nd's
return.

*****

STORY THE EIGHTY-NINTH -- THE FAULT OF THE ALMANAC.

By Poncelet.

_Of a cure who forgot, either by negligence or ignorance, to inform his
parishioners that Lent had come until Palm Sunday arrived, as you
will hear--and of the manner in which he excused himself to his
parishioners._

In a certain little hamlet or village in this country, far from any good
town, there happened an incident, which is worth hearing, my good sirs.

This village or hamlet was inhabited by a handful of rough and simple
peasants, who knew nothing except how to gain their livelihood. Rough
and ignorant as they were, their cure was not less so, for he did not
know things of common knowledge, as I will show you by relating an
incident that happened to him.

You must know that this cure was so simple and ignorant that he could
not announce the feasts of the saints, which come every year on a fixed
day, as every one knows; and when his parishioners asked when such and
such a feast would fall, he could not, right off, answer them correctly.

Amongst other such mistakes, which often occurred, he made one which
was by no means slight, for he allowed the five weeks of Lent to slip by
without informing his parishioners.

But hear how he discovered his error. On the Saturday which was the eve
before Palm Sunday, he had need to go to the nearest town for something
that he required. When he had entered the town, and was riding along
the streets, he saw that the priests were purchasing palms and other
greenstuff, which were being sold at the market for the procession the
next day.

If anyone was astonished it was our good cure, though he pretended not
to be. He went to the woman who sold the palms and boughs, and bought
some--pretending that he had come to town specially for that purpose.
Then he hastily mounted his horse, which was loaded with his purchases,
galloped to the village, and arrived there as quickly as possible.

As soon as he had dismounted, he met several of his parishioners, whom
he commanded to go and ring the bells for every one to come to church
at once, for he had certain things necessary for the salvation of their
souls to tell them.

A meeting was soon called, and all were assembled in the church, where
the cure, booted and spurred, came, much flustered, God knows. He
mounted into the pupil, and said the following words,

"Good sirs, I have to signify and inform you that to-day was the eve