In Midsummer Days and Other Tales | Page 3

the mother, putting the child down.

But the little foot gave way and the child could not walk a step.
"I am so tired, mammy," she laid, sitting down and beginning to cry.
But the prettiest little flowers, which looked like rose-coloured bells
and smelt of sweet almonds, grew all over the spot where she was
sitting. She smiled when she saw them, for she had never seen anything
half as lovely, and her smile strengthened the heart of the mother so
that she could continue her walk with the child in her arms.
Now they had arrived at the first gate. They passed through it and
carefully re-fastened the latch.
All of a sudden they heard a noise like a loud neighing; a horse
galloped towards them, blocked the path and neighed again; its
neighing was answered on the right and the left and from all sides of
the wood; the ground trembled, the branches of the trees cracked, and
the stones were scattered in all directions by the approaching hoofs. In
less than no time the poor, frightened travellers were surrounded on all
sides by a herd of savage horses.
The child hid her face on her mother's shoulder, and her little heart
ticked with fear like a watch.
"I am so frightened!" she whispered.
"Oh! Father in Heaven, help us!" prayed the mother.
At the same moment a blackbird, sitting on a fir tree, began to sing; the
horses scudded away as fast as they could, and there was once more
silence in the wood.
They came to the second gate, walked through and re-fastened the
latch.
They were on fallow ground now, and the sun scorched them even
worse than it had done before. They saw before them rows and rows of
dull clods of earth, but in a steep place the clods suddenly began to

move, and then they knew that what they had taken for clods of earth
were really the backs of a flock of sheep.
Sheep are quite gentle and inoffensive, especially the little lambs, but
that is a good deal more than can be said of the ram, who is a savage
brute and often takes a delight in attacking those who have never done
him any harm. There he was already, jumping over a ditch right into
the middle of their path. He lowered his head and walked a few steps
backwards.
"I am so frightened, mammy," said the little girl, and her heart began to
beat fast.
"Oh! Merciful Father in Heaven, help us!" sighed the mother, with an
imploring look upwards.
And high up, in the blue vault of the sky, fluttering its wings like a
butterfly, a little lark began to sing. And as it sang the ram disappeared
among the grey clods.
They stood before the third gate. They were on a slope now; the ground
was swampy and before long they came to a crevice. The hillocks
looked like little graves, overgrown with vetch or white cotton-flowers
and they had to be careful to avoid sinking into the swamp. Black
berries of a poisonous kind grew in abundance everywhere; the little
girl wanted to gather them, and because her mother would not permit it,
she began to cry, for she did not understand what poisonous meant.
And as they walked on, they noticed a white sheet, which looked as if it
had been drawn in and out through the trees; the sun disappeared
behind a bank of clouds and a white darkness, which was very went
towards them, hoping to find some water in the place whence they
came.
On their way they passed a white cottage, behind a green fence with a
white gate; the gate stood hospitably open. They entered and found
themselves in a garden where peonies and colombines grew. The
mother noticed that the curtains in the lower storey were all drawn

before the windows, and that all the curtains were white. But one of the
attic windows stood open and a white hand appeared above the pots of
touch-me-nots. It waved a little white handkerchief, as if it were
waving a last farewell to one who was going on a long journey.
They walked as far as the cottage; in the high grass lay a wreath of
myrtle and white roses. But it was too big for a bridal wreath.
They went through the front door and the mother called out if anybody
were in? As there was no reply they went into the parlour. On the floor,
surrounded by a whole forest of flowers, stood a black coffin with
silver feet and in the coffin lay a young girl with a bridal crown on her
head.
The walls of the room were made of new pinewood and only varnished
with oil, so