1、母亲的故事A mother sat there with her little child. She was sodowncast， so afraid that it should die！ It was sopale， the small eyes had closed themselves， and itdrew its breath so softly， now and then， with adeep respiration， as if it sighed； and the motherlooked still more sorrowfully on the litt
2、le creature.then a knocking was heard at the door， and in camea poor old man wrapped up as in a large horse-cloth， for it warms one， and he needed it， as itwas the cold winter season！ Everything out-ofdoors was covered with ice and snow， and the wind blew so that it cut the face.As the old ma
3、n trembled with cold， and the little child slept a moment， the mother went andpoured some ale into a pot and set it on the stove， that it might be warm for him； the oldman sat and rocked the cradle， and the mother sat down on a chair close by him， and lookedat her little sick child that drew
4、its breath so deep， and raised its little hand."Do you not think that I shall save him？" said she."Our Lord will not take him from me！"And the old man——it was Death himself——he nodded so strangely， it could just as wellsignify yes as no. And the mother looked down in her lap， and the tears ra
5、n down over hercheeks； her head became so heavy——she had not closed her 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 littlechild was gone
6、——he had taken it with him； and the old clock in the corner burred， andburred， the GREat leaden weight ran down to the floor， bump！ and then the clock alsostood 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
7、in long， black clothes； and shesaid，"Death has been in thy chamber， and I saw him hasten away with thy little child； hegoes faster than the wind， and he never brings back what he takes！""Oh， only tell me which way he went！" said the mother."T
