Chapter 19 -3

Her younger sisters walked on both sides of her, each carrying a bag of seeds for her to grab.When the ceremony was finally over, Knecht breathed a sigh of relief. But the seed so solemnly and joyously sown brought no joy and no harvest, and it was an unfavorable year.The freshly planted seeds were first attacked by a renewed severe cold and frost, followed by a spring of fits and starts, and a hostile summer, when at last the fields were covered with sparse, emaciated plants half as tall as in previous years. When the crops were growing, the final fatal blow came.A drought that people have never heard of and unimaginable appeared.The sun's blazing white light roasted the land week after week, the smaller springs dried up, and the village ponds became filthy mires, paradises for dragonflies and hatcheries for breeding mosquitoes.The scorched earth opened a huge gap.People can only watch helplessly as the crops gradually weaken and wither and turn yellow.Occasionally, dark clouds gather in the sky, but they are often just thunderstorms. Rarely, there is a heavy rain, which is always fleeting, and then there is a dry and hot east wind that lasts for many days, so that the tall trees are struck by lightning. , will always quickly cause a raging fire in the half-dead tree crown.

"Listen, Toulou," Knecht finally said to his son one day, "the situation is very bad, all the ghosts and ghosts are attacking us. It started with the falling of the stars. So I kept thinking, what should be It's time for me to give my life. You must remember: If I must sacrifice my life, you must take over my duties immediately and at the same moment. The first task is to cremate my body and scatter the ashes in the fields. .In winter, there will be a great famine here. However, all ominous evil spirits will immediately weaken and disappear. You must carefully protect the public seeds of the whole village. No one is allowed to touch them, and anyone who violates them will be sentenced to death. The situation will improve in the coming year, villagers Will say, luckily, we have a new young Stormmaker."

The whole village fell into a desperate situation, and Maro incited the villagers to threaten and curse the man who called the wind and rain from time to time.Adai fell ill, lying in bed with a fever, vomiting, and shaking.The prayer procession, the sacrificial ceremony, the drumming that shook the heart for a long time, all had no effect.It was Knecht's duty to lead the villagers, but as soon as the people dispersed and went home, he immediately became a lonely person whom everyone avoided.He already knew what action he had to take, and he also expected that Maro had already asked the female ancestor to sacrifice himself Knecht.In order to safeguard his honor and for the sake of his son, he took the last step he had planned.He put on a grand gown for the ceremony for Tulu and sent him to meet the female ancestor, recommended Shanglu as his successor, and finally asked for permission to resign from his position as a sacrifice to pray for the dissolution of the disaster.The female ancestor looked at him curiously for a while, then nodded, and personally granted his request.

The sacrifice ceremony is scheduled to be held on the same day.Everyone in the village should have participated, but many people fell at home due to dysentery, and Ai Dai was seriously ill.Tulu was wearing a ceremonial robe and a fox fur hat, and almost fainted from heatstroke.All the dignitaries of the village, unless they were ill, were present, as was the patriarch, her two eldest sisters, and Marlowe, the head of the drum band.Standing behind are ordinary villagers.No one in the village dared to insult the old wind and rain master, and the villagers were silent and depressed.People lined up into the forest, looking for the place Knecht had chosen to hold the sacrifice—a large circular open space.Most of the men carried stone axes for cutting firewood for the cremation.

After the people entered the open space, Knecht was left standing alone in the middle, and the leading figures of the village formed a small circle around him, and ordinary villagers formed a large circle around the small circle.As everyone was silent, the atmosphere in the venue was embarrassing, until the master of wind and rain himself spoke. "I've been everyone's caller," he said, "for many years I've done my job and tried to do my job well. Now the devil has turned against me and I've failed. So I decided to sacrifice myself. This is the path to reconciliation with demons.My son Tolu will be your new Stormmaker.Come on, kill me, after I die, please proceed to the next thing according to my son's instructions.Treasure farewell!Who will kill me?

