SO BORN, SO DIE
In olden times, when all the world believed in Christianity, there lived in India a pious Christian. This man resolved to lead a hermit’s life; and, as he was wandering up and down through India, he found a great cave, where he took up his abode, that he might lead a life wholly pleasing to God. Thus passed away many years while he dwelt in the solitude of the wilderness, far from any living soul.
One evening, when he had said his evening prayer and lain down upon his bed of moss, he thought in his heart, “O Thou my God! I have already tarried many years in this solitude, and it has never been vouchsafed to me to convert a single soul to Thy holy faith. For in the many years which I have spent here I have seen no human being nor any living creature.”
While thinking thus the Hermit stretched himself upon his bed and sweet sleep fell upon his eyelids. He awoke at daybreak, said his morning prayer, and then became aware of a little Mouse, which looked confidingly at him and glided toward him into the cave.
Then said the Hermit, “Praise and glory to Thee, O God, that I again look upon one of Thy creatures!”
Little by little there grew up between the Mouse and the Hermit such a warm friendship that the two were perfectly inseparable. The hoary Hermit derived the greatest joy from this friendship, and he constantly besought God to transform the little Mouse into a young girl, to be a daughter to him.
His prayer was answered; the little Mouse became a fair young girl, and the old man felt at last that his life would not have been spent in vain, since it was vouchsafed to him to instruct this creature of God in the good and right way.
So passed away the Hermit’s life in peace and piety until the young girl had attained the full bloom of maidenhood. Then thought the Hermit:
“I am already full of days; I have lived always to the glory of God, and the end of my life draws near. It would be a sin if this beautiful creature of God, who knows nothing of the world, should be left to grow old and wither away in this solitary vale. It would be better that she should marry.”
Impelled by this thought, he called the maiden to him and said, “My little daughter, you are now grown up and old enough to be married. You ought also to see the world, for this place where we live is not the whole world. The world is large, and there are in it many beautiful creatures of God whom you have never seen.”
The maiden answered, “I thank you, my father; may your will be done in each and every thing. Only let me make one request, that you will find me a husband to my liking, and, before all things, let him be that creature of God which is stronger than any other in the world.”
The Hermit consented and set off upon his quest. In the course of his journey he met the Moon, and greeted him with, “God be with thee, thou holy Moon, strongest of all God’s creatures! I have a daughter; take her for thy wife!”
The Moon answered, “What foolish talk is this? I the strongest of God’s creatures! I shine in the night, but as soon as the Sun overtakes me he robs me of my light. Address yourself to the Sun; he is stronger than I.”
The Hermit now betook himself to the Sun, and said, “God be with thee, O strong and shining Sun! Thou art the strongest of all God’s creatures. I have a daughter; take her for thy wife!”
And the Sun replied, “Thou errest in taking me for the strongest. The clouds are stronger and mightier than I, for when I shed abroad my rays then the clouds unroll themselves and veil my splendor. So they are stronger than I.”
Then the Hermit sought a Cloud, and greeted him with, “God be with thee!” and said, “Thou Cloud-man, strongest and mightiest of all God’s creatures, I have a daughter; take her for thy wife!”
And the Cloud-man answered, “That cannot be, for the Wind is stronger than I. When I spread myself over the bright expanse of heaven, then comes the Wind and tears me into countless fragments. Go to the Wind; he is stronger than I.”
The Hermit betook himself to the Wind, hailed him with, “God be with thee!” and said, “Thou mightiest of all God’s creatures, strongest of all in the world, take my daughter for thy wife!”
The Wind answered, “Oh, old man, how should I be the strongest? When I begin to blow, the Mountain stands in my way, so that the people on its farther side know nothing about me. Go to the Mountain; he is stronger than I.”
The old man went to the Mountain and said, “God be with thee, thou rocky Mountain, strongest thing in the world! I have a daughter; take her for thy wife!”
“Oho, old man!” answered the Mountain, “do you imagine that I am the strongest in the world? Don’t you see me riddled all over by mice, who burrow in me night and day? Search for a Mouse, for he is stronger than I.”
So the old man went to a Mouse, and said, “Thou strongest of all God’s creatures, I have a daughter; take her for thy wife!”
“I am not unwilling,” answered the Mouse, “but I have not yet seen the maiden. Bring her here first, that I may see her; then will I wed her.”
The old Hermit returned home and said, “Well, my little daughter, I have found a husband for you; follow me!”
They presented themselves before the Mouse, and the old Hermit said, “Here is thy wife.”
“Oho, what shall I do with her?” asked the Mouse. “She cannot even get into my little palace!”
But the maiden said to the old man, “This shall be my husband; only pray to God to transform me again into a Mouse, that I may go with him.”
The old Hermit, who saw no help for it, fell upon his knees and begged God to restore his daughter to her former state. That very moment the maiden was changed into a Mouse and went with her husband.
As for the old Hermit, he still lived on piously till the end of his days, convinced that every one must die with the same nature with which he was born.
“I should like to go to the sun, grandmother,” said the little boy.
“You would find it very hot,” said the grandmother.
“Did you ever go, little grandma?” asked the little boy.
“No one goes nowadays,” said the grandmother.
“They went in your great-grandmother’s time?” ventured the little boy.
“Before her time, even,” said the grandmother. “Things are greatly changed since then.”
The younger sisters had come in from swinging and were sitting on the other end of the bench. The eldest sister was walking with her betrothed in the lovely summer twilight.
“No one ever went to the sun,” said one of the sisters. “It is much too far off. I have learned it in school. And this world goes around it every day.”
“There were no schools in your great-grandmother’s time,” replied the grandmother, “and things were different then. The world did not move in those days; it rested on three great whales which were swimming in the ocean. My grandmother told me all about it.”
The little boy pondered this fact for a while. Presently he said:
“One more story, little grandmother?”
It was still light, for twilight is very long in Russia. The grandmother told the story of