Kabanata Kabanata 139 · The Old Beggar-Woman

. The Old Beggar-Woman

There was once an old woman, but thou hast surely seen an old woman go

a-begging before now? This woman begged likewise, and when she got

anything she said, “May God reward you.” The beggar-woman came to a

door, and there by the fire a friendly rogue of a boy was standing

warming himself. The boy said kindly to the poor old woman as she was

standing shivering thus by the door, “Come, old mother, and warm

yourself.” She came in, but stood too near the fire, so that her old

rags began to burn, and she was not aware of it. The boy stood and saw

that, but he ought to have put the flames out. Is it not true that he

ought to have put them out? And if he had not any water, then should he

have wept all the water in his body out of his eyes, and that would

have supplied two pretty streams with which to extinguish them.