1、the story of a mothera mother sat there with her little child. she was so downcast, so afraid thatit should die! it was so pale, the small eyes had closed themselves, and itdrew its breath so softly, now and then, with a deep respiration, as if itsighed; and the mother looked still more sorrowfully
2、on the little creature.then a knocking was heard at the door, and in came a poor old man wrapped upas in a large horse-cloth, for it warms one, and he needed it, as it was thecold winter season! everything out-of-doors was covered with ice and snow, andthe wind blew so that it cut the face.as the ol
3、d man trembled with cold, and the little child slept a moment, themother went and poured some ale into a pot and set it on the stove, that itmight be warm for him; the old man sat and rocked the cradle, and the mothersat down on a chair close by him, and looked at her little sick child thatdrew its
4、breath so deep, and raised its little hand.do you not think that i shall save him? said she. our lord will not takehim from me!and the old man-it was death himself-he nodded so strangely, it could justas well signify yes as no. and the mother looked down in her lap, and thetears ran down over her ch
5、eeks; her head became so heavy-she had not closedher eyes for three days and nights; and now she slept, but only for a minute,when she started up and trembled with cold.what is that? said she, and looked on all sides; but the old man was gone,and her little child was gone-he had taken it with him; a
6、nd the old clock inthe corner burred, and burred, the great leaden weight ran down to the floor,bump! and then the clock also stood still.but the poor mother ran out of the house and cried aloud for her child.out there, in the midst of the snow, there sat a woman in long, black clothes;and she said,
7、 death has been in thy chamber, and i saw him hasten away withthy little child; he goes faster than the wind, and he never brings back whathe takes!oh, only tell me which way he went! said the mother. tell me the way, and ishall find him!i know it! said the woman in the black clothes. but before i t
8、ell it, thoumust first sing for me all the songs thou hast sung for thy child! i am fondof them. i have heard them before; i am night; i saw thy tears whilst thousangst them!i will sing them all, all! said the mother. but do not stop me now-i mayovertake him-i may find my child!but night stood still
9、 and mute. then the mother wrung her hands, sang andwept, and there were many songs, but yet many more tears; and then night said,go to the right, into the dark pine forest; thither i saw death take his waywith thy little child!the roads crossed each other in the depths of the forest, and she no lon
10、gerknew whither she should go! then there stood a thorn-bush; there was neitherleaf nor flower on it, it was also in the cold winter season, and ice-flakeshung on the branches.hast thou not seen death go past with my little child? said the mother.yes, said the thorn-bush; but i will not tell thee wh
11、ich way he took,unless thou wilt first warm me up at thy heart. i am freezing to death; ithoroughly warmed, and the thorns went right into her flesh, and her bloodflowed in large drops, but the thornbush shot forth fresh green leaves, andthere came flowers on it in the cold winter night, the heart o
12、f the afflictedmother was so warm; and the thorn-bush told her the way she should go.she then came to a large lake, where there was neither ship nor boat. the lakewas not frozen sufficiently to bear her; neither was it open, nor low enoughthat she could wade through it; and across it she must go if
13、she would findher child! then she lay down to drink up the lake, and that was animpossibility for a human being, but the afflicted mother thought that ashe wept still more, and her eyes sunk down in the depths of the waters, andbecame two precious pearls; but the water bore her up, as if she sat in
14、aswing, and she flew in the rocking waves to the shore on the opposite side,where there stood a mile-broad, strange house, one knew not if it were amountain with forests and caverns, or if it were built up; but the poor motherlook after deaths great greenhouse! how have you been able to find the way
15、hither? and who has helped you?our lord has helped me, said she. he is merciful, and you will also be so!where shall i find my little child?nay, i know not, said the woman, and you cannot see! many flowers and treesyou certainly know that every person has his or her lifes tree or flower,just as ever
16、yone happens to be settled; they look like other plants, but theyhave pulsations of the heart. childrens hearts can also beat; go after yours,perhaps you may know your childs; but what will you give me if i tell youwhat you shall do more?i have nothing to give, said the afflicted mother, but i will
17、go to theworlds end for you!nay, i have nothing to do there! said the woman. but you can give me yourlong black hair; you know yourself that it is fine, and that i like! you shallhave my white hair instead, and thats always something!do you demand nothing else? said she. that i will gladly give you!
