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The Little Watch-mender spend long hours silently contemplating baby Josemaria. He was always attentive to him. Josemaria was a lively baby, and when he was extra happy he would rattle the bars of his cot, bouncing up and down so vigorously that one day he bounced right out of it and landed on the floor. Luckily he wasn’t hurt, though the bump made him cry.

Josemaria was two years old and so far was a very healthy little boy. But one day he seemed to have lost his joyous energy. He woke up with a high temperature, was mournful and wouldn’t eat.

The Little Watch-mender was not worried because he knew God’s will. But he was sorry to see the little boy looking so poorly, and his parents’ distress.

Time went by, and his temperature did not come down. The doctors could see how sick the little boy was and realized that it was nearly impossible for him to get better. After fighting for his life for several days, the moment came when there was nothing further they could do.

The Little Watch-mender was not a doctor, but he had the answer. He whispered in the ears of Mr and Mrs Escriva, “You need to entrust him to the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

When the doctor left the house that evening Mr Escriva, filled with sorrow, went to find his wife, saying, “He told me that he won’t survive the night.”

“Our first son, and he’s dying!” she said, broken-hearted. “Let’s offer him to Our Lady, and ask her to cure him for us.” And they promised to take Josemaria to the shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Torreciudad.

The Little Watch-mender looked at the Mother of God and saw her smiling at this petition. “She’ll do it!” he said to himself, delighted.

And she did. Soon after midnight, Josemaria’s temperature went down, and the little boy, who had been almost unconscious, began showing signs of life, until he finally sat up and began to shake the bars of his cot with his usual energy. When his parents, who had not left his side for a moment, saw this, they hugged him, laughing and overjoyed. Their son was better!
“Mother Mary, thank you, thank you!”

Early next morning the doctor arrived at the door. “What time did the baby die?” he asked gently.
“Not only did he not die – he’s perfectly well again!” answered Mr Escriva happily.

The doctor could scarcely believe his eyes. “I was sure he would die during the night. Pepe, this is a great favor from Heaven.”
“Yes, it certainly is!” replied Mr Escriva. “And as soon as we can, we’re going to take him to Torreciudad.”

A joyful pilgrimage
When spring arrived, Jose and Dolores Escriva went to Torreciudad with their little boy. The shrine was high up on a mountain and hard to get to, surrounded by precipices, gullies and rocks. The only way to get there was on mule-back, so that was how they went.
Jose Escriva went slowly ahead, leading the mule that was carrying his wife and their son. Little Josemaria was simply delighted: he’d never been on a mule before.

The Little Watch-mender went happily with them to visit the shrine of our Lady; there’s nothing God likes better than for people to visit his Mother, the Virgin Mary.

Just in case, he had asked Heaven for special protection for this trip. He knew it was dangerous, and with the devil, you never know what may happen... So hundreds of angels joined in the joyful pilgrimage.

Some wild rabbits scurried between the mules’ legs, but the Little Watch-mender drove them away, in case they panicked the mules.
As soon as they reached the shrine Mr Escriva tied up the mules, and he and his wife knelt before the statue of our Lady to thank her, say the Rosary, and show her their perfectly healthy son.
From Heaven, our Blessed Lady smiled down at them in pleasure.
A little way off a small bird was chirping, and there came the sound of the mules cropping the grass.

From Vida y venturas de un borrico de noria © Paulina Monckeberg, (“The Life and Adventures of a Water-Wheel Donkey and His Little Watch-Mender”) Madrid: Ed Palabra, 2004.