Johann, Who Liked to Read

The lessons at the monastery school had just ended, but one of the boys was in no hurry. The other students hurried out the door, but Johann didn't feel like it.

“What are you still doing here?” monk Michael, the teacher, asked impatiently.

Johann looked around the classroom. When he made sure he was alone with the teacher, he asked cautiously: “Brother Michael, I would like to have a look in the monastery library, if possible...”

The monk shook his head and was a little confused. It was not an ordinary request. Few children were interested in reading. But Brother Michael knew that we should encourage curiosity in children. After all, why couldn't the boy look at the books for a moment?

“Well, ok," the monk said eventually. “But just a glimpse! Follow me,” he said to the boy and walked down the long corridor toward the library.

He was giving Johann instructions all the way: “You have to be very careful. Here in the monastery we have very rare and valuable writings. You won't find many of them anywhere else in the world. Under no circumstances should you damage them!” he added as he searched the heavy bundle of keys for library ones.

Johann eagerly agreed to everything Brother Michal told him, only to finally see all those wonderful books. He loved chronicles and illustrated biblical stories. He was lucky to be sent by his father, a rich goldsmith, to a monastery school.

They taught Johann not only to read, but also they awakened in him a love of books. Sometimes he persuaded one of his teachers to let him go for some books.

Books were a very expensive and rare commodity at the time. This was because every single book was written by hand, letter by letter.…