’Oneisasmallmanandhisbackisbent。Hewearsapriest’scassockandisveryold；hemustbemorethanahundred，Ishouldsay。Heissooldthatthewhiteofhisbeardistakingagreenishtinge，butheisalwayssmiling，andhisfaceisasbrightasanangel’sfromheaven。Thesecondistaller，buthealsoisveryold。
Hewearstattered，peasantcoat。Hisbeardisbroad，andofayellowishgreycolour。Heisastrongman。BeforeIhadtimetohelphim，heturnedmyboatoverasifitwereonlyapail。Hetoo，iskindlyandcheerful。Thethirdistall，andhasabeardaswhiteassnowandreachingtohisknees。Heisstern，withover-hangingeyebrows；andhewearsnothingbutamattiedroundhiswaist。’
’Anddidtheyspeaktoyou？’askedtheBishop。
’Forthemostparttheydideverythinginsilenceandspokebutlittleeventooneanother。Oneofthemwouldjustgiveaglance，andtheotherswouldunderstandhim。Iaskedthetallestwhethertheyhadlivedtherelong。Hefrowned，andmutteredsomethingasifhewereangry；buttheoldestonetookhishandandsmiled，andthenthetallonewasquiet。Theoldestoneonlysaid:“Havemercyuponus，“andsmiled。’
Whilethefishermanwastalking，theshiphaddrawnnearertotheisland。
’There，nowyoucanseeitplainly，ifyourGracewillpleasetolook，’
saidthetradesman，pointingwithhishand。
TheBishoplooked，andnowhereallysawadarkstreak——whichwastheisland。Havinglookedatitawhile，helefttheprowofthevessel，andgoingtothestern，askedthehelmsman:
’Whatislandisthat？’
’Thatone，’repliedtheman，’hasnoname。Therearemanysuchinthissea。’
’Isittruethattherearehermitswholivethereforthesalvationoftheirsouls？’
’Soitissaid，yourGrace，butIdon’tknowifit’strue。Fishermensaytheyhaveseenthem；butofcoursetheymayonlybespinningyarns。’
’Ishouldliketolandontheislandandseethesemen，’saidtheBishop。
’HowcouldImanageit？’
’Theshipcannotgetclosetotheisland，’repliedthehelmsman，’butyoumightberowedthereinaboat。Youhadbetterspeaktothecaptain。’
Thecaptainwassentforandcame。
’Ishouldliketoseethesehermits，’saidtheBishop。’CouldInotberowedashore？’
Thecaptaintriedtodissuadehim。
’Ofcourseitcouldbedone，’saidhe，’butweshouldlosemuchtime。
AndifImightventuretosaysotoyourGrace，theoldmenarenotworthyourpains。Ihaveheardsaythattheyarefoolisholdfellows，whounderstandnothing，andneverspeakaword，anymorethanthefishinthesea。’
’Iwishtoseethem，’saidtheBishop，’andIwillpayyouforyourtroubleandlossoftime。Pleaseletmehaveaboat。’
Therewasnohelpforit；sotheorderwasgiven。Thesailorstrimmedthesails，thesteersmanputupthehelm，andtheship’scoursewassetfortheisland。AchairwasplacedattheprowfortheBishop，andhesatthere，lookingahead。Thepassengersallcollectedattheprow，andgazedattheisland。Thosewhohadthesharpesteyescouldpresentlymakeouttherocksonit，andthenamudhutwasseen。Atlastonemansawthehermitsthemselves。Thecaptainbroughtatelescopeand，afterlookingthroughit，handedittotheBishop。
’It’srightenough。Therearethreemenstandingontheshore。There，alittletotherightofthatbigrock。’
TheBishoptookthetelescope，gotitintoposition，andhesawthethreemen:atallone，ashorterone，andoneverysmallandbent，standingontheshoreandholdingeachotherbythehand。
ThecaptainturnedtotheBishop。
’Thevesselcangetnonearerinthanthis，yourGrace。Ifyouwishtogoashore，wemustaskyoutogointheboat，whileweanchorhere。’
Thecablewasquicklyletout，theanchorcast，andthesailsfurled。
