The duty of a farmer’s daughter was to carry fresh milk to customers in various villages, one of whom was a priest. To reach his house, the milkmaid had to cross a good-sized stream. People crossed it by a sort of ferry raft, for a small fee.
One day the priest scolded the poor woman as she arrived late with the milk which the priest used it daily as “Offering” to God. ”What can I do?” she said, “I start out early from my house, but I have to wait a long time for the boatman to come.”
Then the priest said (pretending to be serious), “You know! People have even walked across the ocean by repeating the names of God, and you can’t cross this little river?” This milkmaid took him very seriously. From then on she brought the priest’s milk punctually every morning. He became curious about it and asked how she was never late anymore.
“I cross the river repeating the name of the Lord,” she replied, “just as you told me to do, without waiting for the ferry.” The priest didn’t believe her, and asked, “Can you show me, how you cross the river on foot once ?” So they went together to the water and the milkmaid began to walk over it. Looking back, the woman saw that the priest had started to follow her and was drowning in the water.
“Sir!” she cried, “Though you are uttering the name of God, yet all the while you are holding up your clothes from getting wet. That is not trusting in God completely!”
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