The Wagoner and Our Lord
In the green fields of West Flanders there once drove a humble wagoner with his cart laden with hay. His hands were calloused from labour, yet his heart was gold. On a misty morning, when fog hung like gray veils across the road, he encountered a stranger standing at the roadside.
1 The Stranger on the Road
The wagoner saw a man in filthy rags standing there, trembling in the cold wind. Without hesitation, he brought his wagon to a stop. "Step in, friend," he said, "and warm yourself by my blanket." The stranger, whose eyes shone with an unnatural brightness, took his seat beside the wagoner. They drove in silence, the sound of hoofbeats falling rhythmically upon the cobblestones.
2 The Sacrifice of the Last Bread
Around midday, the wagoner opened his basket of provisions. He had but one piece of bread and a little cheese remaining. Without any hesitation, he broke the bread in two and gave half to the hungry stranger. "This is all I have," said he, "but I cannot bear to see anyone go hungry in my company." The stranger ate in silence, yet a strange luminescence played about his lips.
3 The Miracles That Follow
As they drew near to the city, the landscape transformed. The wagoner’s cart, worn and aged, suddenly gleamed as though new. His horse’s hooves rang out like silver. And most strangely: in the empty basket they discovered more bread than could possibly have fit within it. The stranger gazed upon him with eyes like stars and spoke softly: "You have done well, wagoner. Mine shall bless you and your children unto eternity." Then he vanished in a cloud of light.
Vie FelineKattengedrag en vachtverzorging
Heimweer.be — Europees Erfgoed Bewaard