I recommend Marlow, the drum leader, as the most suitable candidate. " After Knecht finished speaking, he stood silently, and the people around him remained motionless.Tolu blushed, and painfully turned his head with the heavy leather cap and glanced around.He saw the corner of his father's mouth twisted with a hint of sarcasm.Finally, the patriarch got angry, stomped her feet heavily, and ordered Maro to do it. She shouted loudly, "Go forward! Pick up the axe and do it!" With the ax in both hands, Marlow stood in execution position before his former master, whom he hated now more than ever.Because the old man's silent old mouth cast a disdainful look at him, which hurt him deeply.Marlowe held the ax aloft, swinging it over his head, aiming, keeping his eyes fixed on the victim's face, waiting for his eyes to close.However, instead of closing his eyes, Knecht stared at the man with the axe wide open.There was almost no expression on the old man's face, and if there was any trace of expression, it was only a vague expression between pity and ridicule.

Marlow threw the ax away angrily. "I don't do it," he murmured to himself, and then he squeezed his way through the circle of prominent figures and disappeared into the crowd.Several villagers laughed softly.The patriarch turned pale with anger, not only angry at the arrogance of Master Wind and Rain, but also angry at Maro's cowardice and uselessness.She greeted an old man who stood leaning on an axe, a solemn and quiet old man who seemed quite ashamed of the unpleasant scene before him.The old man walked forward as ordered, and nodded briefly and friendly to the victim. They had been friends since childhood, and the victim immediately closed his eyes. Knecht's action was very resolute. He not only closed his eyes tightly, but also closed his eyes. He lowered his head slightly.The old man raised his ax and chopped it down, Knecht fell to the ground.Tulu, the wind and rain master who just took office, could not speak a word, and could only give necessary instructions with gestures.The firewood pile was quickly set up, and the body was put on it immediately. Two sacred torches were used to light the cremation pile, and a grand funeral ceremony began.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> repentant elder When St. Cylerion was still alive—albeit very old, there lived in Gaza City a man named Josephus Famolos, before or in his thirties Still living a secular life, he has been studying pagan books.Later, through the relationship of a woman whom he was courting, he became acquainted with the touching virtues of the holy teachings of Christianity, and thus accepted the holy baptism to cleanse himself from his sins.For many years, he has been sitting in front of the elders of the church in this city to listen to sermons, especially the biography of the pious desert hermit, always listening with curiosity and concentration, and finally one day he also set off, and he was about thirty that year At the age of six, he was still walking the route followed by countless devout believers after St. Paul and St. Anthony.He entrusted his remaining belongings to the elders in the city, asking them to distribute to the local poor.After bidding farewell to his relatives and friends at the gate of the city, he left this filthy world of mortals, wandered into the desert, and lived a penitent ascetic life.

Years passed and he endured the scorching sun, praying on his knees on rocks and sand until his knees ached.He strictly observes the fast and only chews a few dates after sunset every day.The devil tried to test him with seductions, taunts, and seductions, but he repulsed them with prayer, penance, penance, and everything else we can learn from the biographies of the saints.He often looks up at the stars in the night sky tirelessly night after night, and the constellations always make him feel confused and bewildered.He studied the stars carefully, which he had learned in the past from reading stories of the gods in the sky and books about human nature.This knowledge was absolutely rejected by the elders of the church, but he still indulged in his own whimsy for a long time just like when he was learning pagan knowledge.

The hermits back then lived in desolate desert areas, and most of them lived in places with springs, a few green plants, and large or small oases.Some of them lived alone, others lived in groups, taking care of each other, as in a picture in the Pisa cemetery.These hermits practiced love and compassion, and believed in a good death, an art of dying, by gradually giving up the world and self to reach the other shore, to reach the Savior, enter the realm of light and never perish.They were cared for by both angels and demons, and they composed hymns to drive away evil spirits; They healed and prayed; they also seemed to mend and heal the world with great zeal and selfless devotion, the result of all ages of sensuality and savagery.Many of them are obviously familiar with the ancient pagan experiments on purifying the soul and mastering the time-honored Asian cultivation methods, but they never talk about teaching them.These methods of practice and yoga are not taught, and because Christians are increasingly rejecting all heresies, they are strictly prohibited.

