you in your room. I saw him hastening away with your little child; he
strides faster than the wind, and never brings back what he has taken away.”
“Only tell me which way he has gone,” said the mother; “tell me the way,
I will find him.”
“I know the way,” said the woman in the black garments; “but before I
tell you, you must sing to me all the songs that you have sung to your child;
I love these songs, I have heard them before. I am Night, and I saw your
tears flow as you sang.”
“I will sing them all to you,” said the mother; “but do not detain me now.
I must overtake him, and find my child.”
But Night sat silent and still. Then the mother wept and sang, and wrung
her hands. And there were many songs, and yet even more tears; till at
length Night said, “Go to the right, into the dark forest of fir-trees; for I saw
Death take that road with your little child.”
Within the wood the mother came to cross roads, and she knew not which
to take. Just by stood a thorn-bush; it had neither leaf nor flower, for it was
the cold winter time, and icicles hung on the branches. “Have you not seen
Death go by, with my little child?” she asked.
“Yes,” replied the thorn-bush; “but I will not tell you which way he has
taken until you have warmed me in your bosom. I am freezing to death
here, and turning to ice.”
Then she pressed the bramble to her bosom quite close, so that it might
be thawed, and the thorns pierced her flesh, and great drops of blood
flowed; but the bramble shot forth fresh green leaves, and they became
flowers on the cold winter’s night, so warm is the heart of a sorrowing
mother. Then the bramble-bush told her the path she must take. She came at
length to a great lake, on which there was neither ship nor boat to be seen.
The lake was not frozen sufficiently for her to pass over on the ice, nor was
it open enough for her to wade through; and yet she must cross it, if she
wished to find her child. Then she laid herself down to drink up the water of
the lake, which was of course impossible for any human being to do; but the
