The Traveler and the Crucifix

One poor wanderer was once making his way along a road. Feeling weary, he thought it would be good to rest and stopped near a large wooden crucifix. He ate what he had in his knapsack and lay down beneath the cross. Just as he fell asleep, a hurricane arose, and a strong gust of wind knocked the cross onto the traveler, breaking his back. He began to groan and moan, and at that moment, a man passing by in a carriage saw what the wind and the cross had done and took the traveler to the village. There was no one in the village to treat him, so the people decided to call a priest to give him last rites. The priest came with the Gospel, read what he was supposed to read, and handed the unfortunate man a small cross. The man's eyes nearly popped out of his head:

"Oh, Father," he said, "take that cross away, for it too, when it grows, will become as wicked as the one by the roadside that broke my back."

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