Many of these hermits have developed various special abilities in their ascetic life: they are proficient in praying to the gods, they can lay hands on hands to heal diseases, they can predict the future, they are proficient in exorcism, and they are good at judging evil and praying for people.Josephus, too, developed a special talent which, with the passage of time, came to fruition when his hair turned gray.This is a skill of listening.Any monk or layman with a disturbed conscience who comes to Josephus for counsel, pours out to him his misdeeds, vexations, doubts, and faults; When he failed, or suffered losses and blows, and was very sad, Josephus not only knew how to open his ears and heart to listen attentively, but also knew how to accept all pain and worries, how to protect the confidant, let him empty his troubles, Return in peace.After long years of honing, this talent finally became his unique specialized ability, and became a tool—everyone's trusted ear. The virtues of Josephus are his patience, his tolerant passivity, and his great capacity for silence. The number of visitors came day by day, and people flocked to pour out their bitterness and dispel their inner depression, and some of them, even after a long journey, came to his hut with great difficulty, but lacked the courage to repent, and they hesitated. Indecision, full of shame, difficult to speak, often silent for a long time, only sighing for hours.Josephus treats them equally, no matter whether the other party is full or hesitant;He looked upon everyone alike, whether the man was cursing God or himself, whether he was exaggerating or minimizing his sins and troubles, whether he was complaining about murder or accidental adultery, whether he was complaining only about his lover. infidelity or corruption of soul.Josephus would not have been alarmed if someone should profess to be intimate with the devil, or to be a brother to an evil god.He would not lose patience if someone spouted at him for a long time while apparently concealing the main truth; nor would Josephus be offended if someone frantically concocted a crime to blame on himself.Everything that was told to him, accusations, confessions, resentments, and reproaches of conscience, fell into his ears like rain on a desert.He never seemed to pass any judgment on anyone who came, never expressed sympathy or contempt, and despite this, or because of this, anyone who came to confess to him felt that his trip was worthwhile, and he felt that he had learned something in speaking and listening. Transformation is achieved, the mood is relaxed, and the mind is liberated.Josephus seldom gave advice or admonishment, and even less gave instructions or orders.These jobs did not seem to belong to his scope of duties, and the visitors also seemed to be aware of this feature.Josephus' task is to awaken people's confidence. He just accepts, listens patiently and lovingly, helps the visitor to complete the confession that has not been fully thought out, and let everything that is congested or wrapped in the heart flow smoothly.It is Josephus' task to accept everything and wrap it up in his own silence. After each confession, Josephus' treatment was the same.No matter how terrible the crime of the penitent was, and regardless of the degree of repentance, he would make the penitent kneel with him, read the prayers together, and then kiss his forehead and let him go.Punishment and sanction were not his business, and he did not even think he had the right to issue the absolutions which any official preacher had the absolute right to preach, nor did he think it was his business to convict or pardon.Josephus listened, understood, as if he could help the penitent bear the guilt, share the guilt, in the process of acceptance.Josephus remained silent, as if he was burying everything he had heard deeply, making them forever the past that had disappeared.He and the penitent recite the prayers after penitence, and seem to regard each other as Christians, acknowledging that they are indeed of the same kind.He kissed the other person's forehead, which seemed to be more of friendship than priesthood, and the attitude of blessing was more warmth than superficial etiquette. Josephus' reputation spread far and wide, and everyone in and around Gaza City was well-known.He was sometimes mentioned with the same awe as that of the great hermit Dion Purgier, whose fame had been celebrated ten years earlier, and whose talents were quite different from Josephus's. Elder Ang is famous for his psychic ability to see into the soul of a visitor quickly and clearly without needing to narrate, and he often horrifies the hesitant penitent by accusing him of not fully confessing the sins in his head.About this expert on the human soul, Josénance had heard hundreds of