The old beggar-woman


Den gamle tiggerske


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.
Der var engang en gammel kone - du har vel nok set en gammel kone gå og tigge? Denne kone tiggede også, og når hun fik noget, sagde hun: "Gud velsigne jer." Engang kom hun til et sted, hvor der stod en ung fyr, en rigtig skælmsmester, ved ilden og varmede sig. Den gamle kone stod henne ved døren og rystede af kulde, og han sagde da venligt til hende: "Kom hen og få lidt varme i kroppen, morlil." Men hun kom for nær til ilden, så flammerne greb fat i hendes pjalter, men hun mærkede det ikke. Drengen så det, og han skulle dog have slukket den, ikke sandt, det skulle han da? Og selv om han ikke havde haft noget vand, så kunne han have samlet alle sine tårer og grædt dem ud for at slukke ilden. Det havde dog kunnet blive to små bække.