the story of a mother

A mother sat next to her child, very anxious because she was afraid that her child would die. His little face has lost its color, and his eyes are closed. His breathing was very difficult, only occasionally taking deep breaths as if sighing. Mother looked at this little creature with a more sorrowful expression than before. Someone is knocking on the door. A poor old man walked out. He was wrapped in a coat that was as wide as horse felt, because it made people feel warmer, and he also had this need. It's a cold winter outside, everything is covered by snow and ice, the wind blows fiercely, and it pierces people's faces.
When the old man was shivering from the cold and the child was temporarily asleep, the mother left and poured some beer into a small jar on the stove to warm the old man up. The old man sat down and shook the cradle. The mother also sat down on a chair next to him, looking at her sick child who was struggling to breathe and holding his small hand.
You think I'm going to hold him, don't you? "She asked. Our God will not take him away from my hands
This old man - he is the Grim Reaper - shook his head in a fresh posture, as if saying "yes" or "no". Mother lowered her head and looked at the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her head was very heavy because she hadn't closed her eyes for three days and three nights. Now she is asleep, but only for a moment; So she woke up, shivering.
What's going on here? "She said, looking around. But that old man has disappeared; Her child is also missing - he has taken him away. The old clock in the corner of the wall was making a hissing sound, "Pluck!" The lead clock pendulum fell to the ground. The clock also stopped moving.
But this poor mother ran outside the door, shouting for her child.
There is a woman wearing a black robe sitting on the snow outside. She said, "The Grim Reaper was sitting in your room with you just now; I saw him rushing away with your child in his arms. He runs faster than the wind. Whatever he takes away, he will never bring it back
Please inform me, which direction did he go? "Said my mother. Please inform me of the direction, I need to find him
I know! "Said the woman in black. But before I notify you, you must sing all the songs you have sung to your child to me once. I really like those songs; I have heard them before. I am the 'God of Night'. When you sing, I see you shed tears
I will sing these songs for you, sing them all for you! "Said the mother. But please don't keep me, because I have to catch up with him and bring my child back
However, the Night God sat silently. My mother twisted her hands in pain, singing songs and shedding tears. She sang many songs, but shed more tears, so the Night God said, 'You can walk towards the black fir forest on the right.'; I saw Death carrying your child down that road
The road interweaves with another road deep in the forest; She doesn't know which path to take. There is a bush of thorns here, without any leaves or flowers. At this time, it was a harsh winter, with only icicles hanging from those small branches.
Have you seen Death carrying my child before
I've seen it, "said the thorn bush," but I don't want to tell you the direction he's going unless you hold me on your chest and warm me up. I'm freezing here, I'm about to turn into ice

So she held the thorn bush tightly on her chest, so that it could feel warm. Thorns pierced her muscles; Her blood flowed out drop by drop. But the thorns grew fresh green leaves and bloomed on this cold winter night, because the heart of this sorrowful mother was so warm! So the thorn bushes informed her which direction to go.
She arrived at the edge of a large lake. There are neither large nor small boats on the lake. There is not enough thick ice on the lake to support her, but the water is not shallow enough for her to wade through. However, if she wants to find her child, she must walk across this lake. So she squatted down and drank the water from the lake; But no one can finish drinking this water. This distressed mother is just dreaming of something miraculous happening.
No, this is an impossible thing! "Said the lake. Let's still talk about the conditions! I love collecting beads, and your eyes are the two brightest beads I've ever seen. If you can cry them out and give them to me, I can send you to that big greenhouse. Death lives there, planting flowers and trees. Each flower or tree is a person's life
Ah, I would sacrifice anything for my child! "Said the crying mother. So she cried even harder, and her eyes fell into the lake, becoming the two most precious pearls. The lake lifted her up as if she were sitting on a swing. So she floated to the opposite shore - there was a fresh house over ten miles wide. People don't know if this is a big mountain with many forests and caves, but still a house built of wood. But this poor mother couldn't see it because she had already cried out both of her eyes.
Where should I go to find the Grim Reaper who took my child away? "She asked.
He hasn't come here yet! "Said an old lady guarding the grave. She specializes in guarding the Grim Reaper's greenhouse. How did you find yourself here? Who helped you
Our God helped me! "She said. He is very kind, so you should also be kind. Where can I find my dear child
I don't know, "the old woman said," you can't see either! Many flowers and trees withered that night, and Death will soon come to transplant them again! You know very well that everyone has their own Tree of Life, or Flower of Life, depending on their arrangement. They are exactly the same as other plants, but they have a beating heart. Children's hearts can also beat. Go find them, maybe you can hear the beating of your child's heart. But if I tell you what you should do next, what reward do you plan to give me
I have nothing left to give you, "said the sorrowful mother." But I can walk to the end of the world for you
I don't have anything for you to do there, "the old lady said. But you can give me your long and black hair. You know it's very bright, and I really like it! As an exchange, you can take my white hair - that's better than nothing
If you don't ask for anything else anymore, "she said," then I'm willing to give it to you
So she handed over her bright black hair to the old woman, and in exchange, got her snow-white hair.
