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Updated: May 31, 2025
The people in the uncle's house, looked, thank heaven, like those whom Rudy was accustomed to see. But one cretin was there, a poor silly lad, one of the many miserable creatures, who on account of their poverty and need, always make their home among the families of Canton Valais and remain with each but a couple of months. The wretched Saperli happened to be there when Rudy arrived.
Poor Saperli had just arrived at his uncle's house when Rudy came. The uncle was an experienced hunter; he also followed the trade of a cooper; his wife was a lively little person, with a face like a bird, eyes like those of an eagle, and a long, hairy throat.
Towards evening, however, he came to Rudy, and said, "Will you write a letter for me? Saperli cannot write; Saperli can only take the letters to the post." "A letter for you!" said Rudy; "who do you wish to write to?" "To the Lord Christ," he replied. "What do you mean?" asked Rudy.
Late in the evening, he returned with his message of death to his home, which was now one of sorrow. The wife stood without words, without tears, and not until the corpse was brought home did her sorrow find an outburst. The poor cretin crept to his bed and was not seen all day, but towards evening he came to Rudy, and said: "Write a letter for me. Saperli cannot write!
Rudy pressed his hand, and replied, "A letter would not reach Him up above; it would not give him back whom we have lost." It was not, however, easy for Rudy to convince Saperli of the impossibility of doing what he wished. "Now you must work for us," said his foster-mother; and Rudy very soon became the entire support of the house. Who was the best marksman in the canton Valais?
Then the poor idiot, as the cretin was often called, looked at Rudy with a most touching expression in his eyes, clasped his hands, and said, solemnly and devoutly, "Saperli wants to send a letter to Jesus Christ, to pray Him to let Saperli die, and not the master of the house here."
Saperli can take the letter to the post office." "A letter for you," asked Rudy, "and to whom?" "To our Lord Christ!" "What do you mean?" And the half-witted creature gave a touching glance at Rudy, folded his hands and said piously and solemnly: "Jesus Christ! Saperli wishes to send him a letter, praying him to let Saperli lie dead and not the man of this house!"
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