The Angel Children | Page 7

in the fountain, and chased each other over the
sparkling waters.
Then there were tall trees, of such a bright green as is seldom seen on
the earth, and on them were fruits which looked a little like those we
see here, but a thousand times more beautiful, for they shone like
precious stones. About everything was a glory which it is impossible to
describe.
At a little distance was a troop of fair children at play, and when they
had seen the little child from the earth they ran towards him, and would
have kissed him joyously, but that they saw the tears he had so recently
shed still standing upon his cheeks; at this, sorrow shone over their
faces, and tears like pearls entered their own eyes, as, in the tenderest

manner, they asked him the cause of his grief.
"Do not ask me, dear brothers and sisters," he entreated; "I wish only to
think how I am with you now for a little while, and I long to forget the
earth-scenes." Speaking thus he kissed them all, and led them away off
among the bright fields.
Very gayly they played a long time; they plucked the golden apples
from the trees, and threw them far up in the sky, and the apples
bounded so lightly that they still went on, till at last they dropped down
to the earth into some dark rooms where poor people lived, who, when
they found them, rejoiced exceedingly.
Then they went riding on the clouds, and the light of their faces gave a
brightness to the edge of the clouds, so that the people on the earth
loved to stand watching them, never fancying what a troop of
angel-children were frolicking on them.
At last they became weary of this sport, and bent their way quite
towards the earth. At this our earth-child saddened, and did not wing
his flight as quickly as the others did. Upon this they looked around
upon him and said:
"Why tarry you? Do you not know we go to the earth, to do there what
our dear Teacher bids us? You have played with us, and will you not
now do the work which you have so often done with us before?" So he
sped on with them, but his voice was silent and his heart wept.
They soon came to the earth, and then, unseen by any one, they made
their way towards a little, dingy house, in one room of which sat a little
boy upon a bench, driving pegs into the sole of a boot. On one side lay
all the boots in which he had driven pegs, and on the other a great many
more in which he must still drive them. He looked sad and pale, and the
sweat lay in large drops upon his forehead. By his side sat a large, stout
man, with his shirt-sleeves rolled up, displaying strong, brawny arms,
while his face was red and stern. He was also at work, but watched the
boy well, and if he saw his arm rested for a moment he would give him
a little push, bidding him mind his work; and so the poor boy had to

drive the pegs into the soles of the boots, even though he was weary
and his face pale and sad.
Then the angel-children, seized with one feeling of love and pity (for
they could remember how the poor boy used to be one of them and play
in the garden of God), soared above him. One came down and wiped
off the drops of sweat from his brow; another passed his soft hands
over the boy's face, and rested him; and another put comforting
thoughts into his soul.
Then the master looked up, and when he saw how the boy seemed
suddenly refreshed, he told him it was good to work and silly to be
tired; and when the boy heard these hard words, tears came into his
eyes, and he thought of his mother who used so tenderly to care for him,
but had now been gone long to the home of the angels.
Then some of the angel-children wiped away the tears which had come
into the boy's eyes, and another shook his beautiful wings over his head,
so that at once a cool breeze fell over him and hopeful words entered
his soul. Some of the children moved his arm up and down as he drove
the pegs into the boot, and he wondered how easily he was able to
work.
All this time our earth-child stood apart, nodding his head sadly, and
when the others asked him the cause, he answered, "O, you do not
know how hard it is to live on the earth! See this poor boy;