amazing stories, so he never dared to compare himself.This Elder Pugil was also a great counselor to all erring souls, a great judge, punisher and correcter of crimes.He dealt with matters of penance, penance, and pilgrimage, he judged marriages, he forced reconciliation between enemies, and his authority was almost that of an archbishop.The Elder Dion lived near Ascalon, and seekers came from far away, even from Jerusalem, yes, and from more remote and distant places. Josephus Famolos, like most monks and penitents, lived year after year in a violent struggle that consumed the spirit.He has indeed left worldly life, his house and possessions, the great city and its variegated sensual pleasures, but he still has to carry his body along with him, so he cannot escape all the instincts latent in his body and soul. Impulsive, they are often trapped in distress and temptation and cannot extricate themselves. He first fights with his own body, treats it harshly, makes it suffer from extreme heat and cold, hunger and thirst, makes it full of wounds and calluses, until it gradually withers and dries up.Yet even in the ascetic's withered skin, old Adam haunted him unexpectedly, tormented him, seduced him with ignorant greed, lust, dreams, and fantasies.Yes, we have all known for a long time that the devil is most willing to patronize those who are reclusive and penitent.Therefore, whosoever comes for consolation, and confesses his sins, he regards it as a grace to ease his penitent life, and accepts it gratefully.He has derived from it a spiritual meaning and content beyond himself, because the thing itself has given him a task.He is able to serve others, or to use himself as an instrument to serve God, to direct the troubled soul to God. It's a wonderful and indeed noble feeling.However, in the course of further development, it was shown to him that even the soul itself belongs to the worldly human beings, and can be transformed into temptations and traps.In fact, whenever a wanderer came on foot or on horseback, stopped before the cave where Josephus lived, asked for a drink of water, and begged to hear his confession, then our elder Josephus There would be waves of contentment and pleasure all over his body, and a sense of vanity and boastfulness, and he could not help being horrified at the discovery of such desires.Josephus often knelt on the ground and begged God for forgiveness, and begged no more penitents to be sent, no more penitents to visit him, an unclean man, from the neighboring dervish huts and from the towns and villages of the profane world.If for a while no one came to confess, he would feel bad.If many more visitors came, he would catch his new old habit again.Then, as if in a fever, Josephus, after hearing the confession of this or that, would either have a fever or a chill, and feel that he had lost love, and yes, even contemptuously contemptuous of the penitent.He sighed and took this inner struggle into his own soul, and occasionally, after listening to someone's confession, he punished himself harshly when he was alone.In addition, he also made a rule for himself that he should not only treat penitents with brotherhood, but also with respect, and he should treat people he didn't like much more than ordinary people, because he should treat every Each visitor is regarded as an envoy sent by God, a person who comes to examine himself.Years passed, and when he was almost an old man after many years, he finally achieved a certain sense of peace and stability.And to many who lived near him, he seemed flawless, a perfect man who had found peace of mind from God. And peace also has a living life, just like any other life, there must be full and short, must adapt to the environment, must face tests, and must undergo changes.Such is the peace that Josephus attains, it is changeable, present and absent, now near, like a candle held in the hand, now far away, like hanging high in the sky on a winter night the stars.In fact, every once in a while a new and particular sense of guilt and temptation would arise, making life harder and harder for him.They are not powerful, passionate emotions, tantrums or instincts, but quite the opposite.It is a feeling that is bearable at first, yes, almost imperceptible at first, because it is a condition without specific pain and loss, a state of laziness, indifference and weariness that can only be described as Negative feelings, described as the fading, receding, and finally total disappearance of joy.It was like some gloomy day, neither bright sunshine nor torrential rain, the sky stood still and became heavier and heavier, as if in self-imprisonment, the color of the sky was gray, but not black. The weather was hot and hot, but it was not like before the storm.As Josephus approached old age, his life gradually