“I wonder where Palko is?” and as he spoke, Juriga peered across the clearing in front of the hut.
“Palko?” Lesina seemed to come out of an unpleasant dream, to judge by his face, but it cleared immediately on hearing the boy’s name. “I saw him going up the mountain road a little while ago with the Book under his arm, and Dunaj was following him. I imagine he was bound for his Sunshine Valley.”
“Just at present,” said Juriga, “I don’t believe he thinks of anything else outside the Sacred Scriptures. It’s amazing the way he seems to take it in.”
“It’s certainly true,” agreed Lesina, with his chin on his hands. “He’s like the child that Jesus used for an example to His disciples. He believes every word in the Book.”
“Don’t you think we do the same?” asked the old man.
“No, Uncle,” replied Lesina, with a shake of the head, “our life would be very different from what it is if we believed the Book as he does. For instance, do you believe with all your heart that your sins are pardoned through Jesus Christ?”
“As to that,” said Juriga, clearing his throat a bit to give himself time to reply, “I am certainly a bit hazy in my mind. Our God is very, very holy, and I am a terrible sinner — that much has become clear to me ever since you and Palko brought the Book home to this house. Another thing I know is that the boy is certainly changed. He, at any rate, believes that his sins are forgiven.”
“Yes,” said Lesina, “and I really believe his sins are actually forgiven.”
“And yours, my son?” and Juriga was all ears for his answer.
“I — ” and Lesina’s head went down once more; “there’s no chance of that for me — when I — when I consider — ” and poor Lesina could say no more.
Juriga knew there was something weighing on Lesina’s mind which he would fain get rid of, but felt that he himself had better not tread upon that ground, so he did not pursue the subject further for the present.
Meanwhile, Palko had climbed the hillside to the valley on the other side, but today, instead of entering the cave, he sat down in the field nearby with his back against a great rock. At the same time he carried on his usual conversation with Dunaj and with the birds.
“Look, Dunaj, why do you trample on the flowers and dig them up like that? They certainly weren’t planted for you to destroy. And the birds, why do you always love to frighten them away? Another day I’ll not take you with me at all.
“Come here,” he said to a chaffinch which rather timidly came hopping along quite near to them. “You see, Dunaj isn’t really very bad, only a bit foolish, and besides, he doesn’t know what a sinner he is, because he’s only a dog.” The chaffinch didn’t have the confidence he should have had, perhaps, in Palko’s statement, for he thought it wiser to remove himself to the branch of a neighboring tree. “Now you must leave me alone,” said Palko in a general way to all the birds, butterflies, beetles, and principally to his dog, “for I must get on with my reading.”
No prince could have wished for a lovelier seat than the one Palko had at that moment. It was a rock beautifully covered with thick moss of the color of an emerald and surrounded with a frame of wild roses, whose pale pink blossoms formed a shade on both sides, while his back was supported by another mossy rock of varied shades. In front of him lay the magnificent Valley of the Sunshine.
On that day there happened to Palko what has happened to many an older person than he, when, on reading a book, their patience becomes exhausted, and they take a peep at the last page.
“Now that we are all reading the book together,” he said by way of excusing himself, and at the same time burying his elbow in the moss with his chin in his hand, “I just wish to get a good look at the end.” Opening the Book at the last page, he began to read:
“And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His face; and His Name shall be in their foreheads.”
“How beautiful!” said Palko, “this must be the real Sunshine Country at last. I feel it away deep down in my heart. With that magnificent river that flows from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. One thing I would like to know — what Lamb it is that has a throne in heaven.” He raised his eyes to the sky above him.
“The Lamb? I know: ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ It was the name given to Jesus by John the Baptist. And the trees along the river that are always bearing fruit the whole year round. I wonder what it means. ‘There shall be no more curses.’ One thing’s certain: there won’t be anybody there that uses bad language.”
