Many years ago there lived in a hermitage a holy monk. From all the villages around, the people, mostly poor labourers, were in the habit of coming to him on Sundays and festivals to hear him say mass for them. These good people used to bring little offerings of food for the support of the hermit during the week.  
One Sunday, after his congregation had departed, the monk perceived a man, laden with traps and nets for catching birds, crossing the field before the hermitage. The good monk went out to him.
 
"Where do you come from?" he inquired; "and what are you going to do, my son?"
 
"I live some miles from here, good father," he replied, "and I have borrowed a few nets and traps to try to catch some doves to sell, so as to get a little butter for our bread; for with that and a draught of water from the spring my wife and I are satisfied; or else to get some work to do, that I may earn enough for our support, for we have neither bread nor a single farthing to buy it."
 
The hermit took the man into his hermitage, and gave him the little offerings of food which had been brought that morning by the villagers, leaving Providence to provide for his own simple wants.
 
"Brother," he said, "take this for yourself and your wife; and if you want money I will give you some. But you must first tell me which you choose, to earn a single coin honestly, or a hundred, dishonestly."
 
The poor man hesitated, for great was the temptation.
 
"I will consult with my wife," he said at last, "and return to-morrow to inform you."
[170]
 
With the food in his hands he returned to his miserable home, where he and his wife made an excellent meal, for which they returned thanks to Heaven. They then consulted together about the money, and, though the temptation was great to take the hundred coins, yet, being God-fearing folks, they decided upon taking the one coin honestly acquired and let alone the hundred.
 
The man accordingly returned to the hermit, and told him what they had decided.
 
The good monk gave him two half reals.
 
"Take this money," he said; "and may Heaven prosper you."
 
Full of joy, the man departed. But on the road home, in a solitary spot, he encountered two lads fighting desperately; they were dealing each other terrible blows, and blood was streaming down their faces. The man rushed up to separate them, but all his efforts only served to make them fiercer.
 
"Why do you fight like this?" he cried.
 
"We are fighting for that stone," replied one of the lads; "I saw it first!"
 
"No, you didn't," replied the other; "it was I, and it belongs to me!" and once more they fell to blows more desperate than before.
 
The poor man, fearing that the quarrel might end fatally, cried out to them—
 
"Here, take each of you one of these coins, and let alone the stone; it is of no value, for it is no bigger than a walnut. And be off with you!"
 
The lads were glad to take the money, and ran away, thinking themselves lucky to make so good a bargain.
 
His wife was at the cottage door impatiently awaiting her husband. Great was her disappointment when all he brought her was a stone.
 
"Well, to be sure!" she cried, after he had recounted what had taken place, "I am disappointed." And, taking the little stone, she threw it into a corner of the room.
 
"Dear wife," replied the man, "do not take it so to heart.
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The money was spent in a good work; in making peace between the children of our neighbours."
 
His wife at length became more reconciled to the loss, considering that after all he had done right to make peace between their neighbours' sons at any cost. Not many minutes after, the parents of the two lads came to thank the man for having separated th............