y went to another town, put the stones down, and rested. The Master
gave them his blessing, and the stones became bread. St. Peter, who had
carried a little one, felt his heart grow faint. "Master," he said, "how
am I going to eat?" "Eh! my brother, why did you carry a little stone?
The others, who loaded themselves down, have bread enough."

Then they went on, and the Master made them each carry another stone.
St. Peter was cunning this time and took a large one and all the others
carried small ones. The Lord said to the others: "Little ones, we will
have a laugh at Peter's expense." They arrived at another village, and
all the apostles threw away their stones because there was bread there;
and St. Peter was bent double, for he had carried a paving-stone with
him to no purpose.

On their journey they met a man; and as St. Peter was in advance of the
others, he said: "The Lord is coming shortly; ask Him a favor for your
soul." The man drew near and said: "Lord, my father is ill with old age.
Cure him, Master." The Lord said: "Am I a physician? Do you know what
you must do? Put him in a hot oven and your father will become a boy
again." They did so, and his father became a little boy.

The idea pleased St. Peter, and when he found himself alone he went
about seeking to make some old men young. By chance there met him one
who was seeking the Master because his mother was at the point of death
and he wanted her cured. St. Peter said: "What do you want?" "I want the
Master, for I have an old mother who is very ill, and the Master alone
can cure her." "Fortunately Peter is here! Do you know what you must do?
Heat an oven and put her in it, and she will be cured." The poor man
believed him, for he knew that the Lord loved St. Peter, so he went home
and immediately put his mother in the hot oven. What more could you
expect? The old woman was burned to a coal. "Ah! _santu di cca e di
dda!_"[K] cried the son; "that scurvy fellow has made me kill my
mother!" He hastened to St. Peter. The Master was present, and when he
heard the story could not control his laughter, and said: "Ah, Peter!
what have you done?" St. Peter tried to excuse himself, but the poor man
kept crying for his mother. What must the Master do? He had to go to the
house of the dead, and with a blessing which he there pronounced he
brought the old woman to life again, a beautiful young girl, and
relieved St. Peter of his great embarrassment.

[Footnote K: This