Here is the story of the cilice. Like many in the world, there was once a gentleman and a lady. They had no children, and they wanted one above all else. They made a vow to go to Rome. As soon as they did, the woman found herself pregnant.
The cilice
The husband said to her, “We had better go right away. »
The woman said, "We don't have enough time now, we might as well go after." »
The lady gave birth to a boy. The boy grew up and he found that his father was always sad and he often found him crying. The little boy was now seven years old and the mother had never made up her mind to go to Rome. One day this young boy came into his father's room and found him still crying. So he said to her:
"What's the matter with you, father?" »
But he would not answer her; then the child took a pistol and said to his father:
“If you won't tell me what's wrong with you, I'll shoot you first and then me. »
The father then told him that he would tell him, (and he told him) how he and his mother had made a vow to go to Rome if they had a child and they had never been there.
The child said to him: “It is for me that this wish was made and it is I who will fulfill it. »
He bade farewell and left.
He spent seven years on the road and begged for his bread. Finally he arrived at the Holy Father's and told him what had brought him there. Our Holy Father put him in a room, all alone, for an hour.
When he came out, he said to her, “Oh, you must have made a mistake, you made me stay there for at least two hours. »
Our Holy Father told him no, that he had only been there for an hour. And he put him in another room for two hours.
When he got out of there he said, “You made me stay over two hours. »
He told him no and put him in another room for three hours.
When he got out, he said, "You only left me there for three minutes." »
And he said to him: “Yes, yes, yes, you stayed there for three hours. »
And our holy father told him that the first room was hell, the second was purgatory and the last was heaven.
The child said to him, “Where am I? I am in paradise! And my father ?
-In paradise too.
-And my mother?
- In hell. »
The boy was very upset and said to her, “Can't I save my mother? I am ready to shed my blood for her for seven years. »
Our Holy Father told him that he could and he put a hair shirt on her closed with a padlock and threw the key in the water.
And our Holy Father said to him: “When you find this key, your mother will be saved. »
He left, begging as before, and took seven more years before arriving in his country. He went from house to house asking for alms. His father met him and asked him where he was from. It says “from Rome”. He asked him if he hadn't seen a boy of his age on his way. He told her yes and that he had continued his walk for seven years, shedding his blood to save his mother. And he continued to talk to her about his son.
His mother went to the stairs and told her husband to send the poor man away, that he had to get out of there. But he paid no attention to her. He let him in and told his wife that he was going to have dinner with them. The woman was not happy. The husband sent the maid to the market, telling her to buy the best fish she could find. When the girl returned, she went to the barnyard to clean the fish. The young man followed her and as she was cleaning the fish she found a key inside.
The young man said to him: “This key is mine. »
And she gave it to him.
The lady did not suffer this young man. She pushed him and he fell into the well. Immediately, the water in the well began to overflow and the young man came out wet. The husband had not noticed that his wife had pushed him into the well and the young man told him that he had fallen in alone. This poor gentleman wanted to give him some clothes, but he did not accept them, saying that he would dry himself by the fire. At table the lady did not show him any kindness. The young man asked her if she would recognize her son.
She said, “Yes, yes, he has a mark in the middle of his chest. »
And the young man undid his clothes and showed his mark. At the same time he gave the key to his mother so that she could open the hair shirt and the mother saw nothing but blood and more blood. He had suffered for her. All three died. And the maid saw three white doves fly away. I want to do like them in the same way.
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