asked for." The messenger related this fact publicly. Lachtaoin
declared:--"Mochuda is a good monk but his successors will not be able to
change water to milk," and to the messenger he said--"Go to Mochuda and
tell him that I shall not break bread in this house until he accept the
alms which I have brought to the community." On Mochuda agreeing to
accept them he handed over the cattle and dairymen to the monks of Rahen
and the stewards took charge of them. Mochuda said thereupon, that he
should not have accepted the cattle but as a compliment to Lachtaoin.
Lachtaoin replied:--"From this day forward there will be plenty cattle
and worldly substance in your dwelling-place and there will be a
multitude of holy people in the other place whence you are to depart to
heaven (for you will be exiled from your present home)." After they had
mutually blessed and taken leave and pledged friendship Lachtaoin
departed.

Once, at harvest time, the farm steward came to Mochuda complaining
that, though the crop was dead ripe, a sufficient number of harvesters
could not be found. Mochuda answered: "Go in peace, dear brother, and
God will send you satisfactory reapers." This promise was fulfilled,
for a band of angels came to the ripest and largest fields, reaped and
bound a great deal quickly, and gathered the crop into one place. The
monks marvelled, though they knew it was God's work and they praised and
thanked Him and Mochuda.

The spirit of obedience amongst Mochuda's monks was such that if any
senior member of the community ordered another to lie in the fire he
would be obeyed. As an instance of this,--some of the brethren were on
one occasion baking bread in an oven when one the monks said to another
younger than himself, "The bread is burning: take it out instantly."
There was an iron shovel for drawing out the bread but the brother could