The little boy did not sit very far away, so he heard all this. Instantly he thought what a pity it was that no one could cross the bridge. Perhaps the poor man might keep his son if the lamb were sacrificed. The old man left the Temple Court disconsolate, but the boy got up, walked over to the trembling bridge, and put his foot on it. He didn’t think at all about wanting to cross it to be certain of Paradise. His thoughts were with the poor man, whom he desired to help. But he drew back his foot, for he thought: “This is impossible. It is much too old and rusty, and would not hold even me!” But once again his thoughts went out to the old man whose son lay at death’s door. Again he put his foot down upon the blade. Then he noticed that it ceased to tremble, and that beneath his foot it felt broad and secure. And when he took the next step upon it, he felt that the air around him supported him, so that he could not fall. It bore him as though he were a bird, and had wings. But from the suspended sword a sweet tone trembled when the boy walked upon it, and one of those who stood in the court turned around when he heard the tone. He gave a cry, and then the others turned and saw the little boy tripping across the sword. There was great consternation among all who stood there. The first who came to their senses were the priests. They immediately sent a messenger after the poor man, and when he came back they said to him: “God has performed a miracle to show us that He will accept your offering. Give us your lamb and we will sacrifice it.” When this was done they asked for the little boy who had walked across the chasm; but when they looked around for him they could not find him. For just after the boy had crossed the chasm, he happened to think of the journey home, and of his parents. He did not know that the morning and the whole forenoon were gone, but thought: “I must make haste and get back, so that they will not have to wait. But first I want to run over and take a look at the Voice of the Prince of this World.” And he stole away through the crowd and ran over to the damp pillar-aisle where the copper trumpet stood leaning against the wall. When he saw it, and thought about the prediction that he who could coax a tone from it should one day gather all the peoples of earth under his dominion, he fancied that never had he seen anything so wonderful! and he sat down beside it and regarded it. He thought how great it would be to win all the peoples of earth, and how much he wished that he could blow in the old trumpet. But he understood that it was impossible, so he didn’t even dare try. He sat like this for several hours, but he did not know how the time passed. He thought only how marvelous it would be to gather all the peoples of earth under his dominion. But it happened that in this cool passageway sat a holy man who instructed his pupils, that sat at his feet.