The story of Louis

Louis’ accident

But whatever evil or unpleasant things may be done or happen, God can always bring good from them.  There was once a French saddler and leather worker who had a little boy called Louis.  Louis used to play in his father’s workshop making holes with an awl in pieces of leather.  One day, when he was three years old, the awl slipped and went into his eye, and as a result Louis became completely blind.  You might think that no good could come from such a terrible accident, but it did.

Louis’ invention

When he was 10 years old, he went to a school in Paris for blind children, and there he stayed on as a teacher.  But he always remembered how to prick holes in leather with an awl, and so he invented a printed alphabet made of raised dots which blind people could read by feeling the letters with the tips of their fingers.  Louis’ full name was Louis Braille, and this printed alphabet was called Braille after him.  Today, thanks to the good that came from Louis’ accident, all kinds of books and papers are printed for blind people in Braille – magazines, radio programmes, books for pleasure, books for examinations and so on.  In fact, it has been said that Braille is the greatest single invention for the benefit of blind people.  So Louis’ terrible accident was not caused by God but God brought good out of it.