Elwa, a Girl in a Germanic Village (4)

It was very quiet in the woods. Elwa looked around. Nearly all the people of the village had come. She was so glad she could be here, too! At first her father did not want her to go. He hated those strangers. He did not want to listen to them. The gods would punish them if they listened to all that strange talk, he said. But finally he had given in. Maybe it would be better to go. Then they would know what was going on.

One of the strangers had in his hand a long pole with a cross on the top. In his other hand he had something else. What was it? Elwa could not see it. Would that be Willibrord? Father had mentioned him. He also had a round bald spot on the top of his head. That was strange!

Now she tried to listen. He was talking. His voice was so friendly, and his eyes looked so kindly at the people.

“We did not come to harm you,” he said. “We did not bring any weapons. We came here only to help you. We know about your fears of all the gods and spirits. Who dares to walk in the dark when the owls are in the air? Who is not afraid when the thunder rolls in the sky? We have come to tell you that you don’t have to fear. Why not? Because there is another God, the true God. He is the Almighty, and He created all things. You don’t know Him, but we came to tell you about Him and about His dear Son. If people believe in Him, then they will live forever with Him.”

Elwa listened. She could not understand everything. But oh! if this were true, then she would not have to be so scared anymore.

She looked at her father. His eyes were dark with scorn. No, he did not believe it. She could sense it.

The next day the strangers left the village. They had to go to other villages and to the country of the Frisians. But they promised that they would come back.

The people talked about all the things they had heard. Some wanted to know more about it, but most of the people shrugged their shoulders, and life went on as before.

One day the strangers did come back, and they talked again about their God, who was so good. The strangers looked so thin when Elwa saw them again. She wondered if they were hungry.

Later she found out: The king of the Frisians had forbidden his people to give food to these strangers. For that reason they had to go into the woods to find food, to try to shoot some rabbits or a deer. But in the winter they often had gone hungry.

Even the water sometimes had been scarce. One time the men had dwelt in the dunes by the sea. It was during the summertime, and it was hot. Nowhere could they find water. They were so very thirsty, and they looked everywhere. Finally they tried to dig a well, but the water was very salty. There they stood. Willibrord said: “I will pray, and you try to dig another well, a little further.” He kneeled down and begged the Lord for water, for otherwise they would die from thirst.

“Water again!” somebody called. Would it be salty again? No, this water was delicious.

Willibrord himself told those stories to the people. “Listen to what my God can do,” he said. And then they came again and again and told the people more stories about their God. There were some who really believed that Willibrord was right. They did not want to fight anymore, they were not drunken anymore, and they did not want to gamble. Father was furious when he heard it.

Then, one day —

Elwa ran into the house. She was panting. “Oh, Mom!”

“What’s the matter, Elwa?” Mother looked a little bit frightened.

“Mom! Hannah and Freya are home! Wolfert let them go! He said Willibrord was right and that he was wrong to gamble!”

Her mother looked at her. “You are sure, Elwa?”

The girl nodded. “Oh, Mom, they are so glad!” She looked towards the door. Her father came in.

“What is going on here?” he asked gruffly.

Elwa told it again.

“Why is that?” her father asked.

Elwa said, “I talked to them. Hannah said her mother was so glad that she cried. And her father said that Willibrord was a good man. If this was what his God told him, then that was a good God, better than all the gods who made him afraid, he said. Now he does not want to gamble anymore either.”

A little scared, Elwa looked at her father. He walked with big steps to the door and slammed it shut with a loud bang. She looked at her mother.

“It is so hard for Father,” Mother said with a sigh. “He likes his beer and his gambling so much. But, Elwa, I think we should listen to this Willibrord. It is true, we have a wicked heart. I feel that — ”

Mother talked very softly, but Elwa could hear it. Mother have a wicked heart? She was always so nice!

“It is true, Elwa, I feel it. We need somebody to make that heart clean. I believe that Willibrord is right. Always listen to him, Elwa, and try to pray, as he does. We may ask this God everything. He said that. Do it! And pray also for your father.”

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