Week 15 Story Part A: The Dead Mother
Once upon a time, in a certain village lived a happy husband and wife. Their neighbors envied them because of how pleasant and peaceful their marriage was.
The father's mistress had a son, but right after he was born she passed away. The sad moujik moaned and wept. He was devastated. How was he going to take care of his son now without its mother?
The father decided to hire a nanny to look after his son. The baby did not like the nanny and would not take the food she would give him. All the son did all day was cry and cry. But one night, the nanny was able to get the son to sleep peacefully.
"What does this mean?" thought the nanny to herself. "Shall I stay awake all night to see what happens?"
Right as midnight struck, she heard someone open the door and go to the son's crib. The baby became quiet, just as it was been taken.
The next night the same thing happened, as well on the third night. The nanny finally told the moujik about what has been happening. He called his kinsfolk together and spoke with them. They came to the conclusion that on. specific night they were going to spy on the baby's crib to see what happens. That evening they decided to lay down on the floor and set a light in a pot beside them.
Midnight struck, and the door opened. Someone had gone up to the baby's crib. The baby was still. One of the kinsfolk brought out their light. As they looked into the baby's room, they saw the baby's dead mother. In the same clothes she was buried in and her knees beside the crib. She was hugging the baby into her dead breast.
Suddenly the light was shone into the baby's room and the dead mother left quietly. Not one word to anyone. Everyone was struck with terror and fear. They went to the baby's crib to only discover the baby was dead.
Bibliography:This story is part of the Russian Folktales unit. Story source: Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).
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