The miller said to her, “I have by means of thee received such great
wealth that I will keep thee most delicately as long as thou livest.”
But she replied, “Here I cannot stay, I will go forth, compassionate
people will give me as much as I require.” Thereupon she caused her
maimed arms to be bound to her back, and by sunrise she set out on her
way, and walked the whole day until night fell. Then she came to a
royal garden, and by the shimmering of the moon she saw that trees
covered with beautiful fruits grew in it, but she could not enter, for
there was much water round about it. And as she had walked the whole
day and not eaten one mouthful, and hunger tormented her, she thought,
“Ah, if I were but inside, that I might eat of the fruit, else must I
die of hunger!” Then she knelt down, called on God the Lord, and
prayed. And suddenly an angel came towards her, who made a dam in the
water, so that the moat became dry and she could walk through it. And
now she went into the garden and the angel went with her. She saw a
tree covered with beautiful pears, but they were all counted. Then she
went to them, and to still her hunger, ate one with her mouth from the
tree, but no more. The gardener was watching; but as the angel was
standing by, he was afraid and thought the maiden was a spirit, and was
silent, neither did he dare to cry out, or to speak to the spirit. When
she had eaten the pear, she was satisfied, and went and concealed
herself among the bushes. The King to whom the garden belonged, came
down to it next morning, and counted, and saw that one of the pears was
missing, and asked the gardener what had become of it, as it was not
lying beneath the tree, but was gone. Then answered the gardener, “Last
night, a spirit came in, who had no hands, and ate off one of the pears
with its mouth.” The King said, “How did the spirit get over the water,
and where did it go after it had eaten the pear?” The gardener
answered, “Some one came in a snow-white garment from heaven who made a
dam, and kept back the water, that the spirit might walk through the
moat. And as it must have been an angel, I was afraid, and asked no
questions, and did not cry out. When the spirit had eaten the pear, it
went back again.” The King said, “If it be as thou sayest, I will watch
with thee to-night.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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