Eve's Children

When Adam and Even were driven out of Paradise, they built a house upon unfruitful ground, and Eve brought a child into the world every year. Each child was different than the next, some were beautiful, and some were ugly. After Eve had brought many children into the world, an angel was sent to them, to announce that soon God would be coming, and thus Eve cleaned diligently and decorated the floor with beautiful flowers and straw.

She brought in her children, but only the beautiful ones. She was delighted that the Lord should come, and told them to bow down before him, and answer his questions modestly and sensibly.

She had scarcely gotten ready when Adam heard a knock at the door, and looked, and saw that it was the Lord. Adam opened the door respectfully, and the Heavenly Father entered. There, in a row, bowed the pretty children, holding out their hands. The Lord began to bless them, and laid his hands on the first.

“Thou shalt be a powerful king; Thou wilt have a daughter who is beautiful beyond all measure, and thou wilt search from far and near to find a young man for her to marry.”

He took the hands of the second, “Thou shalt be a prince, and thou wilt be clothed in velvet and silk, with gold chains about the neck. When thou sees a beautiful woman, thou wilt seize her by the hand, to have a dance with her; Do not be afraid, for even the King’s daughter will see thou ist a prince and the love that I give you.”

To the third child he said, “Thou shalt be a count, and live a full life in Switzerland, and thou wilt have a son who wilt travel to Rome. He is to be appointed as the Pope. The ecclesiastics therein wilt recognize my token from above and he wilt consider his own worthiness, but I counseled him to do it, and at length he will say yes; he will be anointed and consecrated, and thus fulfill what thou has heard on this day, and the young count wilt be his Holiness the Pope,” and two doves flew in and sat on the his shoulders, and started to say it into his ear.

To the fourth child he said, “Thou shalt be a knight, and protect the youngest and loveliest princess from the fire, for she wilt break a powerful spell that lay upon the land. Thou wilt save many lives and before long thou wilt protect the princess’s two other sisters as well.”

To the fifth child he said, “Thou shalt be my favorite servant, and will live thy whole life long so. Even when thou feels thy end approaching, thou wilt have no fear. Thou wilt teach a King’s son everything he ought to know, as if he was thine own. He must fall violently in love, and will drop down in a swoon on first sight, for it will be difficult even to obtain sight of his beloved, but among thy treasures are five tons of gold; such as may please her and get him to go there and try his luck.”

“Thou shalt be a nobleman, with a great castle. In all your days no harm will come to the castle and you may inhabit it quite tranquilly, and make rich presents to those who you may favor.” he said to the sixth.

“Thou a burgher, who wilt be known in all parts of the world for his spectacular plot. Thou wilt have the most beautiful garden full of the finest vegetables and flowers, and if one gets ever so far away, they wilt know thou and thou treasures,” He said to the seventh

“Thou shalt be a learned man. Thou wilt write innumerably, and divide thy time time between contemplation and a most beautiful woman.” And he continued to bestow upon all the beautiful children his richest blessing.

Eve then thought, “I will bring hither more of my children, and my ill-favored children will have his blessing likewise.” So she ran and brought her shabby, dirty, sooty children to the Lord.

The Lord smiled, and looked at them all, and said, “I will bless these also.”

He laid his hands on the first and said, “Thou shalt be a peasant. Thou wilt bade and share thy potatoes and even thine house with strangers, and it wilt bring thee pleasure to both you and your wife to share the humble blessings of your house.”

To the second, he said “Thou a fisherman,” to the third, “Thou a smith,” to the fourth, “Thou a tanner”, to the fifth, “thou a waggoner,” to the sixth, “Thou an errand-boy,” and so on.

When Eve heard all this she said, “Lord, how unequally thou divides thy gifts, thy favors should be given to all alike.” God answered, “Eve, thou dost not understand. It is necessary that the entire world should be supplied from thy children. If they were all princes and lords, who would grow corn, thresh it, grind and bake it?” Then Eve answered, “Lord, forgive me, have thy divine will with all my children.”