became like this.It was becoming more and more difficult for him to tell the difference between morning and evening, between a holiday and a weekday, and to judge his moments of high and low spirits, and everything became dull and sloppy, he thought sadly, This is the old state of people.The reason why he is sad is because he originally expected that people can gradually get rid of instinctive impulses and desires when they are old, and let their lives be glorious and free, so that he can get closer to the long-awaited harmony and perfection, and to the mature soul peace.What happened now, old age not only disappointed him, it seemed to deceive him, he got nothing out of it but this bored, gray, joyless loneliness and hopelessly exhausted.What exhausted him most was this being for being, breathing for breathing, sleeping for sleeping, living day and night in a cave by his own little oasis, in the eternal cycle of mornings and evenings, in the traveler's and in the endless stream of pilgrims, donkeys, and camels, especially those who came to visit him, he was surrounded by foolish, fearful, childlike fools who Come and tell of your life, your sins, your fears, your temptations and your struggles.Josephus sometimes felt that he was like this stone pond where a trickling spring flowed, and the water flowed first through the grass, formed a stream, and then flowed into the sand, and quickly disappeared in the wilderness without a trace.And all the confessions, sins, tortures of conscience, and life experiences poured out to him, big or small, true or false, hundreds or thousands, flow into his ears forever and new.But his ear is not like a desert, lifeless, it is a living organ, unable to drink, devour and absorb forever, it feels tired, satisfied, overused, he longs for the continuous The endless flow of words of confession, worry, accusation, and self-blame can cease, and longing for peace, death, and silence can replace this never-ending flow. Yes, Josénance wanted the end to come.He was tired, he had had enough of life, he was tired, his life was tasteless and worthless.It was too much for him to go on living as before, so that he occasionally tried to end his own existence, to punish himself, to destroy himself, to hang himself, as the traitor Judas had done.It was just as when, at the beginning of his monastic life, the devil who had smuggled into his soul all sensual and earthly desires, fancies, and dreams, now tried to instill in him self-destructive imaginations, so that every time he saw A thick branch of a tree will consider whether to hang itself on it, and every time it sees a steep cliff, it will weigh whether it is high and steep enough to throw itself to death.He resisted the temptation of the devil, he continued to struggle, he did not give in, but this struggle made him live day and night in a raging fire of self-loathing and longing for death.Life becomes unbearable anymore, only hatred remains. One day Josephus finally decided to take this step.When he climbed to the high cliff again, he saw two or three small figures appearing between the sky and the earth in the distance, obviously travelers, maybe pilgrims, or maybe penitents who came to visit him Woolen cloth.An irresistible desire seized him suddenly: quickly, quickly get out of here, out of this place, escape from this life.This sudden desire was so strong and irresistible that it swept away all scruples, protests, and doubts, and it was impossible for him not to feel it. Could it be possible for a pious hermit to obey without a conscience? Some kind of instinctive impulse?But he was already running, hastening back to the cave where he lived, where he had struggled for so many years, and experienced so many highs and lows.He moved unconsciously, grabbed a few handfuls of dates in a hurry, picked up a gourd filled with water, stuffed it into his worn-out rucksack, put it on his shoulder, took his walking stick, turned around and left his quiet little green home. , a fugitive and restless vagabond, fleeing from God and man, and especially from all that he once held supreme, from his duty and mission. At first he ran forward crazily, as if the few distant figures he saw on the cliff were really enemies who came to hunt him down.But after a gallop and an hour's rambling walk, his fear and anxiety subsided, the exercise gave him a pleasant weariness, and for the first time he stopped to rest without allowing himself to eat—not before sunset, Habits that had become sacrosanct to him—his reason, suppressed by sudden thoughts, came alive again during his breaks, scrutinizing his instinctive actions for a new judgment.Of course his actions were too hasty, but his rationality didn't seem to resist much, on the contrary, he looked very happy, as if he thought that this was the first time in many years that he had taken a pure and innocent action.His behavior was indeed a flight, a sudden and reckless flight, but there was nothing shameful about it.He simply left a position for which he was no longer qualified.He used the act of escaping to admit that he denied himself, and he failed the sky that must be watching him.He admits that he has given up fighting day and night for useless souls, that he is defeated. His reason found that this action was not grand, heroic, or divine, but it was honest and honest, and it seemed to be an inevitable reality.It wasn't until this moment that he was surprised why he didn't think of escaping until today. He had endured for too long.Only then did he realize that it was a mistake for him to cling to a post that had lost its meaning for a long time, or it was because he was disturbed by his egoism and old Adam. Only then did he begin to understand why his Long-term obstinacy can lead to such sinister consequences, resulting in the disintegration of the soul and madness, yes, even possession by the devil, otherwise how can one explain one's death desire and insistence on suicide.A Christian should naturally not be an enemy of death, a monk and a saint should naturally regard life as a sacrifice.However, the idea of ​​suicide can only be a pure devil-like evil thought, which will only make one's soul be driven by demons, instead of being protected and disciplined by angels. Josephus sat down, completely at a loss for a while, and finally realized from the deep regret and shock. His thinking when he had just walked a few miles made him see clearly his new stage Only then did he realize the dreadful and hopeless situation of an old man who lost his purpose, was tormented day and night by evil temptations, and wanted to hang himself from a tree trunk, like that traitor in heaven.If the thought of suicide terrified him, it must have sprung from some residual knowledge of prehistoric times, of the ancient heresies of pre-Christian times--knowledge of that primitive human sacrifice. It's customary--at that time, emperors, saints, and chosen ones of tribes often sacrificed themselves for everyone, and even ended their own lives with their own hands. Such examples were not uncommon.But this reverberation of an ancient custom from prehistoric times was only a secondary aspect of his shudder, and more frightening was the thought that, after all, the death of the Savior on the cross did not mean anything else. content, but only a voluntary sacrifice for mankind. This is the case, Josephus thought of this, and suddenly realized that based on the premonition of this understanding, he had the impulse to commit suicide. This is a rude and vile impulse of self-sacrifice, because after all, it is just an arrogant attempt to imitate the savior—— Or even arrogance to suggest that the messiah's work of saving humanity has not been entirely successful.Josephus was taken aback by his own thoughts, but at the same time he was glad that he finally escaped danger. The ascetic Josephus pondered over his new situation for a long time. For a while, he thought that he did not follow Judas or the crucified Christ, but took the act of fleeing, which was an act of re-giving himself to God. However, the more clearly he recognized the hell he had just escaped, the more ashamed and depressed he felt, until at last this feeling of sorrow choked his throat like a mouthful of food.Unhappiness swelled into unbearable pressure, and then, suddenly, a cry broke out and miraculously healed him of his wounds.Oh, how long has he been without tears!Tears poured down like rain, blurring his vision, but stopped the death-like pain.When he regained consciousness and felt the salty taste on his lips, he realized that he had indeed cried. At this moment, he felt as if he had become a pure child again, not knowing what evil was.Smiling slightly, Josephus, a little ashamed of his crying, stood up at last and set off again.He was at a loss, he didn't know where he should flee to, and he didn't know what the future would hold.He thinks he is just like a child, who can easily go on the road without any intention or contradiction. He feels that there is a pleasant calling sound from afar, which seems to be guiding him forward. His journey now seems to be no longer about escape but It's a trip home.He was getting tired now, and his reason was tiredly silent, or rested, or simply superfluous. Josénance spent the night by a waterhole where a small party of travelers and a few camels had been quartered.There were two women among the guests, and he only raised his hand in greeting, avoiding talking to each other.When it was getting dark, he chewed a few dates, and lay down to rest after saying his prayers; suddenly he heard two men talking in a low voice