Kristuslegender. English

by Selma Lagerlöf

hair, and those who had braidedthemselves crowns of straw and mantles of grass and believed they werekings, and those who crawled on the ground and thought themselvesbeasts, and those who came dragging heavy stones, which they believed tobe gold, and those who thought that the evil spirits spoke through theirmouths.

  She saw all these crowd up toward the palace gate. And the ones whostood nearest to it knocked and pounded to get in.

  At last the door opened, and a slave stepped out on the threshold andasked: "What do you want?"

  Then all began to cry aloud, saying: "Where is the great Prophet ofNazareth, he who was sent of God, and who shall restore to us our soulsand our wits?"

  She heard the slave answer them in the most indifferent tone: "It isuseless for you to seek the great Prophet, Pilate has killed him."

  When this was said, they uttered a shriek as wild as a beast's howl, andin their despair they began to lacerate themselves until the blood randown on the stones. And when she that dreamed saw their distress, shewrung her hands and moaned. And her own moans awakened her.

  But again she fell asleep, and again, in her dream, she was on the roofof her house. Round about her sat her slaves, who played for her uponcymbals and zithers, and the almond trees shook their white blossomsover her, and clambering rose-vines exhaled their perfume.

  As she sat there, a voice spoke to her: "Go over to the balustrade whichincloses the roof, and see who they are that stand and wait in yourcourt!"

  But in the dream she declined, and said: "I do not care to see any moreof those who throng my court to-night."

  Just then she heard a clanking of chains and a pounding of heavyhammers, and the pounding of wood against wood. Her slaves ceased theirsinging and playing and hurried over to the railing and looked down. Norcould she herself remain seated, but walked thither and looked down onthe court.

  Then she saw that the court was filled with all the poor prisoners inthe world. She saw those who must lie in dark prison dungeons, fetteredwith heavy chains; she saw those who labored in the dark mines comedragging their heavy planks, and those who were rowers on war galleyscome with their heavy iron-bound oars. And those who were condemned tobe crucified came dragging their crosses, and those who were to bebeheaded came with their broadaxes. She saw those who were sent intoslavery to foreign lands and whose eyes burned with homesickness. Shesaw those who must serve as beasts of burden, and whose backs werebleeding from lashes.

  All these unfortunates cried as with one voice: "Open, open!"

  Then the slave who guarded the entrance stepped to the door and asked:"What is it that you wish?"

  And these answered like the others: "We seek the great Prophet ofNazareth, who has come to the world to give the prisoners their freedomand the slaves their lost happiness."

  The slave answered them in a tired and indifferent tone: "You can notfind him here. Pilate has killed him."

  When this was said, she who dreamed thought that among all the unhappythere arose such an outburst of scorn and blasphemy that heaven andearth trembled. She was ice-cold with fright, and her body shook so thatshe awaked.

  When she was thoroughly awake, she sat up in bed and thought to herself:"I would not dream more. Now I want to remain awake all night, that Imay escape seeing more of this horror."

  And even whilst she was thinking thus, drowsiness crept in upon heranew, and she laid her head on the pillow and fell asleep.

  Again she dreamed that she sat on the roof of her house, and now herlittle son ran back and forth up there, and played with a ball.

  Then she heard a voice that said to her: "Go over to the balustrade,which incloses the roof, and see who they are that stand and wait inyour court!" But she who dreamed said to herself: "I have seen enoughmisery this night. I can not endure any more. I would remain where Iam."

  At that moment her son threw his ball so that it dropped outside thebalustrade, and the child ran forward and clambered up on the railing.Then she was frightened. She rushed over and seized hold of the child.

  But with that she happened to cast her eyes downward, and once more shesaw that the court was full of people.

  In the court were all the peoples of earth who had been wounded inbattle. They came with severed bodies, with cut-off limbs, and with bigopen wounds from which the blood oozed, so that the whole court wasdrenched with it.

