Author's Notes
translated by Margaret Hunt
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The
Heavenly Wedding
A POOR peasant-boy one day heard
the priest say in church that whosoever desired to enter into the kingdom
of heaven must always go straight onward. So he set out, and walked continually
straight onwards over hill and valley without ever turning aside. At length
his way led him into a great town, and into the midst of a church, where
just at that time God's service was being performed. Now when he beheld
all the magnificence of this, he thought he had reached heaven, sat down,
and rejoiced with his whole heart. When the service was over, and the
clerk bade him go out, he replied, "No, I will not go out again,
I am glad to be in heaven at last." So the clerk went to the priest,
and told him that there was a child in the church who would not go out
again, because he believed he was in heaven. The priest said, "If
he believes that, we will leave him inside." So he went to him, and
asked if he had any inclination to work. "Yes," the little fellow
replied, "I am accustomed to work, but I will not go out of heaven
again." So he stayed in the church, and when he saw how the people
came and knelt and prayed to Our Lady with the blessed child Jesus which
was carved in wood, he thought "that is the good God," and said,
"Dear God, how thin you are! The people must certainly let you starve;
but every day I will give you half my dinner." From this time forth,
he every day took half his dinner to the image, and the image began to
enjoy the food. When a few weeks had gone by, people remarked that the
image was growing larger and stout and strong, and wondered much. The
priest also could not understand it, but stayed in the church, and followed
the little boy about, and then he saw how he shared his food with the
Virgin Mary, and how she accepted it.
After some time the boy became ill, and for
eight days could not leave his bed; but as soon as he could get up again,
the first thing he did was to take his food to Our Lady. The priest followed
him, and heard him say, "Dear God, do not take it amiss that I have
not brought you anything for such a long time, for I have been ill and
could not get up." Then the image answered him and said, "I
have seen thy good-will, and that is enough for me. Next Sunday thou shalt
go with me to the wedding." The boy rejoiced at this, and repeated
it to the priest, who begged him to go and ask the image if he, too, might
be permitted to go. "No," answered the image, "thou alone."
The priest wished to prepare him first, and give him the holy communion
and the child was willing, and next Sunday, when the host came to him,
he fell down and died, and was at the eternal wedding.
Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. Household Tales. Margaret Hunt, translator. London: George Bell, 1884, 1892. 2 volumes.
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©Heidi
Anne Heiner, SurLaLune Fairy Tales
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