After reaching this wise conclusion he added: “I must tell our neighbors, the wood-cutters in the huts around, that they should not swear any more. It’s bad enough to give the Lord Jesus offense when He hears them down here, but it’s certain that they won’t be allowed to do so up there. Then it speaks of the servants around the Lamb’s throne. My, wouldn’t I like to be one of them? If only He would accept me as one of them! But then,” he pondered, “often I have difficulty in getting up in the morning to carry water for Grandfather and then, when I ought to get the firewood, I play around with Dunaj instead. When Grandfather Rasga said good-bye to me for the last time, I remember he said: ‘My little son, you must serve Grandfather Juriga well; and do everything he says.’” Putting his hands together and closing his eyes, Palko said: “Lord Jesus, I pray you pardon me for not serving my grandfather better. I wish to serve him more faithfully from this day on, in order to prepare myself to be one of your servants when we shall come to the true Sunshine Country. How I should like to be near your throne right now!”
Then, renewing his reading: “And they shall see His face; and His Name shall be in their foreheads.” “Well, then!” and Palko again nodded to the smiling valley beneath him. “Wouldn’t I like to have His Name written in my forehead? That would be a great honor for a poor, foolish boy like me.”
Palko had not noticed that he had raised his voice; and that someone had come round the corner of the great rock and had stood listening. He, therefore, jumped after hearing a voice say, “Why do you call yourself a poor foolish boy, Palko?”
He stood up quickly in surprise at seeing Father Malina in his Sunshine Valley. “How do you come to be here, sir?” asked Palko.
“Did you think, little Palko, that the mountain was all yours, and that I had no right to breathe a little air outside my garden?”
“No, sir!” said Palko, flushing. “I would not say or think such a thing, but it is so far away, and this is Sunday. Who will be preaching the sermon to the people in the church?”
“My! what an inquisition! Well, you see, I preached this morning, and now, on the doctor’s orders, I have come to spend a few days here, for I am not very well.”
“Here? on the mountain? and where do you live?”
“In the house of the forest guard.”
“Oh, that’s quite near! But please do not be angry with me if I ask you one question,” and the boy seated himself at the priest’s feet, as he had already taken a seat on the rock. “Who told you about the Sunshine Valley?”
“The Sunshine Valley, is that the name of this place?”
“Yes, sir, that is to say, I don’t know,” said Palko, a bit puzzled. “You see, one day I saw over there the door of heaven and, just beyond it, the place where the sun never goes down, so I thought this must be Sunshine Valley on the border of the Sunshine Country.”
“Oh, so this is where you find the door of heaven!” and Father Malina looked around with renewed interest at the snow-capped crags, the great forest and the valley far below. “The fact is that one seems to breathe the air of heaven here. But, my little son, where did you get the name Sunshine Country. Had you heard before of some such place?”
“With your permission, sir,” said Palko, eyes sparkling, “I’ll tell you all about it.”
“All right, go ahead,” said Malina.
Comfortably seated on the moss, Father Malina listened to the boy’s story of his quest for the Sunshine Country where the sun never goes down, how he had found this lovely valley, and at the same time the wonderful Book which had made plain to him so many things concerning the real country of the eternal sunshine. Palko told him of the day of the great storm when he had seen what seemed to him the very door of heaven opening as the rainbow shone out on the other side of the valley, hanging high above the mountain pass with its seven magnificent colors. Unconscious of the tears that began to well up in the priest’s eyes, Palko told about his reading of the day, and how he had asked the Lord Jesus to take him into His service.
“Let me see the Book,” said the priest. After looking through it, he said: “Would you mind leaving it here in the cave? Then, I also could come from time to time and read it as you do ‘line after line,’ to seek with you the road to the true country of the Sunshine that has no need of the sun or of the moon — for the Lamb is the Light thereof.”
Palko thought for a moment while a struggle took place in his heart — then he straightened himself. “All right,” he said. “Uncle Lesina leaves us tomorrow, and I do not read well enough to make it very interesting for the others. I can come up here and read for myself, and if you happen to be here at the same time you can read to me — can you not, sir?”
