealed。Itcanbeopened，butIforbidyoutoopenit。Youmaylivehere，andgowhereyoupleaseandenjoyallthedelightsoftheplace。Myonlycommandis——donotopenthatdoor！Butshouldyoueverdoso，rememberwhatyousawintheforest。’
Havingsaidthisthegodfatherwentaway。Thegodsonremainedinthepalace，andlifetherewassobrightandjoyfulthathethoughthehadonlybeentherethreehours，whenhehadreallylivedtherethirtyyears。Whenthirtyyearshadgoneby，thegodsonhappenedtobepassingthesealeddooroneday，andhewonderedwhyhisgodfatherhadforbiddenhimtoenterthatroom。