’Yehaveheardthatitwassaid，Aneyeforaneye，andatoothforatooth，butIsayuntoyou，Resistnothimthatisevil。’——Matt。
　　’Vengeanceismine；Iwillrepay。’——Rom。xii。19。
　　ASONwasborntoapoorpeasant。Hewasgladandwenttohisneighbourtoaskhimtostandgodfathertotheboy。Theneighbourrefused——hedidnotlikestandinggodfathertoapoorman’schild。Thepeasantaskedanotherneighbour，buthetoorefused，andafterthatthepoorfatherwenttoeveryhouseinthevillage，butfoundnoonewillingtobegodfathertohisson。Sohesetofftoanothervillage，andonthewayhemetamanwhostoppedandsaid:
　　’Good-day，mygoodman；whereareyouoffto？’
　　’Godhasgivenmeachild，’saidthepeasant，’torejoicemyeyesinyouth，tocomfortmyoldage，andtoprayformysoulafterdeath。ButIampoor，andnooneinourvillagewillstandgodfathertohim，soIamnowonmywaytoseekagodfatherforhimelsewhere。’
　　’Letmebegodfather，’saidthestranger。
　　Thepeasantwasglad，andthankedhim，butadded:’AndwhomshallI
　　asktobegodmother？’
　　’Gotothetown，’repliedthestranger，’and，inthesquare，youwillseeastonehousewithshop-windowsinthefront。Attheentranceyouwillfindthetradesmantowhomitbelongs。Askhimtolethisdaughterstandgodmothertoyourchild。’
　　Thepeasanthesitated。
　　’HowcanIaskarichtradesman？’saidhe。’Hewilldespiseme，andwillnotlethisdaughtercome。’
　　’Don’ttroubleaboutthat。Goandask。Geteverythingreadybyto-morrowmorning，andIwillcometothechristening。’
　　Thepoorpeasantreturnedhome，andthendrovetothetowntofindthetradesman。Hehadhardlytakenhishorseintotheyard，whenthetradesmanhimselfcameout。
　　’Whatdoyouwant？’saidhe。
　　’Why，sir，’saidthepeasant，’youseeGodhasgivenmeasontorejoicemyeyesinyouth，tocomfortmyoldage，andtoprayformysoulafterdeath。Besokindastoletyourdaughterstandgodmothertohim。
　　’Andwhenisthechristening？’saidthetradesman。
　　’To-morrowmorning。’
　　’Verywell。Goinpeace。SheshallbewithyouatMassto-morrowmorning。’
　　Thenextdaythegodmothercame，andthegodfatheralso，andtheinfantwasbaptized。Immediatelyafterthechristeningthegodfatherwentaway。Theydidnotknowwhohewas，andneversawhimagain。
　　Thechildgrewuptobeajoytohisparents。Hewasstrong，willingtowork，cleverandobedient。Whenhewastenyearsoldhisparentssenthimtoschooltolearntoreadandwrite。Whatotherslearntinfiveyears，helearntinone，andsoontherewasnothingmoretheycouldteachhim。
　　Eastercameround，andtheboywenttoseehisgodmother，togiveherhisEastergreeting。
　　’Fatherandmother，’saidhewhenhegothomeagain，’wheredoesmygodfatherlive？IshouldliketogivehimmyEastergreeting，too。’
　　Andhisfatheranswered:
　　’Weknownothingaboutyourgodfather，dearson。Weoftenregretitourselves。Sincethedayyouwerechristenedwehaveneverseenhim，norhadanynewsofhim。Wedonotknowwherehelives，orevenwhetherheisstillalive。’
　　Thesonbowedtohisparents。
　　’Fatherandmother，’saidhe，’letmegoandlookformygodfather。
　　ImustfindhimandgivehimmyEastergreeting。
　　Sohisfatherandmotherlethimgo，andtheboysetofftofindhisgodfather。
　　Theboyleftthehouseandsetoutalongtheroad。Hehadbeenwalkingforseveralhourswhenhemetastrangerwhostoppedhimandsaid:
　　’Good-daytoyou，myboy。Whereareyougoing？’
　　Andtheboyanswered:
　　’IwenttoseemygodmotherandtogivehermyEastergreeting，andwhenIgothomeIaskedmyparentswheremygodfatherlives，thatImightgoandgreethimalso。Theytoldmetheydidnotknow。TheysaidhewentawayassoonasIwaschristened，andtheyknownothingabouthim，notevenifhebestillalive。ButIwishedtoseemygodfather，andsoIhavesetouttolookforhim。’
　　Thenthestrangersaid:’Iamyourgodfather。’
　　Theboywasgladtohearthis。AfterkissinghisgodfatherthreetimesforanEastergreeting，heaskedhim:
