SELECTED SHORT STORIES AND ANECDOTES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS, FOR THE USE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN TURIN. Edited by Don Bosco 31. The broken flask. Another time, going unrecognised to Madonna degli Angeli, (Our lady of the Angels) he saw a young distressed girl running along the street. The poor girl was crying her eyes out. The Pope got down from his carriage and asked her why she was so distraught. "Ah Father" she said, "I have had a terrible misfortune." "What is it my girl? Can it be fixed?" "Oh no! Father." "So what is it?" "My mother gave me five coins to buy wine, and I fell over and the flask broke and the wine spilt out; look Father! Only God could fix my flask and give me back my wine." "No need to cry so much over five coins, my dear girl. It is merely an accident, not a misfortune." "It is not the money I am crying over; it is because of the blows I expect to receive when I get home if I return without the flask full. Instead of hugging me my mother will hit me." "Well, let’s change that then; here, take this. Buy a larger flask that is not broken, fill it with wine from Orvieto, and instead of hitting you your mother will hug you twice." "And saying this the good Pope gave her a shiny new large coin. "Oh my God! Thank you, Father!" the girl cried. Never before had she had such a large fortune in her hands. “Thank you! Thank you!" and while the Pope was climbing back into his simple carriage, the girl clung onto his black soutane, saying: "The good God and my mother would not want me to lie, because lying is a terrible sin that makes Jesus cry. So I will tell my mother exactly what happened. What can I tell her if she asks the name of the person who gave me this beautiful silver coin?" "You tell her it is a poor priest who lives at the Quirinale. Goodbye my child." "Goodbye Father. This evening I will pray to Jesus for you."
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 01:13:41 +0000