Undying Motherly Love
Once, in Russia, there was a married couple, as happy as nobody ever saw. When they walked around their neighborhood, every neighbor was delighted at the happy sight. They could not be in more love. But when the couple found out they were to be parents. The happiness doubled, for that was their wish.
At last, when Anya, the wife, and now mother gave birth to their child, Ivan, the husband and now father couldn't resist his growing happiness. But a cloud of sadness poured its shadow over them. When Anya had taken her first look at her child, she gave her last sigh, and died. Ivan, his heart broken for ever, held his dead wife's cold hand, and cried his heart out. How was he to take care of a child all alone?
Ivan put the finest clothes he could find for her dead wife, when they buried her. His grieve could not be compared. Now the whole village shared his mourning, for they loved the couple's sight, and the child was a gift from heaven.
Ivan's child was very strange, for at day it cried and wailed like no other, no matter what he did, so he hired a woman to take care of him, Tatiana. When Ivan went to work out in the fields, the old woman would try to take care of the child, but it was too wild. No matter what she gave him or did, the child would scream as if he was in deep pain. But something strange also happened with the child. When night came upon them, it would stop crying, and be as quiet as air, you would think he wasn't there at all. This puzzled the old Tatiana, so one very cold night, she stayed up, sewing Ivan's shirts, in front of the fire.
She was growing very tired, and was soon to fall asleep when suddenly, the room grew too quiet, and very chilly. The woman turned around slowly, and saw that the child was very still, as if listening for something. She stood up and hurried next to the cradle, to see the child. The baby smiled at her and stretched his little hands to her. Then, he realized it was Tatiana, and put a sour face, as if warning that he was about to cry.
Tatiana moved away, and the baby fell quiet again, as if waiting for something. Tatiana sat down again, this time looking towards the cradle. Then, suddenly, the door creaked open, every slowly, and the figure of a woman, wrapped in veils came in. Tatiana covered her mouth to stop a yell, and looked. The woman's veils were dropped over the cradle, and then she heard the baby's delighted yells. After what seemed like ages, the woman stood up, and walked to the door, opened it slowly again, and went out. Tatiana went over to look at the now asleep baby, then she went to the window and opened it. She searched over the snow for some footprints of the rare woman, but there was nothing. Everything was untouched.
The next three nights, the same thing happened, so Tatiana finally decided to tell Ivan.
Ivan, incredulously agreed to stay up, just because the old woman had told him that every single night the same thing happened, and he also wanted to find out how the baby quieted down so. Tatiana and Ivan settled themselves on chairs, looking up to the cradle, facing backwards the fire.
Finally, after midnight, the door opened slowly, and the same figure of the same woman appeared. Ivan was shocked. The woman walked over to the cradle, and poured her veils over it. The baby squeaked delightedly and then quieted down. Ivan gathered courage, and stood over. Since the fire had died away, he grabbed a candle and lighted it. The spell was broken.
When the candle hit with its light the woman, His eyes grew wide when he recognized it was his beloved Anya. He gasped her name as he took a step closer. The baby was resting next to her heart, and she was looking upon Ivan.
Then, Anya stood up, and left the child back in the cradle. She tiptoed back to the door without any word to any of the shocked watchers, and opened the door. Ivan moaned and embraced the baby. But his moan turned into a cry when he discovered that the baby he was holding was dead.
Once, in Russia, there was a married couple, as happy as nobody ever saw. When they walked around their neighborhood, every neighbor was delighted at the happy sight. They could not be in more love. But when the couple found out they were to be parents. The happiness doubled, for that was their wish.
At last, when Anya, the wife, and now mother gave birth to their child, Ivan, the husband and now father couldn't resist his growing happiness. But a cloud of sadness poured its shadow over them. When Anya had taken her first look at her child, she gave her last sigh, and died. Ivan, his heart broken for ever, held his dead wife's cold hand, and cried his heart out. How was he to take care of a child all alone?
Ivan put the finest clothes he could find for her dead wife, when they buried her. His grieve could not be compared. Now the whole village shared his mourning, for they loved the couple's sight, and the child was a gift from heaven.
Ivan's child was very strange, for at day it cried and wailed like no other, no matter what he did, so he hired a woman to take care of him, Tatiana. When Ivan went to work out in the fields, the old woman would try to take care of the child, but it was too wild. No matter what she gave him or did, the child would scream as if he was in deep pain. But something strange also happened with the child. When night came upon them, it would stop crying, and be as quiet as air, you would think he wasn't there at all. This puzzled the old Tatiana, so one very cold night, she stayed up, sewing Ivan's shirts, in front of the fire.
She was growing very tired, and was soon to fall asleep when suddenly, the room grew too quiet, and very chilly. The woman turned around slowly, and saw that the child was very still, as if listening for something. She stood up and hurried next to the cradle, to see the child. The baby smiled at her and stretched his little hands to her. Then, he realized it was Tatiana, and put a sour face, as if warning that he was about to cry.
Tatiana moved away, and the baby fell quiet again, as if waiting for something. Tatiana sat down again, this time looking towards the cradle. Then, suddenly, the door creaked open, every slowly, and the figure of a woman, wrapped in veils came in. Tatiana covered her mouth to stop a yell, and looked. The woman's veils were dropped over the cradle, and then she heard the baby's delighted yells. After what seemed like ages, the woman stood up, and walked to the door, opened it slowly again, and went out. Tatiana went over to look at the now asleep baby, then she went to the window and opened it. She searched over the snow for some footprints of the rare woman, but there was nothing. Everything was untouched.
The next three nights, the same thing happened, so Tatiana finally decided to tell Ivan.
Ivan, incredulously agreed to stay up, just because the old woman had told him that every single night the same thing happened, and he also wanted to find out how the baby quieted down so. Tatiana and Ivan settled themselves on chairs, looking up to the cradle, facing backwards the fire.
Finally, after midnight, the door opened slowly, and the same figure of the same woman appeared. Ivan was shocked. The woman walked over to the cradle, and poured her veils over it. The baby squeaked delightedly and then quieted down. Ivan gathered courage, and stood over. Since the fire had died away, he grabbed a candle and lighted it. The spell was broken.
When the candle hit with its light the woman, His eyes grew wide when he recognized it was his beloved Anya. He gasped her name as he took a step closer. The baby was resting next to her heart, and she was looking upon Ivan.
Then, Anya stood up, and left the child back in the cradle. She tiptoed back to the door without any word to any of the shocked watchers, and opened the door. Ivan moaned and embraced the baby. But his moan turned into a cry when he discovered that the baby he was holding was dead.