“‘Such a thing has never been done,’ they said. ‘It is too horrible.’
“‘And even if it saved his life he would only have one leg.’
“‘Better have no legs at all,’ said the young monk, ‘than die before his time.’
“‘But it would be his time,’ said the old monks.
“‘It would not be his time if I could save his life,’ said the young monk.
“But still the old monks shook their heads, and said that no man had ever yet heard of such a thing. It was too terrible to be thought of, and they frowned very severely upon the young monk till the prior, who had been very thoughtful, exclaimed:—
“‘And cutting the limb off the apple-tree made you think that?’
“The young monk said that it was so.
“‘But a man is not an apple-tree,’ said the oldest monk present; and all the others shook their heads again; but, oddly enough, a few minutes later they nodded their heads, for the prior suddenly exclaimed:—
“‘Our brother is quite right, and he shall try.’