I
A son was born to a poor peasant. He rejoiced and went to a neighbour to
ask him to stand as godfather to the boy. The neighbour refused. He did
not want to be godfather to a poor man’s son. So the peasant went to
another neighbour and he, too, refused. He walked from house to house,
but could find no one who would be godfather to his son, so he set out
to another village. On his way he met a stranger, who stopped him and
said, “Good day, peasant; where are you going to?”
“God has given me a child,” the peasant said, “to gladden my sight in my
youth, to comfort me in my old age and to pray for my soul when I die.
No one in our village will be godfather to him, so I am going to seek
one elsewhere.”
“Let me be his godfather,” the stranger said.
The peasant rejoiced. He thanked the stranger and said, “But whom shall
I ask to be his godmother?”
“Go into the town,” the stranger said; “in the square you will see a
stone house with shop windows; go in and ask the merchant to let his
daughter stand as godmother to your son.”
The peasant was doubtful.
“But how can I ask a rich merchant? He will be too proud to let his
daughter come to a poor man like me.”
“That won’t be your fault; go and ask him. Have everything ready by the
morning and I’ll come to the christening.”
The peasant went home, then drove into the town to the merchant. He had
no sooner stopped in the yard than the merchant came out.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“God has given me a child,” the peasant said, “to gladden my sight in my
youth, to comfort me in my old age and to pray for my soul when I die.
Will you be kind enough to let your daughter come and be godmother to
the child?”
“When is the christening?”
“To-morrow morning.”
“Very well; go, in God’s name. To-morrow my daughter will be at the
church.”
The next day the godmother and godfather came; the child was christened,
but directly after the christening the godfather disappeared. No one
knew who he was and no one saw him from that day.