The Child Saint

There was once a child who was very quiet and patient. Very different from other kids of her age, she spoke very few words and remained silent for most of the time, as if lost in some deep thought.

"My dear, why don't you play in the streets with the other children? You will get bored sitting here all day long."

But she was never bored. The little child always preferred to sit in one corner of her house quietly, without causing trouble to any one. When she grew up big enough to go to school, she begged her mother to get her a book of doctrines and let her learn at home. Her mother got a book of doctrines for her.

"How can you read, my dear?" her mother said to her, "You have not been through you lessons still."

But she was able to read at once without being taught. Day after day she sat in the corner reading her books and meditating.

When she growed up a little, she asked her mother to build a little room for her away from the house, where she could study and think without any disturbance.

A little chamber was soon built for her and the girl shut herself in there. Her mother often knocked on her door without getting any reply. She peeped through the keyhole to check whether she was allright. Then she would leave her food and water at her doorstep and go away. She found the vessels emptied afterwards.

But one day, her mother was alarmed to find the foods untouched. She peeped through the hole and was horrified to find her child sitting there, reading her book, while a huge man stood beside her, and all kinds of beasts and serpents filled the little room.

The frightened mother ran to the church and informed the priest of all that she had seen. But the priest calmed her, saying,

"I can understand. Those were devils trying to tempt her. But your child is a good soul, she will certainly become a saint."

And the priest was right, for the mother found that evil shapes were gone after some days. Instead, she found her child's room filled with a bright light with her girl sitting peacefully on her seat, lost in her books as usual.

When she grew older, the priest and the people built a costly shrine for her where she stayed and prayed for hours. People used to visit her every day at a fixed time and requested her to pray for their well being.

But one day, the shrine was found empty. As everyone looked about for the divine girl, the old priest said that she must have surely been taken alive into heaven by angels.