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 QUARTER HOUR had barely passed when the peak of the mountain suddenly became enveloped in such a thick mist that it became quite dark.
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The entire company of Cyrenius began to lament and complained,
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'Now we have it! Zeus will really attend to us here!
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Here one cannot say: Far from Zeus, far from lightning!
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Instead we can all perish here miserably, for mortals should never approach too closely to the gods if they wish to walk the earth with a whole skin.'
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Here Cyrenius remarked a bit jokingly, 'I do not care a rap about any of your gods, one and all!
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I have found a better God, of whom it is not said: Far from Him, far from the lightning!
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For here it states just the opposite: Far from Him, far from life - and very near the death-dealing lightning!
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Close to Him therefore means the same as: Close to life - and very far from the death-dealing lightning.
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So these mists do not frighten me in the least, for I do indeed know that we are all very far from the deadly lightning.'
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Cyrenius had hardly finished speaking, when a crackling flash of lightning struck the earth right in front of the group, and was soon followed by a multitude of others.
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This took Cyrenius back a bit and his companions asked, 'How do you like that in view of your former remark?'
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Cyrenius answered, 'Very well, for that is a truly murderous racket which all the same has not cost any of us his life!
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It seems to me that your gods here perceive the brother of the emperor - and quite Someone Else also! Therefore they do us this honor.'
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Here a captain from the company of Cyrenius, who still was quite impressed with the doctrine of the gods, warned the joking Cyrenius,
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'But I beg your imperial, consular highness, do not under any circumstance make fun of the gods here! For how easily could the nimble Mercury report that to Zeus - and then we would all be finished off with one bolt of lightning!'
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At this Cyrenius said still more jokingly, 'My dear captain, you can be quite at ease in this matter.
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Mercury has now been placed under an eternal house arrest by Zeus, and Zeus has himself received such a sound slap in the face by quite another Juno that he has lost his sight and hearing forever!
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So you need not concern yourself, since Zeus will not have much to say about thunder and lightning from now on.'
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Hereupon the lightning became ever more intense and the thunder quite terrible, and the captain persisted,
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'Oh, your imperial, consular highness will surely regret this diatribe against the gods!'
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And Cyrenius said, 'Certainly not today - perhaps tomorrow, if I have the time left over.
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See. if I were to fear the gods like you and still many another fool, I would not speak so freely at this very moment under this sea of fire!
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But because I just do not fear the gods any more in the least, I speak as I do.'
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With that the captain was rebuffed and did not dare to say any more to the imperial highness. -
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A bolt of lightning now struck directly between Joseph, Mary, and the two youths.
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And the Baby sat up and commanded: 'Unmask yourself, you monster!'
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At this word all the clouds suddenly fell down. - The sky became fully clear, but in contrast a mass of vermin was to be seen crawling on the ground.
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And the two youths directed a glance at the ground, and the vermin fled in part toward the forest and was in part destroyed.
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This act caused all who were on the mountain with Cyrenius to fall silent, for they were at a total loss to explain it.
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