In pious legends everywhere a popular theme is the incognito wanderings of saints or other holy men, or even of gods themselves, in the world of mortals. Ovid's tale of the appearance of Jupiter and Mercury at the home of Philemon and Baucis and of the hospitable treatment of the unknown guests is one of the most attractive ancient stories. In Christian lands such adventures are usually ascribed to Christ and Saint Peter. Of such tales there is a considerable number scattered through the collections of saints' legends and exempla of the Middle Ages. Several have established themselves in popular tradition and are frequently picked up by folklorists. In another connection we have already noticed the tale in which these mysterious strangers reward hospitality by granting wishes, some of which are foolishly wasted. [230] Christ and Peter are not always received hospitably. In one story, The Greedy Peasant Woman (Type 751), although her cake is made to grow magically larger, she gives the holy visitors only a morsel. As a result she is punished, usually by being transformed into a bird. [231] In a peculiar variation known only in the Baltic countries, she must take two snakes as foster children.

Sometimes the unknown holy men are lodged, but the host, not realizing who they are, mistreats them. In the tale of Christ and Peter in the Barn (Type 752A), they are not allowed to sleep in the house, and the peasant forces them to rise early and help with the threshing in order to pay for their lodging. Christ separates the grain miraculously by means of fire. When the [p. 151] peasant tries to imitate, he burns his barn down. This tale was retold by Hans Sachs in the sixteenth century; as an oral tradition it seems to be confined almost entirely to the Baltic area. It has been reported, but only sporadically, from Flanders, Denmark, and Roumania.

The two elements in this tale are paralleled elsewhere. The boorish treatment of the guests by the host is found in another poem of Hans Sachs', the Story of The Savior and Peter in Night Lodgings (Type 791). Here Christ and Peter are sleeping in the same bed. The drunken host returns home and beats Peter, who persuades Christ to change places with him. The host then comes in to beat the other lodger, and Peter again receives the blows. [232]

The unsuccessful imitation of the miracle is best known in the tale of Christ and the Smith (Type 753). This is essentially a saints' legend, but is told by the people all over Europe. It was used by Hans Sachs and is frequently employed as an etiological tale accounting for the origin of apes. In this story Christ performs two miracles: he takes off a horse's foot in order to shoe him and then replaces it without harm; and he rejuvenates an old woman by putting her on the fire. The smith tries disastrously to do the same thing. In some versions of the tale a happy ending is given by bringing in a second smith who succeeds in undoing the damage.

Among the stories of the adventures of these two sacred persons with the keepers of inns is one somewhat reminiscent of the tale in which the wishes are foolishly wasted. In this story of The Forgotten Wind (Type 752B) Christ permits the innkeeper, who is continually complaining about the weather, to order the sunshine and the rain as he will. The corn grows well, but all the ears are empty because the innkeeper forgot to include the wind. This is probably not a well-known tale, since it has been noticed only in Denmark and Livonia. It has some analogies to the story in which various people are allowed to order the weather as they will. It is a very unsatisfactory arrangement, for no one is happy except the person who orders it, and finally the control of the weather is left to the higher powers. [233]

The holy wanderers are not always looking for food or lodging, but they sometimes interest themselves in general social life. This is shown in the story of The Lazy Boy and the Industrious Girl (Type 822), a legend appearing both in the collections of exempla and in the Renaissance jestbooks, and known, not only in most of Europe, but also in the Near East. The Lord and Peter come across a boy so lazy that he only points with his foot when they inquire their direction. Later, they find a most industrious girl. Much to Peter's astonishment, the Lord decrees that the two shall marry, so that her industry will balance his indolence. [p. 152]

Most of the tales of this group are very simple and consist of nothing more than an anecdote. Somewhat more complex and much freer in entering into combinations with other material is the tale, Who Ate the Lamb's Heart? (Type 785), well known all over Europe. It is usually told of Peter and a companion who are traveling together. The companion stealthily eats the heart of the lamb and denies having done so. He declares that the lamb had no heart. Later, it chances that the companions heal a princess and receive money in reward. When the money is to be divided, the third part is assigned to the man who has eaten the lamb's heart. In order to get his part, the companion confesses.

For the story of a stolen heart, or other member, and the contention that the animal had none, there are a legion of parallels from all over the world. [234]