“Good! that’s splendid,” said Father Malina, “and if you wish, we can read some of it now. But, before we begin, just show me this marvelous cave you’ve been talking about.” So up they got and with Palko leading the way, the priest followed, not without difficulty, to the cave’s mouth.
“This is indeed lovely,” said Father Malina, really surprised and delighted. “You are certainly right! It really appears to be a dwelling. Here is something better than a seat — it seems more like a couch. And the lovely flowers you have brought! I can see you, too, love beautiful things!”
Palko’s guest looked, with evident pleasure, at Palko’s well-swept palace with its flowers and ferns.
“Well, you see, sir, the Lord Jesus has promised to live with me, and I thought He would be better pleased if I made the place beautiful and tidy.”
“Do you believe that He is always with you everywhere, Palko?” The priest’s tone was very different from that of Uncle Lesina or his grandfather, so Palko readily replied to the question: “Oh, yes, sir, I’m sure He’s with me always and is here.”
“The simplicity of a child’s faith,” murmured the priest with a sigh, as he seated himself and, with his elbows on the table, he remained for some minutes without moving, as if in prayer.
Not wanting to interrupt him, Palko remembered that nearby he had left hidden between two rocks some lovely raspberries, which he had set aside for his grandfather. He thought, however, that his grandfather would be delighted when he heard who had reaped the benefit of his find. He had no dinner plates, but there was a tree quite close that had large broad leaves that would serve well as plates for his berries. He soon filled these with the luscious fruit, having washed them carefully in the brook which ran through the rocks at one side. This done, Palko came back to the cave, full of happiness at the thought of bringing such a royal gift to his honored guest.
As Father Malina was busy reading the Book, Palko laid his gift at his guest’s side. The priest raised his head and his pale face lit up with pleasure at the sight of such rare fruit. “Are these for me?” he asked in surprise.
“Yes, sir,” said Palko. “Please do me the favor of taking them. How many times have you given me such lovely meals at your house, and now, what a pleasure it is for me to give you something.” The boy’s face shone with happiness as the priest began to eat the berries with enjoyment. At the same time he took from his pocket some fine white bread, a rare sight for Palko, which he shared with the boy, and Dunaj also.
“Now I have promised to read to you,” he said, “so sit down, for I see there is little time left this afternoon. Will you be coming tomorrow?”
“I’m afraid not, sir,” said Palko, “for I shall have to help Uncle Lesina with his baggage, as he leaves us.”
“In that case I shall take the Book with me and bring it back here to you the next day, either in the morning or in the afternoon.”
So Father Malina read aloud for a while of how Jesus went up to heaven, how the angels announced His return to the earth some day, and how the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples.
“Will you please tell me, sir,” said Palko, as they came out of the cave, “What is the Holy Spirit?”
“He is the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the third Person of the Trinity,” said the priest quietly. “Every Christian should have the Spirit, because it is written in this Book: ‘If a man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.’”
“Of course, sir, you have the Spirit,” and the pure innocent gaze of the boy was fixed on the priest’s face — “for you surely are His?”
To any other person than Palko, Father Malina would have had little difficulty in replying. Had he not been baptized? Did he not belong to the Catholic Church, the only dispenser of salvation that he knew of? Had there not been placed upon him the unction of the priesthood?
“Before I answer your question, Palko, I wish to consult this Book in order to give you an answer you will understand.”
For a little while they walked on in silence.
“What are you thinking about, Palko?” asked the priest.
“What must I do, sir, so that the Lord Jesus may give me the Holy Spirit?” said Palko, taking the priest’s hand.
“Well, it’s written here in the Book that the heavenly Father will give the Spirit to those who ask Him.”
“Then,” said Palko, “do you mean to say that the Spirit can enter my heart?”
“Without a doubt, my boy; look at the sun! See how it marches on, immense, radiant, and majestic in its path through the sky. Now see this little drop of water on the blade of grass. If you look close at it what do you see?”
“Oh!” exclaimed Palko. “Why, it’s the sun inside it!”
“Yes. Now, my Palko, good-bye until the day after tomorrow.”