p for the seven days came frothing
out of him like hot beer. Such abuse as he showered upon his travelling
companion no man ever listened to before. But to all the servant said
the other answered never a word until he had stopped for sheer want of
breath. Then--

"Poor fool," said the travelling companion, "if you had only held your
tongue a minute longer, you, too, would have had the fruit of happiness
in your hand. Now it will be many a day before you have a sight of it
again."

Thereupon, as he ended speaking, he struck his staff upon the ground.
Instantly the earth trembled, and the sky darkened overhead until it
grew as black as night. Then came a great flash of fire from up in the
sky, which wrapped the travelling companion about until he was hidden
from sight. Then the flaming fire flew away to heaven again, carrying
him along with it. After that the sky cleared once more, and, lo and
behold! The garden and the torrent and all were gone, and nothing was
left but a naked plain covered over with the bones of those who had
come that way before, seeking the fruit which the travelling servant had
sought.

It was a long time before the servant found his way back into the world
again, and the first house he came to, weak and hungry, was the widow's.

But what a change he beheld! It was a poor cottage no longer, but a
splendid palace, fit for a queen to dwell in. The widow herself met him
at the door, and she was dressed in clothes fit for a queen to wear,
shining with gold and silver and precious stones.

The servant stood and stared like one bereft of wits. "How comes all
this change?" said he, "and how did you get all these grand things?"

"My son," said the widow woman, "has just been to the garden, and
has brought home from there the fruit of happiness. Many a day did we
search, but never could we find how to enter into the garden, until, the
other day, an angel came and showed the way to my son, and he was able
not only to gather of the fruit for himself, but to bring an apple for
me also."

Then the poor travelling servant began to thump his head. He saw well
enough through the millstone now, and that he, too, might have had one
of the fruit if he had but held his tongue a little longer.

Yes, he saw what a fool he had made of himself, when he learned that it
was an angel with whom he had been travelling the five days gone.

But, then, we are all of us like the servant for the matter of that; I,
too, ha