It was midnight in the town of Plymouth, England, many years ago.

Two men stood by the towns great clock. As it finished striking the hour, both men, strangers, remarked that it had struck thirteen times instead of twelve. One of these men was a gentleman by the name of Captain Jarvis. It was not long after this that Captain Jarvis awoke early one morning, got up, dressed, and went down to the front door of his home. As he opened it, he saw, to his surprise, that his groom was standing there, with his horse saddled and bridled, ready for him to mount.

Aconteceu h muitos anos. Era meia-noite na cidade de Plymouth, Inglaterra. Dois homens, que no se conheciam, estavam prximos do grande relgio da cidade. Ao trmino das badaladas, ambos notaram que o relgio batera treze vezes, em vez de doze. Um deles era um cavalheiro conhecido como Capito Jarvis. No muitos dias depois, despertando cedo o Capito Jarvis levantou-se, vestiu-se e se dirigiu para a porta da frente de sua casa. Ao abri-la viu, para sua surpresa, que seu cavalario j estava ali, com o cavalo pronto para ele montar.

The groom explained, I had a feeling that you would be wanting your horse, sir. He said the feeling had been so strong that he couldnt stay in bed, but had to get up and get the horse ready. This was strange. It had never happened before. But since the horse was ready, he mounted and rode off. Not having to go anywhere in particular, he let the horse choose where he would take him. Soon they were down by the river, close to the spot where a ferry took passengers across. Imagine his surprise, at this early hour, to see the ferryman there with his boat, waiting to take him across. What was going on?

O rapaz explicou: Tive o pressentimento que o senhor gostaria de sair a cavalo. Segundo o moo, to forte fora o sentimento que o fez sair da cama e preparar o animal. Jarvis achou estranho. Nunca nada assim lhe acontecera at ento. Mas j que o animal estava pronto, montou e saiu. Sem nenhum destino emmente, deixou que o cavalo decidisse onde o levar. No demorou, chegaram ao rio, prximo do ponto de travessia da balsa. Imagine a sua surpresa ao ver o barqueiro, to cedo, esperando para lev-lo para o outro lado. O que estava acontecendo?

How are you here so early, my man? he inquired. I couldnt rest in my bed, sir, for I had a feeling I was wanted to ferry someone across. The captain and the horse got on the boat, and soon they were on the other side. Now what? Again he let the horse direct the course he would take. After some time they came to a large country town. Seeing a passerby, the captain inquired if anything of interest was going on in the town. No, sir. Nothing but the trial of a man for murder. So, with no other destination in mind for this strange trip, he thought he would see what was going on. He rode to the place of the trial, dismounted, and entered the building.

O que o traz aqui a estas horas, homem? indagou o cavalheiro. No consegui car na cama, senhor, pois algo me dizia que algum queria cruzar para a outra margem. O capito e o cavalo embarcaram e, sem demora, chegaram outra margem. E agora? Como antes, deixou que o animal escolhesse o trajeto. Pouco depois, chegaram a uma grande vila e, vendo algum que passava, o capito perguntou se estava acontecendo algo fora do rotineiro no local. No, senhor. S o julgamento de um homem, acusado de homicdio. Sem nenhum outro propsito em mente para aquela estranha viagem, decidiu ver o que se passava. Dirigiu-se at o local onde se dava o julgamento, desmontou e entrou no prdio.

As he walked in, he heard the judge saying to the prisoner, Have you anything to say for yourself anything at all? And the prisoner said, I have nothing to say, sir, except that I am an innocent man. There is only one man in all the world who could prove my innocence, but I do not know his name or where he lives. Some weeks ago we stood together in the town of Plymouth when it was midnight. We both heard the great town clock strike thirteen instead of twelve, and we remarked about it to each other how strange it was that the clock should strike thirteen at the midnight hour. I am here! I am here! the captain shouted from the rear of the room.

To logo cruzou a porta de entrada, ouviu o juiz questionar o prisioneiro: O ru tem algo a dizer a seu favor seja o que for? Ao que respondeu: Nada, senhor, alm de que sou inocente, o que somente um homem neste mundo poderia provar, mas desconheo o seu nome e onde vive. Semanas atrs, estvamos juntos, meia-noite, na cidade de Plymouth. Ambos ouvimos quando o grande relgio da cidade deu treze badaladas em vez de doze, e comentamos entre ns como foi estranho o relgio bater treze vezes meia-noite. Estou aqui! Estou aqui! bradou o capito do fundo da sala.

I was the man who stood at midnight beside the great Plymouth clock and heard it strike thirteen instead of twelve. What the prisoner says is absolutely true. I identify him as the man. On the night of the murder, at the very time it was committed, that man was with me at Plymouth, and we remarked to each other how strange it was that the clock should strike thirteen at the midnight hour! The condemned man, proved innocent by the captains testimony, was immediately set free! Think of it! Only one man in the world could prove that prisoners innocence. And divine guidance, by awakening a groom and a ferryman and impressing upon them with an urgency they could not understandand by leading the horsehad brought that one man into the courtroom at the precise moment he was needed!

Era eu quem estava de p ao lado desse homem, prximo ao grande relgio de Plymouth quando este soou treze e no doze vezes. O que o prisioneiro diz a absoluta verdade. Identico-o como sendo aquele homem. Na noite do crime, na hora em que fora cometido, ele estava comigo naquela cidade e comentamos quo fora do comum havia sido o fato do relgio badalar treze vezes meia-noite! O ru, absolvido por causa do testemunho do capito, foi imediatamente solto! Pense nisso! Um nico homem no mundo poderia provar a inocncia do prisioneiro. E a orientao divina, despertando o cavalario, o barqueiro e imprimindo-lhes um senso de urgncia alm do que podiam entender, trouxe esse homem, guiado pelo cavalo, at ao tribunal no momento exato em que se fazia preciso.

Histrias bilingues para crianas www.freekidstories.org

Text The Family International. Photo credits: page 1 Motivated! Magazine; pg. 2 colorblindpicasso via Flickr; pg 3 - Prof. Morel via Flickr; pg. 4 gtrwndr87 via Flickr.