blows with the
axe, he heard a rattling sound; and cleaving it in twain, the gold
pieces rolled out and about. Greatly rejoiced at the discovery, he put
them by in a safe place, until he should ascertain who was the owner.

Now the carpenter, bitterly lamenting the loss of his money, travelled
from place to place in pursuit of it. He came, by accident, to the house
of the hospitable man who had found the trunk. He failed not to mention
the object of his search; and the host, understanding that the money was
his, reflected whether his title to it were good. "I will prove," said
he to himself, "if God will that the money should be returned to him."

Accordingly, he made three cakes, the first of which he filled with
earth; the second with the bones of dead men; and in the third he put a
quantity of the gold which he had discovered in the trunk.

"Friend," said he, addressing the carpenter, "we will eat three cakes
made of the best meat in my house. Choose which you will have."

The carpenter did as he was directed; he took the cakes and weighed them
in his hand, one after another, and finding that with the earth weigh
heaviest, he chose it. "And if I want more, my worthy host," added he,
"I will have that"--laying his hand upon the cake containing the bones.
"You may keep the third cake yourself."

"I see clearly," murmured the host, "I see very clearly that God does
not will the money to be restored to this wretched man." Calling
therefore the poor and the infirm, the blind and the lame, he opened the
cake of gold in the presence of the carpenter, to whom he spoke, "Thou
miserable varlet; this is thine own gold. But thou preferredst the cake
of earth, and dead men's bones. I am persuaded, therefore, that God
wills not that I return thee thy money." Without delay, he distributed
it all amongst the poor, and drove the carpenter away.

VI.--THE HERMIT.

There once lived a hermit, who in a remote cave passed day and night
in God's service. Not far from his cell there was a flock kept by a
shepherd, who one day fell into a deep sleep, when a robber, seeing him
careless, carried off his sheep. When the keeper awoke, he began to
swear in good set terms that he had lost his sheep; and where they were
gone to he knew not. But the lord of the flock bade him be put to death.
This gave to the hermit great offence. "O heaven," said he to himself,
"seest thou this deed? The innocent suffers for the guilty: why permittes