Therewasajerk，andthevesselshook。Thenaboathavingbeenlowered，theoarsmenjumpedin，andtheBishopdescendedtheladderandtookhisseat。Themenpulledattheiroars，andtheboatmovedrapidlytowardstheisland。Whentheycamewithinastone’sthrowtheysawthreeoldmen:atallonewithonlyamattiedroundhiswaist:ashorteroneinatatteredpeasantcoat，andaveryoldonebentwithageandwearinganoldcassock——allthreestandinghandinhand。
Theoarsmenpulledintotheshore，andheldonwiththeboathookwhiletheBishopgotout。
Theoldmenbowedtohim，andhegavethemhisbenediction，atwhichtheybowedstilllower。ThentheBishopbegantospeaktothem。
’Ihaveheard，’hesaid，’thatyou，godlymen，liveheresavingyourownsouls，andprayingtoourLordChristforyourfellowmen。I，anunworthyservantofChrist，amcalled，byGod’smercy，tokeepandteachHisflock。Iwishedtoseeyou，servantsofGod，andtodowhatIcantoteachyou，also。’
Theoldmenlookedateachothersmiling，butremainedsilent。
’Tellme，’saidtheBishop，’whatyouaredoingtosaveyoursouls，andhowyouserveGodonthisisland。’
Thesecondhermitsighed，andlookedattheoldest，theveryancientone。Thelattersmiled，andsaid:
’WedonotknowhowtoserveGod。Weonlyserveandsupportourselves，servantofGod。’
’ButhowdoyoupraytoGod？’askedtheBishop。
’Weprayinthisway，’repliedthehermit。’Threeareye，threearewe，havemercyuponus。’
Andwhentheoldmansaidthis，allthreeraisedtheireyestoheaven，andrepeated:
’Threeareye，threearewe，havemercyuponus！’
TheBishopsmiled。
’YouhaveevidentlyheardsomethingabouttheHolyTrinity，’saidhe。
’Butyoudonotprayaright。Youhavewonmyaffection，godlymen。IseeyouwishtopleasetheLord，butyoudonotknowhowtoserveHim。Thatisnotthewaytopray；butlistentome，andIwillteachyou。Iwillteachyou，notawayofmyown，butthewayinwhichGodintheHolyScriptureshascommandedallmentopraytoHim。’
AndtheBishopbeganexplainingtothehermitshowGodhadrevealedHimselftomen；tellingthemofGodtheFather，andGodtheSon，andGodtheHolyGhost。
’GodtheSoncamedownonearth，’saidhe，’tosavemen，andthisishowHetaughtusalltopray。Listenandrepeatafterme:
“OurFather。“’
Andthefirstoldmanrepeatedafterhim，’OurFather，’andthesecondsaid，’OurFather，’andthethirdsaid，’OurFather。’
’Whichartinheaven，’continuedtheBishop。
Thefirsthermitrepeated，’Whichartinheaven，’butthesecondblunderedoverthewords，andthetallhermitcouldnotsaythemproperly。Hishairhadgrownoverhismouthsothathecouldnotspeakplainly。Theveryoldhermit，havingnoteeth，alsomumbledindistinctly。
TheBishoprepeatedthewordsagain，andtheoldmenrepeatedthemafterhim。TheBishopsatdownonastone，andtheoldmenstoodbeforehim，watchinghismouth，andrepeatingthewordsasheutteredthem。AndalldaylongtheBishoplaboured，sayingawordtwenty，thirty，ahundredtimesover，andtheoldmenrepeateditafterhim。Theyblundered，andhecorrectedthem，andmadethembeginagain。
TheBishopdidnotleaveofftillhehadtaughtthemthewholeoftheLord’sprayersothattheycouldnotonlyrepeatitafterhim，butcouldsayitbythemselves。Themiddleonewasthefirsttoknowit，andtorepeatthewholeofitalone。TheBishopmadehimsayitagainandagain，andatlasttheotherscouldsayittoo。
Itwasgettingdark，andthemoonwasappearingoverthewater，beforetheBishoprosetoreturntothevessel。Whenhetookleaveoftheoldmen，theyallboweddowntothegroundbeforehim。
Heraisedthem，andkissedeachofthem，tellingthemtoprayashehadtaughtthem。Thenhegotintotheboatandreturnedtotheship。
