Poets and Dreamers eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 262 pages of information about Poets and Dreamers.

Poets and Dreamers eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 262 pages of information about Poets and Dreamers.

’Then the mother thought of another way to get rid of her; and she bade her to go to the son’s grave and to spend the night there.  So she went as she was told; and she was crying on the grass.  And then the young man came up out of it, and it is what he said:  “My mother thought I would harm you if you came here, but I will not harm you; I will help you.  And take these three gray hairs from my head,” he said, “and bring them back with you.  And for every one of them my mother will have to grant you a request.  And it is what you will ask her, to open my room that she has locked up for a day and a night.  And at the end of a year, you will ask the same thing of her, and again at the end of another year.”

’So the girl went back, and she asked to have the door opened, and she went in and stopped there for a day and a night.  And at the end of the year she did the same, and again at the end of the third year.

’And after a while the mother said one day:  “I wonder what she wanted in that room, and what she was doing in it.”  And she opened the door, and there she saw a fire on the hearth, and the girl sitting one side of it, and a child in her lap, and the son sitting the other side, and two children in his lap.  For she had brought him back from the grave.

’And the son said:  “What is wanting to me now is someone that will go and spend seven years in hell for my sake, to save my soul.”  “I will do that for you,” said the mother.  “It would be no use you going,” he said.  “I will do it,” said the girl.

’So he said she might go; and he gave a spoon that would give her drink, and a ring that would give her food, so long as she would keep them.

’So she went down to hell, and she stopped there seven years; and through all that time she got no rest, only on Sundays.

’And at the end of the seven years, she was going out, and she heard a voice saying:  “Will you stop another seven years to save your father’s soul?” “I will do that,” she said.  “Do not,” they said; “for your father gave you no care, and did nothing for you.”  “No matter,” she said; “I will give another seven years to save his soul.”

’And at the end of the second seven years she was going out; and her mother, that had done nothing for her, asked her to stop another seven years for her soul; and she did that.  And at the end of the twenty-one years, they gave her the three souls in a napkin, and she went out.

’And as she was going home, she met with an old man, and he said:  “Give me what you have there.”  “Who are you?” “I am Almighty God,” he said.  “I will not give them to you,” said the girl.  And after a little time she met with another old man, and he said:  “Give me what you have there.”  “Who are you?” she said.  “I am Jesus Christ.”  “I will not give them to you;” and she went on.  Then the third time she met with an old man, and he asked for what she had in the napkin.  “Who are you?” she asked.  “I am the King of Sunday.”  “Then I will give them to you,” she said; “for in all the twenty-one years I went through, I got no rest at all but on the Sunday.”

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Project Gutenberg
Poets and Dreamers from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.