St. Peter saved Brother Jim’s (that’s me) hide by bringing the senator’s dead mistress back to life. On the way out of town St. Peter confronted me about what I had in my knapsack.

As I came out of town, St. Peter was standing by the road and said, “Now look, what sort of man are you? Didn’t I forbid you to accept anything and here you’ve got a knapsack full of money.”

“How can I help what someone puts in it?” I answered.

The apostle scowled at me and said, “Don’t you ever do anything like that again or you’ll be in big trouble!”

“Don’t worry, brother,” I said. “Now that I’ve got all this money, why should I spend my life washing bones?”

“Yes,” said St. Peter, “That money will last you a long time! But so that you will not walk in forbidden paths again, “I’ll give you knapsack this magic power: whatever you wish into it shall be in it. Goodbye. You won’t see me again.”

“Goodbye to you too,” I said, and thought, Good riddance, you strange bird! I won’t go running after you, that is for sure!”

As for the power bestowed up on my knapsack, I never gave it a thought.

Monday: Two Steaks in a Sack

—

The Adventures of Brother Jim based on the story “Brother Gaily” from The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm.