ith half a
bellyful, than leave one fellow-creature on earth famishing for a meal;
they, therefore, determined on sharing their own portion with him who had
none, and he went away from them rejoicing. "Now," said the happy pair,
"we shall eat our half-share with unmixed delight, and with thankful
hearts. By to-morrow eve we shall be transferred to paradise."

'They had scarcely raised the savoury food to their opening mouths, when a
voice of melancholy bewailing arrested their attention, and stayed the
hands already charged with food;--a poor wretched creature, who had not
tasted food for two whole days, moaned his piteous tale in accents that
drew tears from the Woodcutter and his wife--their eyes met and the
sympathy was mutual; they were more willing to depart for heaven without
the promised benefit of one earthly enjoyment, than suffer the hungry
creature to die from want of that meal they had before them. The dish was
promptly tendered to the bewailing subject, and the Woodcutter and his
wife consoled each other by thinking that, as their time of departure was
now so near at hand, the temporary enjoyment of a meal was not worth one
moment's consideration. "To-morrow we die, then of what consequence to us
whether we depart with full or empty stomachs!" And now their thoughts
were set on the place of eternal rest. They slept, and arose to their
morning orisons with hearts resting humbly on their God, in the fullest
expectation that this was their last day on earth: the prayer was
concluded, and the Woodcutter in the act of rolling up his carpet, on
which he had bowed with gratitude, reverence, and love to his Creator,
when he perceived a fresh heap of silver on the floor;--he could scarcely
believe it was not a dream. "How wonderful art Thou, O God!" cried the
poor Woodcutter; "this is Thy bounteous gift that I may indeed enjoy one
day before I quit this earth." And when Moosa came to him, he (Moosa) was
satisfied with the goodness and power of God; but he retired again to the
Mount to inquire of God the cause of the Woodcutter's respite. The reply
given to Moosa was, "That man has faithfully applied the wealth given in
answer to his petition. He is worthy to live out his numbered years on
earth, who, receiving My bounty, thought not of his own enjoyments whilst
his fellow men had wants he could supply." And to the end of the
Woodcutter's long life, God's bounty lessened not in substance; neither
did the pious man rel