So they walked into the great greenhouse of the Grim Reaper. Flowers and trees grow in strange shapes along the way here. Under the glass clock, bright hyacinths are cultivated; Large, cold resistant peonies are in full bloom. Among various aquatic plants, many are still fresh, while others are already half withered. Snakes coil around them, and black crabs tightly grip their stems. There are also many bright palm trees, oak trees and wutong trees; There are also celery flowers and blooming musk plants there. Every tree and every flower has a name, and each of them represents a person's life; These people are still alive, some in China, some in Greenland, and scattered all over the world. Some big trees are planted in small flower pots, so they appear crowded and almost burst the pots. There are several areas on fertile land where many delicate flowers are planted, surrounded by some moss; People are carefully cultivating and caring for them. However, this sorrowful mother bent down on the smallest plants and listened to their heartbeats. Among these countless flowers, she could hear her child's heartbeat.
I've found it! "She shouted, extending her hands towards a blue early spring flower. This flower is hanging its head to one side, feeling a bit sick.
Please don't touch this flower! "Said the old woman." But please wait here. When Death comes - I think he can come at any time - please don't let him pluck this flower. You can threaten him that you will pluck all the plants; then he will be afraid. He must be responsible to God for these plants; no one can pluck them without God's permission
Suddenly, a cold wind blew into the room. This mother without eyes cannot see that this is the arrival of death.
How did you find this place? "He said. Why did you come earlier than me
Because I am a mother! "She said.
Death extended his long hand towards this delicate little flower; But she held it tightly with both hands and didn't let go. At the same time, she was very anxious, afraid of damaging all its petals. So the Grim Reaper blew towards her hand. She felt it was colder than the cold wind; So her hand hung down, without any strength.
You can't resist me no matter what! "Said the Grim Reaper.
But our God can do it! "She said.
I'm just following his orders! "Said the Grim Reaper. I am his gardener. I transplanted all his flowers and trees to heaven, to the paradise in that mysterious land. But I dare not tell you how they grow and live there
Please return my child to me! "Said the mother. She spoke and begged at the same time. Suddenly, she grabbed two bright flowers nearby with both hands and loudly said to the Grim Reaper, "I will pull out all your flowers because I have no way out now
Don't touch them! "Said the Grim Reaper. You said you were in pain, but now you want to make another mother feel the same pain
A single mother? "Said the poor mother. She immediately let go of those two flowers.
These are your eyeballs, "said the Grim Reaper. I have retrieved them from the lake; they are very bright. I didn't know this was originally yours. Take them back; they are even brighter now than before. Please look towards the bottom of the well next to you. I will inform you of the names of the two flowers you want to pull out; then you will know their entire future, their entire human life; then you will know what exactly you want to destroy
She looked down at the bottom of the well. She felt immense excitement, seeing how happy a life is and how excited and sad the atmosphere around it is. She looked at the other life again: it was the embodiment of sorrow, tranquility, hardship, and sorrow.
Both of these fates are the will of God! "Said the Grim Reaper.
Which one of them is the flower of suffering, and which one is the flower of happiness? "She asked.
I cannot inform you, "the Grim Reaper replied. But one thing you can know: "One of these two flowers is your own child. What you just saw is the fate of your child - the future of your biological child
My mother screamed in terror.
Which one of them is my child? Please let me know! Please save the innocent child! Please rescue my child from suffering! Please still take him away! Take him to the kingdom of God! Please forget my tears, my prayers, and forgive everything I just said and did
I don't understand what you mean! "Said the Grim Reaper. Do you still want me to take your child back to a place you don't know
At this moment, the mother twisted her hands, knelt down, and prayed to our God:
Your will is always good. Please ignore my prayers that go against your will! Please ignore me! Please ignore me
So she lowered her head low.
The Grim Reaper flew with her child to that unknown kingdom. (1844)
This story was first announced in 'The New Fairy Tale'. It is about a mother's love for her own child. Ah, for the sake of my child, I would sacrifice anything! "Death took away his mother's child, but she chased him all the way to the horizon to find him. She finally found the Grim Reaper. Death showed her the child's "entire future, the entire human life." Some were "excitement" and "happiness," but others were "incarnations of sadness and poverty, suffering and sorrow." It was still for love, and the mother ultimately had to let go of her child and pray to Death: "Please save my child from suffering! Please take him away! Take him to the kingdom of God!" Andersen said in his notebook: "When I wrote 'The Story of a Mother,' I had no special effect. My thoughts about it suddenly brewed in my heart while walking on the street