Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/169

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upon a time there lived a rich merchant, with his wife. They were good, as well as kind, people, but though they were a happy couple, there was one thing that grieved them sorely—but which some people might have thought was a great blessing,—they had no children. They prayed and prayed night and day for a child to brighten them as they grew older; but no; they fed, clothed, and took care of beggar children, and helped all the poor people around them, and were always ready to do good; but all this did not bring them any children. However, all these little good deeds and kindness made them very popular in the country in which they dwelt, and people loved them and respected them.

But one day the merchant set to work to build a very large, large bridge across a dark broad river, near which he lived. Now this river was so very broad that no person had yet been able to cross over to the other side, for the waves were so large and angry that the people were afraid of being drowned; one or two had ventured in big ships, but these even had been overturned, so great and powerful was that river. Great then was the wonder and astonishment when the good merchant began building a bridge over this dreadful river, and greater still was the love and respect he won from everybody.