nearby, as if they were an old man and a young man, and he could only hear a few words of the conversation , but even these words caught his attention, enough for him to think about it in the middle of the night. "Very good," he heard the elder's voice say, "it is a good thing that you are going to confess to a pious sage. Let me tell you, these people know everything, not just a little bit of it. Some people can do magic. If a lion comes at him, he has only to cry out, and the beast will crouch down, tail tucked and go away. I tell you, they can tame lions. One of them A very sage man, after his death, those lions who were tamed by him actually dug his tomb, and built a beautiful tomb with mud. Among them, two lions guarded the tomb for him day and night, waiting for a long time .Actually, they not only tame lions. Once, a certain hermit used prayers to forge and reform the conscience of a Roman centurion. He was a cruel beast and the worst soldier in Ascalon. But he forged his black heart with prayers, and became cowardly, always seeking a hole in the ground to hide himself in. The wretch became so quiet and timid that he was hardly recognized. Of course, there are still quite speculative circumstances in this matter, because this person died shortly after. " "The saint is dead?" "Hey, no, it's the centurion captain of the Roman legion. His name is Farrow. After being reprimanded by the saint and awakened to his conscience, he collapsed very quickly--first he had two high fevers, three months later. Then he died. Well, he died and everyone felt no loss. But I often think that the saint may not only cast out the devil in him, but even cast another little spell to send this man to the world as well. Return the earth." "A pious saint would do such a thing? I can't believe it." "Believe it or not, my dear. In fact, from that day on, a person has changed completely. It can't be said that he has been cast by a spell, let alone three months later..." After a moment of silence, the young man spoke again. "There is also a saint here, who lives near here, and he lives alone near the road to Gaza, by a small spring. His name is Josephus Famoros, I have heard A lot of his deeds." "Yeah, what did you say!" "He was said to be so pious that he never looked at a woman. If a caravan of camels passed by his out-of-the-way place and a woman sat on one of the camels, even though she was heavily veiled, he would immediately Turned around, and disappeared quickly into the cave. Many people went to him to confess, and many people went." "Not at all, otherwise I would have heard of his name long ago. What special abilities does this Famolos you speak of have?" "Oh, I know people go to him for confessions. If he wasn't so kind and all-knowing, people wouldn't flock to him. Besides, it's said that he hardly spoke much, and never cursed or yelled at anyone. Never punished people or anything like that. People said he was a gentle, even shy man." "Well, he doesn't scold, he doesn't punish, he doesn't even talk, so how can he help?" "He just listened, sighed wonderfully, and made the sign of the cross." "What! There is such an unqualified saint, you are not stupid enough to confess to this dumb uncle, right?" "Yes, that's what I'm thinking of doing. He lives not far from here, and I'll find him. A poor monk was lounging by this pool this evening. I'll ask him in the morning, and I see He also seems to be a hermit." The old man was angry. "You'd better leave this hermit of springs behind and let him squat in his cave. A man who can only listen and sigh and is afraid to face women, this man can't do anything! Don't go to him, I tell你一个必得去访问的人名吧。他确实住得离此地很远，要过了阿斯卡龙才到，但他是当今最出色的隐士和仟悔长老，他的名字叫狄昂。人们都称呼他狄昂·普吉尔，普吉尔的意思是拳击勇士，因为他能击退一切妖魔鬼怪。凡是有人去向他诉说罪孽，我的小兄弟，这位普吉尔不会连连叹气，缄口无言，而会直言相告，用自己的办法把那个人的铁锈刮干净的。据人传说，他曾鞭打过一些忏悔者，还曾让一个人赤裸膝盖在岩石上跪了整整一夜，最后叫他拿出四十枚铜板布施穷人。我的小兄弟，你可以去看望这个人，他会让你大吃一惊的。当他直瞪瞪注视你时，他的目光便看穿了你的五脏六腑，让你浑身哆嗦。那个人从不唉声叹气，他有真本领。谁若常常失眠，做恶梦，有幻觉，就得去找普吉尔，我告诉你吧，他有办法教这个人恢复正常。我说的这些事，绝不是道听途说得来。告诉你吧，因为我亲自到过他那里。 是的，我亲自去过，我也许是个可怜虫，不过我确实曾去拜访隐修士狄昂，这个拳击勇士，他是上帝的使者。我去的时候情况十分悲惨，我带着肮脏不堪的良心去他那里，离开的时候却干干净净，像一颗晨星晶亮清明，也像我的名字大卫一般真实可靠。请你牢牢记住：他名叫狄昂，人们称呼他普吉尔。你尽快去看他吧，你会体验到什么叫奇迹的。有许多行政长官，年长的名流，还有大主教，都常去向他讨教呢！ " “是的，”年轻人表示同意道，“如果我下次再去那一带时，我会考虑访问他的。然而今天是今天，这里是这里，我今天既已来到这里，而约瑟甫斯又住在附近，我又听说过他的许多善良好事……” “他有好事！这个法莫罗斯会对你有什么好处呢？” “我喜欢他的不训人不骂人。我得承认，我喜欢这种作风。我既不是军官，也不是大主教。我只是个小人物，而且性格也比较怯懦，我也许受不了火药味十足的款待。天晓得，我为什么要反对别人的温和态度。” “我兴许也喜欢温和款待！可是这得等你诉说完毕，受过惩罚，获得净化之后，我以为，也许那时才是温和款待的合适时机。你浑身污秽，脏得像条豺狼，站在你的忏悔长老和法官面前听候发落，那可不行！” “好吧，好吧。我们不该大呼小叫的，别人都想睡觉呢！” 那位青年人又忽然轻轻笑着说道：“我刚刚想起了一件关于他的趣事，也告诉你吧。” “谁的趣事？” “他的，约瑟甫斯长老的。他有一个老习惯，每当来人向他诉说过、忏悔过之后，他都要为此人祈福，并在告别时在那人额上或脸颊上亲吻一下。” “是么，他现在还这样做吗？这真是他的可笑习惯。” “还有呢，你也知道他十分羞于会见妇女。据说，有一个住在附近的妓女，某一天穿着男人衣服去找他，他没有看出来，听完了她编的一派胡言。待她忏悔完毕，他恭恭敬敬向她鞠了一躬，还十分庄重地与她亲吻告别。” 老人不禁爆发了哈哈大笑，另一位赶紧叫他“轻一点，轻一点”，于是约瑟甫斯便听不清他们后来的对话，只听见一阵子压低了的笑声。