With that he went into an inn, ate the bread, and ordered one kreuzer's worth of beer. When he had had it, he journeyed onwards, and then St. Peter, who had assumed the appearance of a discharged soldier, met and spoke to him thus. Good day, comrade, can you not give me a bit of bread, and a kreuzer to get a drink. Where am I to procure it, answered brother lustig. I have been discharged, and Igot nothing but a loaf of ammunition-bread and four kreuzers in money. I met three beggars on the road, and I gave each of them a quarter of my bread, and one kreuzer. The last quarter I ate in the inn, and had a drink with the last kreuzer. Now my pockets are empty, and if you also have nothing we can go a-begging together.
No, answered St. Peter, we need not quite do that. I know a little about medicine, and I will soon earn as much as I require by that.
Indeed, said brother lustig, I know nothing of that, so I must go and beg alone. Just come with me, said St. Peter, and if I earn anything, you shall have half of it.
All right, said brother lustig, and they went away together. Then they came to a peasant's house inside which they heard loud lamentations and cries. So they went in, and there the husband was lying sick unto death, and very near his end, and his wife was crying and weeping quite loudly. Stop that howling and crying, said St.
Peter, I will make the man well again, and he took a salve out of his pocket, and healed the sick man in a moment, so that he could get up, and was in perfect health.
In great delight the man and his wife said, how can we reward you.
What shall we give you. But St. Peter would take nothing, and the more the peasant folks offered him, the more he refused. Brother lustig, however, nudged St. Peter, and said, take something. Sure enough we are in need of it.
At length the woman brought a lamb and said to St. Peter that he really must take that, but he would not. Then brother lustig gave him a poke in the side, and said, do take it, you stupid fool. We are in great want of it. Then St. Peter said at last, well, I will take the lamb, but I won't carry it. If you insist on having it, you must carry it. That is nothing, said brother lustig. I will easily carry it, and took it on his shoulder.
Then they departed and came to a wood, but brother lustig had begun to feel the lamb heavy, and he was hungry, so he said to St. Peter, look, that's a good place, we might cook the lamb there, and eat it.
As you like, answered St. Peter, but I can't have anything to do with the cooking. If you will cook, there is a kettle for you, and in the meantime I will walk about a little until it is ready. But you must not begin to eat until I have come back. I will come at the right time. Well, go, then, said brother lustig. I understand cookery, Iwill manage it.
Then St. Peter went away, and brother lustig killed the lamb, lighted a fire, threw the meat into the kettle, and boiled it. When the lamb, however, was quite ready, and the apostle peter had not come back, brother lustig took it out of the kettle, cut it up, and found the heart. That is said to be the best part, said he, and tasted it, but at last he ate it all up. At length St. Peter returned and said, you may eat the whole of the lamb yourself, I will only have the heart, give me that.
Then brother lustig took a knife and fork, and pretended to look anxiously about amongst the lamb's flesh, but not to be able to find the heart, and at last he said abruptly, there is none here. But where can it be, said the apostle. I don't know, replied brother lustig, but look, what fools we both are, to seek for the lamb's heart, and neither of us to remember that a lamb has no heart. Oh, said St. Peter, that is something quite new. Every animal has a heart, why is a lamb to have none. No, be assured, my brother, said brother lustig, that a lamb has no heart. Just consider it seriously, and then you will see that it really has none. Well, it is all right, said St. Peter. If there is no heart, then I want none of the lamb. You may eat it alone.
What I can't eat now, I will carry away in my knapsack, said brother lustig, and he ate half the lamb, and put the rest in his knapsack.
They went farther, and then St. Peter caused a great stream of water to flow right across their path, and they were obliged to pass through it. Said St. Peter, do you go first. No, answered brother lustig, you must go first, and he thought, if the water is too deep Iwill stay behind. Then St. Peter strode through it, and the water just reached to his knee. So brother lustig began to go through also, but the water grew deeper and reached to his throat. Then he cried, brother, help me.
St. Peter said, then will you confess that you have eaten the lamb's heart. No, said he, I have not eaten it. Then the water grew deeper still and rose to his mouth. Help me, brother, cried the soldier.
St. Peter said, then will you confess that you have eaten the lamb's heart. No, he replied, I have not eaten it. St. Peter, however, would not let him be drowned, but made the water sink and helped him through it.
Then they journeyed onwards, and came to a kingdom where they heard that the king's daughter lay sick unto death. Hi, there, brother, said the soldier to St. Peter, this is a chance for us. If we can heal her we shall be provided for, for life.
But St. Peter was not half quick enough for him. Come, lift your legs, my dear brother, said he, that we may get there in time. But St. Peter walked slower and slower, though brother lustig did all he could to drive and push him on, and at last they heard that the princess was dead. Now we are done for, said brother lustig. That comes of your sleepy way of walking.