18、 and shegave her her fine black hair, and got the old womans snow-white hair instead.so they went into deaths great greenhouse, where flowers and trees grewstrangely into one another. there stood fine hyacinths under glass bells, andthere stood strong-stemmed peonies; there grew water plants, some s
19、o fresh,others half sick, the water-snakes lay down on them, and black crabs pinchedtheir stalks. there stood beautiful palm-trees, oaks, and plantains; therestood parsley and flowering thyme: every tree and every flower had its name;each of them was a human life, the human frame still lived-one in
20、china, andanother in greenland-round about in the world. there were large trees insmall pots, so that they stood so stunted in growth, and ready to burst thepots; in other places, there was a little dull flower in rich mould, with mossround about it, and it was so petted and nursed. but the distress
21、ed motherbent down over all the smallest plants, and heard within them how the humanheart beat; and amongst millions she knew her childs.there it is! cried she, and stretched her hands out over a little bluecrocus, that hung quite sickly on one side.dont touch the flower! said the old woman. but pla
22、ce yourself here, andup, but threaten him that you will do the same with the others. then he willbe afraid! he is responsible for them to our lord, and no one dares to pluckthem up before he gives leave.all at once an icy cold rushed through the great hall, and the blind mothercould feel that it was
23、 death that came.how hast thou been able to find thy way hither? he asked. how couldst thouheld her hands fast around his, so tight, and yet afraid that she should touchone of the leaves. then death blew on her hands, and she felt that it wascolder than the cold wind, and her hands fell down powerle
24、ss.thou canst not do anything against me! said death.but our lord can! said she.i only do his bidding! said death. i am his gardener, i take all hisflowers and trees, and plant them out in the great garden of paradise, in theunknown land; but how they grow there, and how it is there i dare not tellt
25、hee.give me back my child! said the mother, and she wept and prayed. at once sheseized hold of two beautiful flowers close by, with each hand, and cried outto death, i will tear all thy flowers off, for i am in despair.touch them not! said death. thou sayst that thou art so unhappy, and nowthou wilt
26、 make another mother equally unhappy.another mother! said the poor woman, and directly let go her hold of boththe flowers.there, thou hast thine eyes, said death; i fished them up from the lake,they shone so bright; i knew not they were thine. take them again, they arenow brighter than before; now l
27、ook down into the deep well close by; i shalltell thee the names of the two flowers thou wouldst have torn up, and thouwilt see their whole future life-their whole human existence: and see whatthou wast about to disturb and destroy.and she looked down into the well; and it was a happiness to see how
28、 the onebecame a blessing to the world, to see how much happiness and joy were felteverywhere. and she saw the others life, and it was sorrow and distress,horror, and wretchedness.both of them are gods will! said death.which of them is misfortunes flower and which is that of happiness? askedshe.that
29、 i will not tell thee, said death; but this thou shalt know from me,that the one flower was thy own child! it was thy childs fate thousawst-thy own childs future life!then the mother screamed with terror, which of them was my child? tell it me!save the innocent! save my child from all that misery! r
30、ather take it away!take it into gods kingdom! forget my tears, forget my prayers, and all that ihave done!i do not understand thee! said death. wilt thou have thy child again, orshall i go with it there, where thou dost not know!then the mother wrung her hands, fell on her knees, and prayed to our lord:oh, hear me not when i pray against thy will, which is the best! hear me not!hear me not!and she bowed her head down in her lap, and death took her child and went withit into the unknown land.-
