The+Story+Of+a+MOTHER+IIi

"Nay, I know not," said the woman, "and you can not see! Many flowers and trees have withered this night; Death will soon come and plant them over again! You certainly know that every person has his or her life's tree or flower, just as everyone happens to be //settled//; they look like other plants, but they have //@pulsations// of the heart. Children's hearts can also beat; go after yours, perhaps you may know your child's; but what will you give me if I tell you what you shall do more?"

"I have nothing to give," said the //@afflicted// mother, "but I will go to the world's end for you!"

"Nay, I have nothing to do there!" said the woman. "But you can give me your long black hair; you know yourself that it is fine, and that I like! You shall have my white hair instead, and that's always something!"

"Do you //@demand// nothing else?" said she. "That I will //@gladly// give you!" And she gave her her fine black hair, and got the old woman's snow-white hair instead.

So they went into Death's great greenhouse, where flowers and trees //grew strangely into one another//. There stood fine hyacinths under //glass bells//, and there stood strong-stemmed peonies; there grew water plants, some so fresh, others half sick, the water-snakes lay down on them, and black crabs //@pinched// their //@stalks//. There stood beautiful palm-trees, oaks, and plantains; there stood parsley and flowering thyme: every tree and every flower had its name; each of them was a human life, the// human flame// still lived—one in China, and another in Greenland—round about in the world. There were large trees in small pots, so that they stood so stunted in growth, and ready to burst the @pots; in other places, there was a little //@dull// flower in rich mould, with //@moss// round about it, and it was so petted and //@nursed//. But the //distressed// mother //@bent// down over all the smallest plants, and heard within them how the human heart beat; and amongst millions she knew her child's.

"There it is!" cried she, and //stretched her hands// out over a little blue crocus, that hung quite //@sickly// on one side.