  And beside these, came all the people in the world who had lost theirloved ones on the battlefield. They were the fatherless who mournedtheir protectors, and the young maidens who cried for their lovers, andthe aged who sighed for their sons.

  The foremost among them pushed against the door, and the watchman cameout as before, and opened it.

  He asked all these, who had been wounded in battles and skirmishes:"What seek ye in this house?"

  And they answered: "We seek the great Prophet of Nazareth, who shallprohibit wars and rumors of wars and bring peace to the earth. We seekhim who shall convert spears into scythes and swords into pruninghooks."

  Then answered the slave somewhat impatiently: "Let no more come topester me! I have already said it often enough. The great Prophet is nothere. Pilate has killed him."

  Thereupon he closed the gate. But she who dreamed thought of all thelamentation which would come now. "I do not wish to hear it," said she,and rushed away from the balustrade. That instant she awoke. Then shediscovered that in her terror she had jumped out of her bed and down onthe cold stone floor.

  Again she thought she did not want to sleep more that night, and againsleep overpowered her, and she closed her eyes and began to dream.

  She sat once more on the roof of her house, and beside her stood herhusband. She told him of her dreams, and he ridiculed her.

  Again she heard a voice, which said to her: "Go see the people who waitin your court!"

  But she thought: "I would not see them. I have seen enough miseryto-night."

  Just then she heard three loud raps on the gate, and her husband walkedover to the balustrade to see who it was that asked admittance to hishouse.

  But no sooner had he leaned over the railing, than he beckoned to hiswife to come over to him.

  "Know you not this man?" said he, and pointed down.

  When she looked down on the court, she found that it was filled withhorses and riders, slaves were busy unloading asses and camels. Itlooked as though a distinguished traveler might have landed.

  At the entrance gate stood the traveler. He was a large elderly man withbroad shoulders and a heavy and gloomy appearance.

  The dreamer recognized the stranger instantly, and whispered to herhusband: "It is Caesar Tiberius, who is here in Jerusalem. It can not beany one else."

  "I also seem to recognize him," said her husband; at the same time heplaced his finger on his mouth, as a signal that they should be quietand listen to what was said down in the court.

  They saw that the doorkeeper came out and asked the stranger: "Whom seekyou?"

  And the traveler answered: "I seek the great Prophet of Nazareth, who isendowed with God's power to perform miracles. It is Emperor Tiberius whocalls him, that he may liberate him from a terrible disease, which noother physician can cure."

  When he had spoken, the slave bowed very humbly and said: "My lord, benot wroth! but your wish can not be fulfilled."

  Then the Emperor turned toward his slaves, who waited below in thecourt, and gave them a command.

  Then the slaves hastened forward--some with handfuls of ornaments,others carried goblets studded with pearls, other again dragged sacksfilled with gold coin.

  The Emperor turned to the slave who guarded the gate, and said: "Allthis shall be his, if he helps Tiberius. With this he can give riches toall the world's poor."

  But the doorkeeper bowed still lower and said: "Master, be not wrothwith thy servant, but thy request can not be fulfilled."

  Then the Emperor beckoned again to his slaves, and a pair of themhurried forward with a richly embroidered robe, upon which glittered abreastpiece of jewels.

/>   And the Emperor said to the slave: "See! This which I offer him is thepower over Judea. He shall rule his people like the highest judge, if hewill only come and heal Tiberius!"

  The slave bowed still nearer the earth, and said: "Master, it is notwithin my power to help you."

  Then the Emperor beckoned once again, and his slaves rushed up with agolden coronet and a purple mantle.

  "See," he said, "this is the Emperor's will: He promises to appoint theProphet his successor, and give him dominion over the world. He shallhave power to rule the world according to his God's will, if he willonly stretch forth his hand and heal Tiberius!"

  Then the slave fell at the Emperor's feet and said in an imploring tone:"Master, it does not lie in my power to attend to thy command. He whomthou seekest is no longer here. Pilate hath killed him."