thethreepurses

BY WILLIAM S. WALSH [ADAPTED]

WHEN Saint Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, there
were among his people three beautiful maidens,
daughters of a nobleman. Their father was so poor
that he could not afford to give them dowries, and
as in that land no maid might marry without a dowry,
so these three maidens could not wed the youths
who loved them.

At last the father became so very poor that he no
longer had money with which to buy food or clothes
for his daughters, and he was overcome by shame
and sorrow. As for the daughters they wept
continually, for they were both cold and hungry.

One day Saint Nicholas heard of the sad state of
this noble family. So at night, when the maidens
were asleep, and the father was watching, sorrowful
and lonely, the good saint took a handful of gold,
and, tying it in a purse, set off for the nobleman's
house. Creeping to the open window he threw the
purse into the chamber, so that it fell on the bed of
the sleeping maidens.

The father picked up the purse, and when he
opened it and saw the gold, he rejoiced greatly, and
awakened his daughters. He gave most of the gold
to his eldest child for a dowry, and thus she was
enabled to wed the young man whom she loved.

A few days later Saint Nicholas filled another purse
with gold, and, as before, went by night to the
nobleman's house, and tossed the purse through
the open window. Thus the second daughter was
enabled to marry the young man whom she loved.

Now, the nobleman felt very grateful to the unknown
one who threw purses of gold into his room and he
longed to know who his benefactor was and to thank
him. So the next night he watched beneath the open
window. And when all was dark, lo! good Saint
Nicholas came for the third time, carrying a silken
purse filled with gold, and as he was about to throw
it on the youngest maiden's bed, the nobleman
caught him by his robe, crying: --

"Ohs good Saint Nicholas! why do you hide yourself
thus?"

And he kissed the saint's hands and feet, but Saint
Nicholas, overcome with confusion at having his
good deed discovered, begged the nobleman to tell
no man what had happened.

Thus the nobleman's third daughter was enabled to
marry the young man whom she loved; and she and
her father and her two sisters lived happily for the
remainder of their lives.