Next day, Elijah and Nicholas were faring through, and Elijah said: “Look how I’ve blasted the peasant’s field!”

“The peasant’s field? No, my brother, no; you’ve done your work thoroughly; but it belongs to the pope by St. Elias, not to the peasant.”

“What! That pope?”

“Oh, yes; about a week ago the peasant sold the field to the pope, and got hard cash for it! And the pope is crying over the spilt money.”

“That won’t do,” said Elijah; “I will grow the meadow anew⁠—’twill be as good as it was.”

They had their talk out and went on their way.