　　’Whichwayareyougoingnow，godfather？Ifyouarecomingourway，pleasecometoourhouse；butifyouaregoinghome，Iwillgowithyou。’
　　’Ihavenotimenow，’repliedhisgodfather，’tocometoyourhouse。
　　Ihavebusinessinseveralvillages；butIshallreturnhomeagainto-morrow。Comeandseemethen。’
　　’ButhowshallIfindyou，godfather？’
　　’Whenyouleavehome，gostraighttowardstherisingsun，andyouwillcometoaforest；goingthroughtheforestyouwillcometoaglade。Whenyoureachthisgladesitdownandrestawhile，andlookaroundyouandseewhathappens。Onthefurthersideoftheforestyouwillfindagarden，andinitahousewithagoldenroof。Thatismyhome。Gouptothegate，andIwillmyselfbetheretomeetyou。’
　　Andhavingsaidthisthegodfatherdisappearedfromhisgodson’ssight。
　　Theboydidashisgodfatherhadtoldhim。Hewalkedeastwarduntilhereachedaforest，andtherehecametoaglade，andinthemidstofthegladehesawapinetreetoabranchofwhichwastiedaropesupportingaheavylogofoak。Closeunderthislogstoodawoodentroughfilledwithhoney。Hardlyhadtheboyhadtimetowonderwhythehoneywasplacedthere，andwhytheloghungaboveit，whenheheardacracklinginthewood，andsawsomebearsapproaching；ashe-bear，followedbyayearlingandthreetinycubs。Theshe-bear，sniffingtheair，wentstraighttothetrough，thecubsfollowingher。Shethrusthermuzzleintothehoney，andcalledthecubstodothesame。Theyscamperedupandbegantoeat。Astheydidso，thelog，whichtheshe-bearhadmovedasidewithherhead，swungawayalittleand，returning，gavethecubsapush。Seeingthistheshe-bearshovedthelogawaywithherpaw。Itswungfurtheroutandreturnedmoreforcibly，strikingonecubonthebackandanotheronthehead。Thecubsranawayhowlingwithpain，andthemother，withagrowl，caughttheloginherforepawsand，raisingitaboveherheadflungitaway。
　　Thelogflewhighintheairandtheyearling，rushingtothetrough，pushedhismuzzleintothehoneyandbegantosucknoisily。Theothersalsodrewnear，buttheyhadnotreachedthetroughwhenthelog，flyingback，strucktheyearlingontheheadandkilledhim。Themothergrowledlouderthanbeforeand，seizingthelog，flungitfromherwithallhermight。Itflewhigherthanthebranchitwastiedto；sohighthattheropeslackened；andtheshe-bearreturnedtothetrough，andthelittlecubsafterher。Thelogflewhigherandhigher，thenstopped，andbegantofall。Theneareritcamethefasteritswung，andatlast，atfullspeed，itcrasheddownonherhead。Theshe-bearrolledover，herlegsjerkedandshedied！
　　Thecubsranawayintotheforest。
　　Theboywatchedallthisinsurprise，andthencontinuedhisway。Leavingtheforest，hecameuponalargegardeninthemidstofwhichstoodaloftypalacewithagoldenroof。Atthegatestoodhisgodfather，smiling。Hewelcomedhisgodson，andledhimthroughthegatewayintothegarden。Theboyhadneverdreamedofsuchbeautyanddelightassurroundedhiminthatplace。
　　Thenhisgodfatherledhimintothepalace，whichwasevenmorebeautifulinsidethanoutside。Thegodfathershowedtheboythroughalltherooms:eachbrighterandfinerthantheother，butatlasttheycametoonedoorthatwassealedup。
　　’Youseethisdoor，’saidhe。’Itisnotlocked，butonlysealed。Itcanbeopened，butIforbidyoutoopenit。Youmaylivehere，andgowhereyoupleaseandenjoyallthedelightsoftheplace。Myonlycommandis——donotopenthatdoor！Butshouldyoueverdoso，rememberwhatyousawintheforest。’
　　Havingsaidthisthegodfatherwentaway。Thegodsonremainedinthepalace，andlifetherewassobrightandjoyfulthathethoughthehadonlybeentherethreehours，whenhehadreallylivedtherethirtyyears。Whenthirtyyearshadgoneby，thegodsonhappenedtobepassingthesealeddooroneday，andhewonderedwhyhisgodfatherhadforbiddenhimtoenterthatroom。