点击下载App，搜索"TWENTY-THREE TALES",免费读到尾

　　ThenMatry&oacute；najoinedin。Shewonderedwhothiswomanwas，andwhosethechildrenwere，soshesaid:’Arenotyoutheirmother，then？’

　　’No，mygoodwoman，Iamneithertheirmothernoranyrelationtothem。

　　Theywerequitestrangerstome，butIadoptedthem。’

　　’Theyarenotyourchildrenandyetyouaresofondofthem？’

　　’HowcanIhelpbeingfondofthem？Ifedthembothatmyownbreasts。

　　Ihadachildofmyown，butGodtookhim。IwasnotsofondofhimasInowamofthem。’

　　’Thenwhosechildrenarethey？’

　　Thewoman，havingbeguntalking，toldthemthewholestory。

　　’Itisaboutsixyearssincetheirparentsdied，bothinoneweek:theirfatherwasburiedontheTuesday，andtheirmotherdiedontheFriday。Theseorphanswerebornthreedaysaftertheirfather’sdeath，andtheirmotherdidnotliveanotherday。MyhusbandandIwerethenlivingaspeasantsinthevillage。Wewereneighboursoftheirs，ouryardbeingnexttotheirs。Theirfatherwasalonelyman；awood-cutterintheforest。Whenfellingtreesoneday，theyletonefallonhim。Itfellacrosshisbodyandcrushedhisbowelsout。TheyhardlygothimhomebeforehissoulwenttoGod；andthatsameweekhiswifegavebirthtotwins——theselittlegirls。Shewaspoorandalone；shehadnoone，youngorold，withher。Aloneshegavethembirth，andaloneshemetherdeath。

　　’ThenextmorningIwenttoseeher，butwhenIenteredthehut，she，poorthing，wasalreadystarkandcold。Indyingshehadrolledontothischildandcrushedherleg。Thevillagefolkcametothehutwashedthebody，laidherout，madeacoffin，andburiedher。Theyweregoodfolk。Thebabieswereleftalone。Whatwastobedonewiththem？Iwastheonlywomantherewhohadababyatthetime。Iwasnursingmyfirst-born——eightweeksold。SoItookthemforatime。Thepeasantscametogether，andthoughtandthoughtwhattodowiththem，andatlasttheysaidtome:“Forthepresent，Mary，youhadbetterkeepthegirls，andlateronwewillarrangewhattodoforthem。“

　　SoInursedthesoundoneatmybreast，butatfirstIdidnotfeedthiscrippledone。Ididnotsupposeshewouldlive。ButthenIthoughttomyself，whyshouldthepoorinnocentsuffer？I

　　pitiedher，andbegantofeedher。AndsoIfedmyownboyandthesetwo——thethreeofthem——atmyownbreast。Iwasyoungandstrong，andhadgoodfood，andGodgavemesomuchmilkthatattimesitevenoverflowed。Iusedsometimestofeedtwoatatime，whilethethirdwaswaiting。WhenonehadhadenoughInursedthethird。AndGodsoordereditthatthesegrewup，whilemyownwasburiedbeforehewastwoyearsold。AndI

　　hadnomorechildren，thoughweprospered。Nowmyhusbandisworkingforthecornmerchantatthemill。Thepayisgoodandwearewelloff。ButIhavenochildrenofmyown，andhowlonelyIshouldbewithouttheselittlegirls！HowcanIhelplovingthem！Theyarethejoyofmylife！’

　　Shepressedthelamelittlegirltoherwithonehandwhilewiththeothershewipedthetearsfromhercheeks。

　　AndMatry&oacute；nasighed，andsaid:’Theproverbistruethatsays，“Onemaylivewithoutfatherormother，butonecannotlivewithoutGod。“’

　　Sotheytalkedtogether，whensuddenlythewholehutwaslightedupasthoughbysummerlightningfromthecornerwhereMichaelsat。Theyalllookedtowardshimandsawhimsitting，hishandsfoldedonhisknees，gazingupwardsandsmiling。

　　Thewomanwentawaywiththegirls。Michaelrosefromthebench，putdownhiswork，andtookoffhisapron。Then，bowinglowtoSimonandhiswife，hesaid:’Farewell，masters。Godhasforgivenme。Iaskyourforgiveness，too，foranythingdoneamiss。’

　　AndtheysawthatalightshonefromMichael。AndSimonrose，boweddowntoMichael，andsaid:’Isee，Michael，thatyouarenocommonman，andIcanneitherkeepyounorquestionyou。Onlytellmethis:howisitthatwhenIfoundyouandbroughtyouhome，youweregloomy，andwhenmywifegaveyoufoodyousmiledatherandbecamebrighter？Thenwhenthegentlemancametoordertheboots，yousmiledagainandbecamebrighterstill？Andnow，whenthiswomanbroughtthelittlegirls，yousmiledathirdtime，andhavebecomeasbrightasday？Tellme，Michael，whydoesyourfaceshineso，andwhydidyousmilethosethreetimes？’

　　AndMichaelanswered:’LightshinesfrommebecauseIhavebeenpunished，butnowGodhaspardonedme。AndIsmiledthreetimes，becauseGodsentmetolearnthreetruths，andIhavelearntthem。OneIlearntwhenyourwifepitiedmeandthatiswhyIsmiledthefirsttime。ThesecondIlearntwhentherichmanorderedthebootsandthenIsmiledagain。Andnow，whenI

　　sawthoselittlegirls，Ilearntthethirdandlasttruth，andIsmiledthethirdtime。’

