Two monks, one young and one very aged, were taking a trip. The latter monk was very learned, and preached to the brethren in many monasteries.
It happened that the two mistakenly traveled into a thick forest. They wandered for days back and forth, suffering hunger and thirst, until finally the older could go no further and so lay down. Because of his age, the other monk was less exhausted and said, “I suggest, brother, that in our despair we trust to the holiest mother of God and in praise of her we sing the antiphon “Salve Regina” so that she looks upon us with her merciful eyes. Perhaps it is not far from here to a place where people live.”
The older monk could hardly hold himself up, but he followed the suggestion of the younger monk and both sang the “Salve Regina” until the end. Then the younger monk climbed a high tree, looked around for a while and then climbed down. “My hope that the blessed mother of God would help us has been fulfilled,” he said to his comrade, “as we’re not far from the edge of the forest. I saw where a river runs and on a hill, there is a monastery. Pull yourself together, my brother, stand up if you can and walk with my support.”
The old monk replied that he did not know of a monastery in this area, but he stood and with support from his companion, walked ahead. They reached the monastery and knocked on the gate. The abbot and the monks greeted the strangers in friendship, leading them into the monastery and providing them with food and drink. In the evening they were shown to a splendid bed as a place to rest.
That night the monks arose to sing the hora matutina. The older monk was still tired from the journey and stayed in bed, but the young one, driven out by curiosity, went secretly to the place where he could hear the singing.
The way of the monks seemed strange to him because they always repeated the verse (Psalm 59:3): “Even now they lie in wait for my life; the mighty stir up strife against me for no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord”.
In the morning, the guests were led to the chapter house, where the abbot asked the older brother to hold a sermon. He was quite ready to do so and started his talk with the sinful fall of Lucifer who was once the best angel but because of his pride was reduced to the hateful devil and leader of the hellish flock. He then spoke of the remaining angels who had joined him and so had fallen into hell.
During this sermon, one monk after the other disappeared until only the abbot and his two guests remained alone. Surprised, the preacher asked the abbot why the monks were so undisciplined that they do not want to hear God’s word. The abbot replied, “We are not pious monks as you suppose, but devils that were forced by the mother of God against our will to serve you. But they are unable to tolerate hearing of the shame and disgrace that we suffered by our fall.”
With that, this devil also disappeared as smoke, and at the same moment, the monastery disappeared leaving the two monks standing in an open field. They then found their way in good spirits to another monastery where they told of these miraculous events.