The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Second Journey of the Lord: Nazareth - Cave at Bethabara (First Feeding of the People) - Mountain of Prayer - Walking on the Sea of Galilee (Peter's test of faith) - By ship to Genneseret in the bay with the same name
- Chapter 161 -
The shipmate and Raphael.
Just after the skipper had finished his account, the recently rough shipmate, on entering the ship to pick up the mussels that he had collected in a hurry from the dry nocturnal sea-bed, skidded after an awkward step, falling full length on the round as if he had never been upright. The other shipmates started laughing at him, saying; "He is still the old clumsy fellow!" - This annoyed the one sprawled out.
2
But Raphael leapt over, quickly helping him to his feet, saying: "Do you see now why I remained standing? For my spirit some how told me you would fall over to-day; and now you actually fell, and I as the feeble mother's boy picked you up fairly rapidly, I hope, restoring you to the rather awkwards use of your feed!"
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And the shipmate muttered into his rather thick beard: "Sure, sure, very good; but lads like you often horse around, causing the likes of us trouble! Oh, I know stooged like that! You otherwise seem quite an honest lad, but a lad nonetheless, and that does it! Every lad has a bit of the buffoon in him. Hence stay three paces off me!"
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Says Raphael: "Friend, you are greatly mistaken in me, but I forgive you, since you don't know whom you are dealing with."
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Says the mariner: "Now now, one is bound to be much at age fifteen! Some prince from Rome or other place maybe! Or are you perhaps a bit of an almighty adherent of our dear Lord God?"
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Says Raphael: "Quite, quite; something like that! - But go and get your mussels from the ship!"
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The muttering shipmate enters the ship, returning in a few moments with a couple of mussels and one Nautilus snail, showing them to us.
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The three pieces were most beautiful, but of no particular value, of course, and Raphael says to him: "They are good as souvenirs, but without worth! What are you going to do with them?"
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Says the shipmate: "Oh, mother's lad! This way you may catch sparrows, but not gray-haired sailors! You want to rid me of these pieces for nothing; but old Dismas is not as stupid as he may look! These three pieces cost three silver pieces, and shall not be given for a penny less; if you have the three pieces, then lets have them, and I let you have these three beautiful pieces!"
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Says Raphael: "The three silver pieces would be the least; but that you want to sell something that strictly speaking is not your property, that I don't like! Behold, from old times, only the Genezarethan townsfolk have enjoyed fishing rights in this bay, and none other than those to whom they are leased. You therefore collected these three mussels from Ebahl's ground, in whose lease the waters are, and they are therefore his property, strictly speaking. If he makes you a present out of them then they are yours and you can treat them as your own property."
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Says Dismas: "My, just look at this mother's lad! Speaking like a Roman judge! You'd be a nice judicial customer! You would barter my old coat off my body yet. - The sea is everywhere the mariner's ground; whatever the water yields to him, whether in the by or open sea, is exclusively his, and hence all your academic rights are knocked over! Because the likes of us also know our legal ways around a bit! Hence three silver pieces, and the three pieces are yours!"
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Says Raphael: "This won't do! As long as our Ebahl does not declare them your property, I can't buy them off you!"
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Here Dismas turns to Ebahl, asking him what he thinks of the boy's assertion.
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Says Ebahl: "Strictly speaking, our Raphael is correct and I could indeed take these three pieces into possession; but I have never been or will be one to take advantage of such right, and so the three pieces are now physically yours, -spiritually however the entire Earth belongs to the Lord anyway, and hence also those three mussels!"
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Dismas is happy with such advise, asking Raphael: "Now, how about the three silver pieces?"
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Says Raphael: "Here they are, but give the three pieces to Ebahl, who shall take care of them as testimonials of this time!"
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Dismas takes the three silver pieces and lay the three pieces down before Ebahl, who gives them to Jarah, saying: "Here, take care of these, together with your other souvenirs; they shall be precious to us!"
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Jarah takes charge of the three pieces joyfully, saying: "Oh, these are exceptionally beautiful things! What kaleidoscope of colours! Verily, here one has to shout with Job: 'Oh, how glorious Your works, oh Lord! He who regards them shall not idly lust after them!' Who taught the snail to build her beautiful house?! Without beams or bricks, more brilliant than Solomon in all his kingly glory!"
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After which she turns to Raphael, thanking him for this beautiful present, but asking him what had happened to the animals once occupying these beautiful houses.
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Says Raphael: "My dearest Jarah, the animals had already died several thousand years ago, and hence also decayed long since; but the housings can endure several thousand years without losing much of their form or beauty. Their materials are purest limestone, and this does not decay in its free state, especially under water! This much you may know for the present, whilst anything above that you shall once learn fundamentally in the beyond." - Here Jarah showed astonishment at such immense age.