After walking a long time he came to a city with a wall around it, and at the gate sat an old man with a long beard and with keys at his girdle whom he knew at once as St. Peter.  “Good-morning, St. Peter,” said Juan.  “I would like to see some of my friends that I think are here.”  “Who are you?” asked St. Peter, getting up angrily.  “I am Juan and I have come a long way to see some of my friends.  Won’t you let me look?” “No,” said St. Peter, “I won’t.  You are drunk.”  “Well, then, only be so good as to let me take just a little peep.”  So St. Peter opened the gate just the least bit, but Juan was not satisfied, so he said, “Good St. Peter, open the gate just a little wider for me to see with both eyes.”  Then he persuaded St. Peter to let him put his head in, and then by a little firmness he slipped in, still carrying his buckets of tuba.

St. Peter ordered him to come out, but he started down a street he saw, or rather a road, for there were no houses there.  “Stop!” said St. Peter, “that road won’t take you to your friends.  Go the other way.”  And Juan did so.

After he had gone on for some time, he found that he was surrounded by devils who began to torment him, but he defended himself succesfully against them, and by giving them part of his tuba bribed them to tell him where to find his friends.  To his friends he gave the remainder of his tuba and then set out to find God himself.

Being ushered into the Divine Presence, he knelt humbly and said, “Lord, I beg thee to tell me how long I shall live.”  The Lord looked at him and said, “I have not sent for you; why are you here?” Juan bowed more humbly than before, and replied, “O Most High, I have come to see some of my dead friends, and I would like also to know how long I shall live on earth.”  So God told him that he had still a long earthly life before him and never to come again until he was sent for.

So Juan left the heavenly city and passed back through St. Peter’s gate, and at last, after a weary journey, came to earth again.  And Juan lived a long and happy life and drank more tuba than ever.

CHAPTER 10

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,”