　　AndSimonsaid，’Tellme，Michael，whatdidGodpunishyoufor？andwhatwerethethreetruths？thatI，too，mayknowthem。’

　　AndMichaelanswered:’GodpunishedmefordisobeyingHim。IwasanangelinheavenanddisobeyedGod。Godsentmetofetchawoman’ssoul。Iflewtoearth，andsawasickwomanlyingalone，whohadjustgivenbirthtotwingirls。Theymovedfeeblyattheirmother’sside，butshecouldnotliftthemtoherbreast。

　　Whenshesawme，sheunderstoodthatGodhadsentmeforhersoul，andsheweptandsaid:“AngelofGod！Myhusbandhasjustbeenburied，killedbyafallingtree。Ihaveneithersister，noraunt，normother:noonetocareformyorphans。Donottakemysoul！Letmenursemybabes，feedthem，andsetthemontheirfeetbeforeIdie。Childrencannotlivewithoutfatherormother。“AndIhearkenedtoher。Iplacedonechildatherbreastandgavetheotherintoherarms，andreturnedtotheLordinheaven。IflewtotheLord，andsaid:“Icouldnottakethesoulofthemother。Herhusbandwaskilledbyatree；thewomanhastwins，andpraysthathersoulmaynotbetaken。Shesays:

　　’Letmenurseandfeedmychildren，andsetthemontheirfeet。Childrencannotlivewithoutfatherormother。’Ihavenottakenhersoul。“AndGodsaid:“Go——takethemother’ssoul，andlearnthreetruths:LearnWhatdwellsinman，Whatisnotgiventoman，andWhatmenliveby。Whenthouhastlearntthesethings，thoushaltreturntoheaven。“SoIflewagaintoearthandtookthemother’ssoul。Thebabesdroppedfromherbreasts。Herbodyrolledoveronthebedandcrushedonebabe，twistingitsleg。Iroseabovethevillage，wishingtotakehersoultoGod；

　　butawindseizedme，andmywingsdroopedanddroppedoff。

　　HersoulrosealonetoGod，whileIfelltoearthbytheroadside。’

　　AndSimonandMatry&oacute；naunderstoodwhoitwasthathadlivedwiththem，andwhomtheyhadclothedandfed。Andtheyweptwithaweandwithjoy。Andtheangelsaid:’Iwasaloneinthefield，naked。Ihadneverknownhumanneeds，coldandhunger，tillIbecameaman。Iwasfamished，frozen，anddidnotknowwhattodo。Isaw，nearthefieldIwasin，ashrinebuiltforGod，andIwenttoithopingtofindshelter。Buttheshrinewaslocked，andIcouldnotenter。SoIsatdownbehindtheshrinetosheltermyselfatleastfromthewind。Eveningdrewon。Iwashungry，frozen，andinpain。SuddenlyIheardamancomingalongtheroad。Hecarriedapairofboots，andwastalkingtohimself。ForthefirsttimesinceIbecameamanIsawthemortalfaceofaman，andhisfaceseemedterribletomeandIturnedfromit。AndIheardthemantalkingtohimselfofhowtocoverhisbodyfromthecoldinwinter，andhowtofeedwifeandchildren。AndIthought:

　　“Iamperishingofcoldandhunger，andhereisamanthinkingonlyofhowtoclothehimselfandhiswife，andhowtogetbreadforthemselves。Hecannothelpme。Whenthemansawmehefrownedandbecamestillmoreterrible，andpassedmebyontheotherside。Idespaired，butsuddenlyIheardhimcomingback。Ilookedup，anddidnotrecognizethesameman:before，Ihadseendeathinhisface；butnowhewasalive，andIrecognizedinhimthepresenceofGod。Hecameuptome，clothedme，tookmewithhimandbroughtmetohishome。I

　　enteredthehouseawomancametomeetusandbegantospeak。Thewomanwasstillmoreterriblethanthemanhadbeen；

　　thespiritofdeathcamefromhermouth；Icouldnotbreatheforthestenchofdeaththatspreadaroundher。Shewishedtodrivemeoutintothecold，andIknewthatifshedidsoshewoulddie。

　　SuddenlyherhusbandspoketoherofGod，andthewomanchangedatonce。Andwhenshebroughtmefoodandlookedatme，Iglancedatherandsawthatdeathnolongerdweltinher；

　　shehadbecomealive，andinhertooIsawGod。

　　’ThenIrememberedthefirstlessonGodhadsetme:“Learnwhatdwellsinman。“AndIunderstoodthatinmandwellsLove！

　　IwasgladthatGodhadalreadybeguntoshowmewhatHehadpromised，andIsmiledforthefirsttime。ButIhadnotyetlearntall。IdidnotyetknowWhatisnotgiventoman，andWhatmenliveby。

　　’Ilivedwithyou，andayearpassed。Amancametoorderbootsthatshouldwearforayearwithoutlosingshapeorcracking。I

　　lookedathim，andsuddenly，behindhisshoulder，Isawmycomrade——theangelofdeath。Nonebutmesawthatangel；butI

　　knewhim，andknewthatbeforethesunsethewouldtakethatrichman’ssoul。AndIthoughttomyself，“Themanismakingpreparationsforayear，anddoesnotknowthathewilldiebeforeevening。“AndIrememberedGod’ssecondsaying，“Learnwhatisnotgiventoman。“

　　’WhatdwellsinmanIalreadyknew。NowIlearntwhatisnotgivenhim。

　　Itisnotgiventomantoknowhisownneeds。AndI

　　smiledforthesecondtime。Iwasgladtohaveseenmycomradeangel——gladalsothatGodhadrevealedtomethesecondsaying。