R. Samuel was a very poor man. One day he said to his wife: "My dear wife, I see, alas, that a great misfortune has been decreed upon the community of Speyer. Let us pray to God and perchance we may avert the fated misfortune through our prayer."

And he forbade her on her life to say anything about it to anybody.

Then they fasted three days and three nights and offered devout prayers, R. Samuel, the Pious, standing in one corner and his wife in another.

When the three days were over, the pious man said to his wife: "Come, let us make merry, for I see that the decree has been annulled through the great loving-kindness of God."

So he took a young rooster and killed it and gave it to her to cook.

In the meantime, one of his pupils entered and, seeing that the rabbi had killed a rooster, he was so astonished that he could not restrain himself and said: "Master, how comes it that you are eating a fowl today? I know that this is not your custom, for unfortunately you cannot afford so much."

When R. Samuel heard what the pupil had said, he said to him: "Dear son, be quiet, for if the people should hear that we are eating fowl, they would laugh at me."

But the pupil would not desist. He was anxious to know why they were eating fowl then, seeing that they were not in the habit of doing it at any other time. And he pressed him so long until the rabbi had to tell him the truth.

When the pupil heard it, he asked forgiveness for having insisted on the rabbi's telling him what had happened.

Thus the decree was averted through the prayers of the pious man and his wife by the help of the Almighty. May the Lord grant us at all times to enjoy the benefit of their merits.

Amen.