The Vanvulguds[1] who have accepted the true Faith of Our Lord into their hearts tell stories of the first among them to do so. The young people of the villages gather in the streets around the elders, who tell them these stories, from the time the sun stops high in the sky until it sets beneath the earth. One of these elders was Bey, who, as a child, had loved the false gods of the Vanvulguds, but believed in Our Lord when He healed his sister Dehes through the hands of Eger[2].
And the Bey said: "A man had a daughter, whom he loved more than all his possessions. But the child's legs would not move, so they could not carry her. The man prayed to the Lord for days and nights, but the child's legs would not move. Then the priest of the church of the village of Alet[3] told him that, on a distant island, floating on the sea of the Benrexes[4], there is a tree, planted by the angels of the Lord, from whose branches grow legs for Christians who need them. So the man went to the city of the Benrexes that they call Cedaem. And there a woman and her son met him, and she spoke to him thus, in the words of the Vanvulguds:"
"-Traveler, may God bless you. Ciume[5] is my name and the child next to me is my son, whose name is Ettas[6]. Tell me, where do you come from? Where are you going? What is your goal? What do you carry in that sack you have?"
"Woman (said the man), may God protect you. I come from Alet, and I know from your words that you are Vanvulguds like me. I am going to the island beyond this sea, for there is a tree there that can heal my beloved daughter. And in this sack I have seven loaves, eight fruits, eight jittiems[7], and two knives."
"Your goal is good, and the Lord commands us to protect good Christians. My home is in the city. Go there and you will have a roof and a place to sleep."
"The man accepted it and that night he went to the city of the Benrexes, where the woman's house was, and there he slept. Then the woman entered her room and went to the sack, took the jittiems and the food and left the house, before the sun rose. When the man awoke, he didn't see the jittiems and food in his sack, and he wandered around the house looking for the woman and her son, but he didn't see them. Then another man entered the house and, upon seeing him, raised his knife at him, trying to kill him, because he thought he was a thief. But the man said to him, in the words of the Benrexes:"
"-I ask you not to kill a good Christian, who seeks nothing more than to help his beloved daughter. I came to this city because it is on the road to an island, on which there is a tree whose fruits can heal her. Then, the man saw that his clothes were those of the Vanvulguds and, keeping the knife under his clothes, spoke to him, in the words of the Vanvulgud."
"-God protect you and your daughter. I know from your clothes that you are from the Vanvulgud, like me. But this is my house and I have not welcomed you to be here."
"-May the Lord bless you and your home. Your words are true. I am of the Vanvulguds and I am in your house because a Christian woman of the Vanvulguds and her son welcomed me when I entered this city, but, when I awoke, they were gone and my jittiems and my food were not in the sack."
"-I know what your words speak of (said the owner of the house). But that woman you speak of is not a Christian and is not of the Vanvulguds, but she is Benrexe and a pagan. She and her son enter the houses of the Vanvulguds to rob them and deceive the Vanvulguds who enter the city, giving them two names that are not theirs, in order to rob them[8]."
"Then the owner of the house allowed the man to sleep another night in his house and gave him four jittiems, so that he could go to the market and buy food and two knives. The man from Alet slept that other night in that house and, when the sun shed its first light on the earth, the owner of the house blessed him and he went to the sea, where he paid for a boat. The captain of this, who was a Benrexe and a pagan, told him, in the words of the Benrexes:"
"Good man, The Night[9], who covers us, protects us from the highest sky. Give him a few words of prayer with me. And the man said to him, in the words of the Benrexes:"
"-The one who protects us is not the night, but the Lord, who is one and governs the night, the day, the sky and the earth."
"-It is not one who governs the night (said the captain), the day, the sky and the earth, but one governs the night, another governs the day, another governs the sky and another governs the earth. And the man said to him:"
"-I know your heart is good, but your words are wrong, for one governs the night, one governs the day, one governs the sky and one governs the earth. This one governs the living and the unliving. And he is the Father of all men, he is my Father and he is your Father."
"Then an eagle descended from the highest sky and flew over the surface of the sea, raising a wave like ten trees. It flew over this wave and the wind from its wings crashed against the waters, breaking up both the wave and the gust. Then the captain raised his hands to sky and accepted the true Lord. And the man took water from the sea, brought it to his head and baptized the captain over the sea, in which the Lord placed him."
"When he arrived at the island, the man moved away from the sea and saw, among the clouds, a tall tree with red branches and leaves like the sky. Next to it was a man like a tree, whose head touched the clouds, who said to him:"
"-Good man, may God protect you. This is his place. What is the reason that brought you here? And the man said to him:"
"-Son of the Lord of Heaven. May he protect you. I am a Christian from the Vanvulguds. I came from Alet because my daughter's legs do not move and cannot carry her, and I know that here the Lord planted a holy tree, which gives legs, for good Christians who need them."
"What you say is true (said the tall man). It is a holy tree, as you say, and it gives legs to good Christians, as you say. If your heart is not pious, the tree will not give them to you, so the long road you walked would have led you to nothing. If your heart is good and pious, as the Lord desires, the fruits will sprout in your hands. But you must remain pious until you bring the legs to your daughter, because if your heart turns black, the fruits will turn black, like old fruits. May the Lord guide you."
"Then the man went up to the tree, and one of its branches reached down to touch his chest, and strong legs sprouted from it. The man raised his hands to sky, giving a few words to the Lord, and took the legs from the tree. But before he left, he saw another tree behind the tree, and he went to it. This other tree did not bear legs, but rather heads. The man saw a beautiful head among its branches, took it, and placed it where his own had been. But this tree did not belong to the Lord, and the legs and head turned black. The man fell dead to the ground. The captain who had brought him saw him there, and his heart was filled with compassion. He lifted him up from the ground and buried him there. He raised his hands to sky and said to the Lord:"
"Good God, who forgave prostitutes and thieves, I ask you to forgive this son of yours, for his heart was good and brought me your mercy."
"Then from the earth that covered the man sprang a beautiful tree of the Lord, and from the beautiful branches of this tree, beautiful hearts sprouted."
[1] vanvylgoy, word with which the Phojeans referred to the Kirdaians.
[2] Egœr, Phojean version of the name of Agaroc, the historical Kirdaian bishop and missionary. See the Commentary on the Agaroc's Chronicles.
[3] Əlet, Phojean version of the name of the Kirdaian city Olict.
[4] bemrøksœ, Phojean version of the Mabrixatian demonym.
[5] Kiymœ, Phojean version of the Kirdaian name Keimaan.
[6] Ttəs, Phojean version of the Kirdaian name Ktor.
[7] ǧittiœms, Phojean name of the Kirdaian jetciamar coin, which circulated in the Phojean cities.
[8] This episode refers to the eniumbreus, Vermaric deities capable of taking human form, usually female. Christian Phojeans identified them with criminals to demonize them.
[9] By “the Night,” he refers to Rivimi, the Mabrixatian god of the night.