the Twelve Apostles 十二门徒

The Twelve Apostles
Three hundred years before the birth of the Lord Christ, there lived a mother who had twelve
sons, but was so poor and needy that she no longer knew how she was to keep them alive at all.
She prayed to God daily that he would grant that all her sons might be on the earth with the
Redeemer who was promised. When her necessity became still greater she sent one of them after
the other out into the world to seek bread for her. The eldest was called Peter, and he went out
and had already walked a long way, a whole day's journey, when he came into a great forest. He
sought for a way out, but could find none, and went farther and farther astray, and at the same
time felt such great hunger that he could scarcely stand. At length he became so weak that he
was forced to lie down, and he believed death to be at hand. Suddenly there stood beside him a
small boy who shone with brightness, and was as beautiful and kind as an angel. The child
smote his little hands together, until Peter was forced to look up and saw him. Then the child
said, "Why art thou sitting there in such trouble?" "Alas!" answered Peter, "I am going about the
world seeking bread, that I may yet see the dear Saviour who is promised, that is my greatest
desire." The child said, "Come with me, and thy wish shall be fulfilled." He took poor Peter by
the hand, and led him between some cliffs to a great cavern. When they entered it, everything
was shining with gold, silver, and crystal, and in the midst of it twelve cradles were standing side
by side. Then said the little angel, "Lie down in the first, and sleep a while, I will rock thee."
Peter did so, and the angel sang to him and rocked him until he was al seep. And when he was
asleep, the second brother came also, guided thither by his guardian angel, and he was rocked to
sleep like the first, and thus came the others, one after the other, until all twelve lay there
sleeping in the golden cradles. They slept, however, three hundred years, until the night when
the Saviour of the world was born. Then they awoke, and were with him on earth, and were
called the twelve apostles.