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granted the request and the boy asked:-" What is thelightest, what is the sweetest and what is the hardest thingin the world?" After three days the astrologers replied," The lightest is the feather, the sweetest is honey and thehardest thing in the world is stone." The young boy laughedand said," Anyone could answer like that. The lightest thingin the world in an only child in its mother's arms. It is neverheavy. The sweetest is the mother's milk to the baby andthe hardest is for the mother to bring her child willinglyto be buried alive in the wall." The astrologers were con-founded and had to own that they had read the stars wronglyand the child was saved.
435. A woodcutter once complained of his hard life. Heworked and carried heavy loads and could scarcely earnenough to live. One day in the wood he prayed to Godand then fell asleep. In a dream he saw a boy telling him," Make one request and it will be granted; but be careful."He asked that everything he touched should turn into gold.Then he awoke from his dream and touched his bundle offaggots and lo! it turned into gold. He rejoiced and tookhis jug to drink some water. The jug and the water turnedinto gold; he took up his loaf of bread and that also turnedinto gold. Threatened with starvation he prayed again toGod. The young boy re- appeared and took back his gift.No one rejoiced more than the woodcutter.
436. A pious woman used to bake four loaves of breadMele 228/ every day; three she gave to the poor and one she kept forher household. One day four beggars came and she gaveall the four. She then took her corn to the grindstone bythe sea- shore and ground a sackful of flour. While carryingit home on her head a storm arose and blew the sack offlour into the sea. Greatly surprised at the misadventure,she went to the college to consult the rabbi. Whilst she wasthere sitting in a corner, ten men carrying ten gold bagscame in. They wanted to give it to the person to whomthey owed their lives. Their ship had sprung a leak whenclose to the harbour and would have sunk but the waters