“Why did I not say anything to him about his way of life?” thought the godson. “He might repent now. Today he seems in a gentler mood, and has not threatened to kill me.” And he shouted to the robber:

“You have still to repent of your sins. You cannot escape from God.”

The robber turned his horse, and drawing a knife from his girdle threatened the hermit with it. The latter was alarmed, and ran away further into the forest.

The robber did not follow him, but only shouted:

“Twice I have let you off, old man, but next time you come in my way I will kill you!”

Having said this, he rode away. In the evening when the godson went to water his stumps⁠—one of them was sprouting! A little apple tree was growing out of it.