格林童话集：The Heavenly Wedding 天堂的婚礼

The Heavenly Wedding

A poor peasant-boy one day heard the priest say in church that whosoever desired to enter into

the kingdom of heaven must always go straight onward.So he set out, and walked continually

straight onwards over hill and valley without ever turning aside.At length his way led him into a

great town, and into the midst of a church, where just at that time God's service was being

performed.Now when he beheld all the magnificence of this, he thought he had reached heaven,

sat down, and rejoiced with his whole heart.When the service was over, and the clerk bade him

go out, he replied, "No, I will not go out again, I am glad to be in heaven at last."So the clerk

went to the priest, and told him that there was a child in the church who would not go out again,

because he believed he was in heaven.The priest said, "If he believes that, we will leave him

inside."So he went to him, and asked if he had any inclination to work."Yes," the little fellow

replied, "I am accustomed to work, but I will not go out of heaven again."So he stayed in the

church, and when he saw how the people came and knelt and prayed to Our Lady with the

blessed child Jesus which was carved in wood, he thought "that is the good God," and said, "Dear

God, how thin you are!The people must certainly let you starve; but every day I will give you

half my dinner."From this time forth, he every day took half his dinner to the image, and the

image began to enjoy the food.When a few weeks had gone by, people remarked that the image

was growing larger and stout and strong, and wondered much.The priest also could not

understand it, but stayed in the church, and followed the little boy about, and then he saw how he

shared his food with the Virgin Mary, and how she accepted it.

After some time the boy became ill, and for eight days could not leave his bed; but as soon as he

could get up again, the first thing he did was to take his food to Our Lady.The priest followed

him, and heard him say, "Dear God, do not take it amiss that I have not brought you anything for

such a long time, for I have been ill and could not get up."Then the image answered him and

said, "I have seen thy good-will, and that is enough for me.Next Sunday thou shalt go with me

to the wedding."The boy rejoiced at this, and repeated it to the priest, who begged him to go and

ask the image if he, too, might be permitted to go."No," answered the image, "thou alone."The

priest wished to prepare him first, and give him the holy communion and the child was willing,

and next Sunday, when the host came to him, he fell down and died, and was at the eternal

wedding.