willingly whatever was commanded him,
and at last his master and mistress, who had grown to love him like a
son, went before the judge and adopted him.

Time passed and the innkeeper and his wife died and left all their
property to the young man, who, when he saw himself in possession of it,
made known: "That whoever should come to Occasion's inn could have food
for nothing." You can imagine the people that went there!

Now the Master and his apostles happened once to pass that way, and when
St. Thomas read this announcement he said: "Unless I see and touch with
my hands I shall not believe it. Let us go to this inn." They went there
and ate and drank and Occasion treated them like gentlemen. Before
leaving St. Thomas said: "Occasion, why don't you ask a favor of the
Master?" Then Occasion said: "Master, I have before my door this
fig-tree, and the children do not let me eat one of the figs. Whoever
goes by climbs up and pulls off some. Now I would like this favor, that
when any one climbs this tree, he must stay there until I permit him to
come down." "Your request is granted," said the Lord, and blessed the
tree.

It was a fine thing! The first who climbed up for figs stuck fast to the
tree without being able to move; another came, the same thing; and so
on; all stuck fast, one by the hand, another by the foot, another by the
head. When Occasion saw them he gave them a sound scolding and let them
go. The children were frightened and touched the figs no more.

Years passed and Occasion's money was coming to an end; so he called a
carpenter and told him to cut up the fig-tree and make him a bottle out
of it. This bottle had the property that Occasion could shut up in it
whoever he wished. One day Death went to fetch him, for Occasion was now
very old. Occasion said: "At your service; we will go. But see here,
Death, first do me a favor. I have this bottle of wine, and there is a
fly in it, and I don't like to drink from it; just go in there and take
it out for me, and then we will go." Death very foolishly entered the
bottle, when Occasion corked it and put it in his wallet, saying: "Stay
a bit with me."

While Death was shut up no one died; and everywhere you might see old
men with such long white beards that it was a sight. The apostles,
seeing this, went to the Master about it several times, and at last he
visited Occasion. "What is this? Here you have kept Death shut up so
many years, and the people are fallin