Legends That Every Child Should Know

resque myths of ancie

agine, in his

in the city, that all might come and sacrifice before him; and he commanded that the Christians should be sought out and given their choice, either to w

heir houses praying and fasting. They were accused before Decius, and they confessed themselves to be Christians. However, the Emperor gave them a little time to consider what line th

to be sought. Malchus, having escaped from the town, fled, full of fear, to his comrades, and told them of the Emperor's fury. They were much alarmed; and Malchus handed them the loaves he had bought

brought before him, and threatened them with death if they did not reveal the place of concealment; but they could only answe

be hiding in a cavern, blocked up the mouth

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irtieth year of the reign of Theodosius, there broke

dy, he took them for his edifice, and thus opened the mouth of the cave. Then the seven sleepers awoke, and it was to

entered Ephesus, rubbing his eyes, and he walked to a baker's shop. He heard people using our Lord's name, and he was the more perplexed. 'Yesterday, no one dared pronounce the name of Jesus, and now it is on every one's lips. Wonderful! I can hardly believe myself to be in Ephesus.' He asked a passer-by the name of the city, and on being told that it was Ephesus, he was thunderstruck. Now he entered a baker's shop, and laid down his money. The baker, examining the coin, inquired whether he had found a treasure, and began to whisper to some others in the shop. The youth, thinking that he was discovered, and that they were about to conduct him to the emperor, implored them to let him alon

, having heard of the excitement, ordered the young

that he had found none, but that the few coins were from his own purse. He was next a

our parents, if they live h

ey belonged to your parents when it dates back three hundred and seventy-seven years, and is as old as the beginning of the reign of Decius, and it is utterly unlike our modern

God, answer me a few questions, and then I will a

e is no emperor of that name; he w

I will show you my comrades, fled with me into a cave of Mount Celion,

onducted him to the cavern. As soon as the saints beheld the Emperor, their faces shone like the sun, and the Emperor gave thanks unto God, and embraced them, and said, 'I see you, as though I saw the Saviour restoring Lazarus.' Maximian replied, 'Believe us! for the faith's sake, God has resuscitated us before the great resurrection day, in order that you may believe firmly in the resurrection of the dead. For as the child is in its mother's womb livin