(1) The tannub, or fir, is a kind of tree bearing cone-shaped fruit like the pine. (The translator)

All this passed with lightning speed before Father Hans's eyes, so that he could scarcely ponder the eloquent miracle being enacted in his sight. He could do no more than use his eyes and his ears.

With the new wave of light there spread the fragrance of fields freshly plowed; the tinkling of bells rose from the flocks of sheep, and from far, far away came the voices of young girls calling the milch cows. The pines and the silver firs appeared clothed in their small, glistening red fruits like crimson robes; the juniper berries stood out, their colors changing from one moment to the next. And soon the earth had put on a raiment of wonderful color: white and blue and yellow.

Father Hans bent his back and picked a bud of the wild strawberry, and by the time he stood upright again he felt his fingers closing on a ripe berry. The she-fox left her den, her black-legged cubs following her; she came up to the robbers' cave, drew near the Robber Mother, and clung to the hem of her garment; and the woman bent down a little and praised the little jackal cubs. The horned owl, which had set out on her nightly round, went back to her nest to wait for the dark, her sight dazzled by the light. The male cuckoo called, and his mate flew off, slipping into another bird's nest, carrying in her beak a tiny egg.

And the Robber Mother's children fell to devouring the ripe berries off the brambles — big berries hang-ing like the heads of pine cones — and their joyful shouts were like nothing so much as the twittering of sparrows. One of them began playing with the young wild hares; a second raced the young crows, which had come down from their nest before the feathers of their wings were full enough for flight; and a third picked up a snake and wound it about his neck and his arm!

The Robber Father stood in the bog, eating one kind of the berries. And when ...t; for other branches had been formed during the sea-

sons of ... raised ... in Bhamdoun and at the Bhamdoun station ... standing ... a group for hand-knit-ting work — and struck with it the nose of ... "Stay in ..." As for the money to buy ... the donations ...

So the great bear gave way, turned on his heels, and made off in another direction.

Meanwhile the waves of light and warmth were following one upon another. The chatter of the ducks swimming on the forest lake was heard; the golden pollen of the oat fields spread abroad and filled the air; and the great butterflies hovered until they seemed lilies flying. And there, on the stump

of an aged hollow oak, a beehive brimming with honey began oozing and running down the stump till it reached the ground. Suddenly the clumps of plants and flowers, which a moment before had been nothing but seeds, burst into bloom. The breast of the mountain was clothed with roses that fell to vying with the black berries; and in the meadow there came up broad flowers, wide as a human face.

Here Father Hans remembered the flower he had promised to pick for Bishop Absalon. But not a flower did his eye light on without its seeming to him lovelier and more splendid than its sister, and he wanted to pick ... the military

hospitals. And choirs were formed to sing the carols on the nights of Christmas in these hospitals. And I can bear witness how deep an effect these works had on the souls of ... and gladness, and a feeling that ... the soldiers, above all at such ... of the happiness that overflowed around him. He said to himself:

"I know not what new glories yet another of these waves will bring!"

And the light grew ever more flooding, and Father Hans felt that this surge bore with it something out of unending distances. He felt an air above this earthly air encircling him and enfolding him; he trembled at the greatness of the splendor, and waited for the heavenly glories drawing near.

A deep silence and stillness took possession of the forest. The birds fell silent, the jackal cubs and their dam grew still, the flowers stopped their growing. Everything gave tidings of the approach of the kingdom of God. And from far, far away, rose the strains of a light harp and a heavenly song...

Father Hans clasped his hands over his breast and sank reverently to his knees, his face shining with joy and bliss and happiness.

Never before had he dreamed that he would taste in his life the joys of Christmas and listen to the righteous angels singing the hymns of this glorious feast.

And beside the priest stood the monk who had come with him, black thoughts and many forebod-ings roving through his head. He said to himself:

"This can be no true miracle, since these criminals behold it. It is one of the works of the Devil; the powers of evil are trying to cast their spell upon us and force us to see what does not exist."

The angels' harps and their voices were sounding from afar; but the monk believed that the spirits of hell were drawing near them, and he said to himself with a sigh:

"These sinful spirits will bewitch us and lead us astray, and it will not be long before our souls perish."

But the procession of angels went on drawing nearer to the cave, until Father Hans could make out