Outside the churchyard gate stood an old beggar,leaning on his crutch and John gave him the few pieces of silver that he had.Happy and high-spirited,John went farther on—out into the wide world.Toward nightfall the weather turned dreadfully stormy.John hurried along as fast as he could to find shelter,but it soon grew dark.At last he came to a little church which stood very lonely upon a hill.Fortunately the door was ajar,and he slipped inside to stay until the storm abated.
“I'll sit down here in the corner,”he said,“for I am very tired and need a little rest.”So he sat down,put his hands together,and said his evening prayer.Before he knew it he was fast asleep and dreaming,while it thundered and lightened outside.
When he woke up it was midnight.The storm had passed,and the moon shone upon him through the window.In the middle of the church stood an open coffin and in it lay a dead man,awaiting burial.John was not at all frightened.His conscience was clear,and he was sure that the dead do not harm anyone.It is the living who do harm,and two such harmful living men stood beside the dead one,who had been put here in the church until he could be buried.They had a vile scheme to keep him from resting quietly in his coffin.They intended to throw his body out of the church—the helpless dead man's body.
“Why do you want to do such a thing?”John asked.“It is a sin and a shame.In Heaven's name,let the man rest.”
“Stuff and nonsense!”the two evil men exclaimed.“He cheated us.He owed us money which he could not pay,and now that he has cheated us by dying we shall not get a penny of it.So we intend to revenge ourselves.Like a dog he shall lie outside the church door.”
“I have only fifty dollars,”John cried.“It is my whole inheritance,but I'll give it to you gladly if you will solemnly promise to let the poor dead man rest in peace.I can do without the money.I have my healthy,strong arms,and Heaven will always help me.”
“Why certainly,”the villainous fellows agreed.“If you are willing to pay his debt,we won't lay a hand on him,you can count on that.”
They took the money he gave them and went away roaring with laughter at his simplicity.John laid the body straight again in its coffin,folded its hands,and took his leave.He went away through the great forest,very well pleased.
All around him,wherever moonlight fell between the trees,he saw little elves playing merrily.They weren't disturbed when he came along because they knew he was a good and innocent fellow.It is only the wicked people who never are allowed to see the elves.Some of the elves were no taller than your finger,and their long yellow hair was done up with golden combs.Two by two,they seesawed on the big raindrops,which lay thick on the leaves and tall grass.Sometimes the drops rolled from under them,and then they tumbled down between the grass blades.The little manikins would laugh and made a great to-do about it,for it was a very funny sight.They sang,and John knew all their pretty little songs,which had been taught him when he was a small boy.
Big spotted spiders,wearing silver crowns,were kept busy spinning long bridges and palaces from one bush to another,and as the tiny dewdrops formed on these webs they sparkled like glass in the moonlight.All this went on until sunrise,when the little elves hid in the buds of flowers.Then the wind struck the bridges and palaces,which were swept away like cobwebs.
John had just come out of the forest,when behind him a man's strong voice called out,“Ho there,comrade!Where are you bound?”
“I'm bound for the wide world,”John told him.“I have neither father nor mother.I am a poor boy,but I am sure the Lord will look after me.”
“I am off to the wide world,too,”the stranger said.“Shall we keep each other company?”
“Yes indeed,”John replied.So they strode along together.
They got to like each other very much,for both of them were kindly.But John soon found that he was not nearly so wise as the stranger,who had seen most of the world,and knew how to tell about almost everything.
The sun was high in the heavens when they sat down under a big tree to eat their breakfast.Just then an old woman came hobbling along.Oh!she was so old that she bent almost double and walked with a crutch.On her back was a load of firewood she had gotten from the forest.Her apron was tied up and John could see these big bunches of fern fronds and willow switches sticking out.As she came near the two travelers,her foot slipped.She fell down,and screamed aloud,for the poor old woman had broken her leg.
John suggested that they carry the woman to her home right away,but the stranger opened up his knapsack and took out a little jar of salve,which he said would mend her leg completely and at once,so that she could walk straight home as well as if her leg had never been broken.But in return he asked for the three bunches of switches that she carried in her apron.
“That's a very high price!”The old woman dubiously nodded her head.She did not want to give up the switches,but it was not very pleasant to lie there with a broken leg,so she let him have the three bunches.No sooner had he rubbed her with the salve than the old woman got to her feet and walked off much better than she had come—all this the salve could do.Obviously it was not the sort of thing you can buy from the apothecary.
“What on earth do you want with those bunches of switches?”John asked his companion.
“Oh,they are three nice bundles of herbs,”he said.“They just happened to strike my fancy,because I'm an odd sort of fellow.”
When they had gone on for quite a distance,John remarked,“See how dark the sky has grown.Those are dreadfully dense clouds.”
“No,”his comrade said,“those are not clouds.They are mountains—splendid high mountains,where you can get clear above the clouds into perfectly fresh air.It is glorious,believe me.Tomorrow we shall certainly be far up in the world.”
