The Old Beggar-Woman

There was once an old woman. You have surely seen an old woman go begging before now? This woman begged too, and when she got something she said, “May God reward you.” The beggar-woman came to a door, and there by the fire a friendly but mischievous boy was standing warming himself.

The boy said kindly to the poor old woman as she stood shivering by the door, “Come, old mother, and warm yourself.” She came in, but stood too close to the fire, so that her old rags began to burn, and she did not notice.

The boy stood and saw that, but he should have put the flames out. Is it not true that he should have put them out? And if he had no water, then he should have cried all the water in his body out of his eyes, and that would have made two pretty streams with which to put out the fire.