A father and mother with their two children lived on a deserted in the middle of the ocean. They fed themselves with roots and herbs, drank from a spring and lived in a cavern hewn from the rock. Often hurricane and tempests arose over the island.
The children could not remember how they had reached the island, they did not know anything of the vast continent that was far away from their island home. Bread, milk, fruits, and all other food things were unknown to them.
One day a small boat landed near the island and four negroes came ashore. The parents were overcome with joy and hoped that they would finally be freed from their sufferings, but the boat was too small to take all of them at the same time to the mainland, and the father decide to attempt the voyage first.
The mother and children wept continuously when he went into the frail, wooden boat with the four negroes. But he said: "Do not cry! On the mainland it is possible to live better and very soon you will follow me." When the small boat came back to take the mother, the two children cried even more bitterly, but she also told them: "Do not cry, because we will see each other again in a better home."
At last the boat came to take the two children also. They were very afraid of the negroes and we're struck with fear at the sight of the rough sea they were about to cross. This fear accompanied them all during the journey until they approached the mainland.
They were filled with joy when they found their parents waiting for them with arms outstretched. They were accompanied to the shade of tall plan trees and in the midst of a flowery field they were given milk, honey, and delicious fruit.
"Oh! how foolish was our fear!" exclaimed the two brothers. "When the negroes came to take us to this place we should not have been afraid but very pleased."
"My dear children," said their father, "our crossing from the island to this wonderful place has for us a deeper meaning. We are all bound for a longer journey to a place much more beautiful than this. The earth on which we live is like an island and this wonderful place is but a very feeble image of the kingdom of Heaven; the rough sea-crossing to reach that Kingdom is death. The boat reminds us of the coffin in which we will be taken one day by men dressed in black. When the hour will arrive that I, your mother, or yourselves will have to leave this world, do not be afraid. For those who have loved and obeyed God's commandments, death is but the gate to a better home."
This world is all a fleeting show,
For man's illusion given;
The smiles of joy, the tears of woe ,
Deceitful shine, Deceitful flow,
There's nothing true but Heaven.
The children could not remember how they had reached the island, they did not know anything of the vast continent that was far away from their island home. Bread, milk, fruits, and all other food things were unknown to them.
One day a small boat landed near the island and four negroes came ashore. The parents were overcome with joy and hoped that they would finally be freed from their sufferings, but the boat was too small to take all of them at the same time to the mainland, and the father decide to attempt the voyage first.
The mother and children wept continuously when he went into the frail, wooden boat with the four negroes. But he said: "Do not cry! On the mainland it is possible to live better and very soon you will follow me." When the small boat came back to take the mother, the two children cried even more bitterly, but she also told them: "Do not cry, because we will see each other again in a better home."
At last the boat came to take the two children also. They were very afraid of the negroes and we're struck with fear at the sight of the rough sea they were about to cross. This fear accompanied them all during the journey until they approached the mainland.
They were filled with joy when they found their parents waiting for them with arms outstretched. They were accompanied to the shade of tall plan trees and in the midst of a flowery field they were given milk, honey, and delicious fruit.
"Oh! how foolish was our fear!" exclaimed the two brothers. "When the negroes came to take us to this place we should not have been afraid but very pleased."
"My dear children," said their father, "our crossing from the island to this wonderful place has for us a deeper meaning. We are all bound for a longer journey to a place much more beautiful than this. The earth on which we live is like an island and this wonderful place is but a very feeble image of the kingdom of Heaven; the rough sea-crossing to reach that Kingdom is death. The boat reminds us of the coffin in which we will be taken one day by men dressed in black. When the hour will arrive that I, your mother, or yourselves will have to leave this world, do not be afraid. For those who have loved and obeyed God's commandments, death is but the gate to a better home."
This world is all a fleeting show,
For man's illusion given;
The smiles of joy, the tears of woe ,
Deceitful shine, Deceitful flow,
There's nothing true but Heaven.
No comments:
Post a Comment