younger, was of milder temperament
and a true friend of his people. So Joseph considered that the time
was now come when he might return to his native land with his wife and
his tall, slender son. His basket-making, through industry and thrift,
had, almost without his noticing it, put so much money into his pocket
that he was able to treat with a Phoenician merchant regarding the
journey home. For they would not go back across the desert: Joseph
wanted to show his family the sea. He took willow twigs with him in
order to have something to do during the voyage. Mary occupied herself
in repairing and making clothes, so that she might be nicely dressed
when she arrived home. The other passengers who were in the big ship
were glad of the idleness, and amused themselves in all sorts of ways.
Jesus often joined them, and rejoiced with those who were glad. But
when the amusement degenerated into extravagance and shamelessness, he
retired to the cabin, or looked at the wide expanse of waters.

One moonlight night when they were on the high seas, a storm sprang up.
The ship's keel was lifted high at one moment only to dip low the next,
so that the waves broke over the deck; bundles and chests were thrown
about, and a salt stream struck the travellers' faces. The rigging
broke away from the masts, and fluttered loosely in the air out into
the dark sea which heaved endlessly in mountains of foam, and
threatened to engulf the groaning ship. The people were mad with
terror and anguish, and, reeling and staggering, sought refuge in every
corner in order to avoid the falling beams and splinters. Joseph and
Mary looked for Jesus, and found him quietly asleep on a bench. The
storm thundered over his head, the masts cracked, but he slept
peacefully. Mary bent over him, and climbed on to the bench so that
they might not be hurled apart. She would let him sleep on, what could
a mother's love do more? But Joseph thought it time to be prepared,
and so they woke him. He stood on the deck and looked out into the
wild confusion. He saw the moon fly from one wall of mist to the
other, he saw dark monsters shoot up from the roaring abyss, and throw
themselves on the ship with a crashing noise, and turn it on its side
so that the masts almost touched the surface of the water, while birds
of prey hovered above. The ship heaved from its inmost recesses, and
cracked from end to end as if it would burst. Jesus, pale-faced, his
eyes s