The Old Woman and the Old Man
by Unknown · from Roumanian Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
Once, an Old Man and Old Woman lived. They lived in a small house. They were very lonely. They had no child. They felt sad. They had no one to help them. This made them feel very sad.
They wanted a child. They looked for a child. The Old Woman walked. She found a little mouse. It was a very small mouse. She was happy.
The Old Man saw the mouse. They chose the mouse. "This is our child," they said. They felt very happy. They went home with The Little Mouse.
The Old Woman made food. She put porridge in a pot. It was hot. She told The Little Mouse, "Watch the pot." They went to the fields to work.
The porridge boiled. It splashed out. It splashed on The Little Mouse. The Little Mouse said, "Stop splashing! Do not splash on me!"
The porridge still splashed. The Little Mouse got angry. It jumped into the pot. The hot porridge was all around it.
The Old Man and Old Woman came home. They looked for their child. "Where is our child?" they asked. They looked in the pot. The Little Mouse was there. It was not moving. It was asleep forever.
The Old Man cried. The Old Woman cried. They were very, very sad. The Old Man pulled his beard. The Old Woman pulled her hair. They cried for their child.
The Old Man walked outside. A Magpie sat on a tree. "Why are you sad?" asked The Magpie. The Old Man told his story. The Magpie felt sad. Its feathers ruffled. Some feathers fell out.
The Old Woman went to the well. A Girl was there. "Why is your hair gone?" asked The Girl. The Old Woman told her story. The Girl felt sad. She dropped her pot. It broke.
The Girl went to The Queen. She told The Queen the sad story. The Queen heard it. She became very, very sad. She went to her room. She did not want to come out.
The King loved The Queen very much. He saw her great sadness. He felt sad too. He left his home. He went to a quiet place. He lived there very sadly.
And so, everyone felt sad. All because of a mouse and hot porridge.
Original Story
The Old Woman and the Old Man.
nce upon a time there was an old man and an old woman, who had not a single child in their old age, and it was very hard for them, because they had no help, not even to light the fire; when they came home from working in the fields, they were obliged to begin with lighting the fire and then prepare their food.
One day, when they were fretting and consulting each other, they determined to look for children whatever might happen.
The old man went one way, the old woman another, to find a child somewhere.
The old man met a dog, the old woman a mouse. When they met again the old woman asked:
"Husband, what have you found?"
"A little dog. And you, wife?"
"A little mouse."
They now agreed to adopt the mouse for a child and drive the dog away, so the couple returned with the mouse, greatly delighted because they had found what they sought, that is, a child.
On reaching home the old woman began to make a fire; then she set the pot of sour buttermilk on to boil, and left the mouse to watch that it did not fall over, while she went to work with the old man in the fields.
After she had gone, the porridge boiled and splashed over the top of the pot; the mouse, which was sitting on the hearth, said:
"Porridge, don't jump on me or I'll jump on you." But the buttermilk did not stop and still splashed over the brim. When the mouse saw this, it grew angry and leaped straight into the pot.
When the old people returned from hoeing and called their child, there was no child to be found. After searching for it a long time without success, they sat sadly down to eat their dinner. Yet they ate the porridge with great relish until, when the old woman emptied the dish she found at the bottom—what? The little mouse, their child, dead! She began:
"Husband, husband, here it is, our child is drowned in the buttermilk."
"How is that possible, wife!" replied the bearded old fellow.
When they saw this terrible accident, they began to weep and lament bitterly; the old man in his grief tore his beard, and the old woman pulled the hair out of her head.
The old man left the house with tearful eyes and touzled beard; on the bough of a tree, in front of the hut, perched a magpie, which seeing him asked:
"Why have you pulled out your beard, old man?"
"Oh, my dear bird, how can I help tearing my beard, when my little child has drowned itself in the pot of porridge and is dead?"
When the magpie heard this, it tore out all its feathers, leaving nothing but the tail.
The old woman set off with her bald head to the well, to get a jug of water to wash the dead body of her child.
By the well stood a girl with a pitcher, who had come to draw water; when she saw the old woman she asked:
"My, old woman, why have you torn the hair out of your head till you are perfectly bald?"
"Alas, my darling, how can I help tearing my hair and making myself bald, when my little mouse is dead?"
The girl, in her grief, smashed her pitcher in two, then she hurried to the empress to tell her the story; the royal lady, as soon as she heard it, fell down from the balcony, broke her ankle, and died, while the emperor, out of love for his wife, went away and became a monk in the monastery of Lies, beyond the Country of Truth; while I
Acquaintance made with grandsires old,
To whom this simple tale I told,
It seemed to them such perfect chaff
That its bare memory raised a laugh.
Story DNA
Plot Summary
An old, childless couple, longing for help and companionship, adopt a mouse as their child. They leave the mouse to watch boiling porridge, but it becomes angry when the porridge splashes and jumps into the pot, drowning. The old couple's intense grief over their lost 'child' triggers a bizarre chain reaction: a magpie tears out its feathers, a girl smashes her pitcher, an empress dies, and an emperor becomes a monk, all due to hearing the tragic tale.
Themes
Emotional Arc
hope to despair
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This story reflects a common folk tale structure where a small event triggers a disproportionately large chain of consequences, often with a darkly humorous or absurd outcome.
Plot Beats (13)
- An old man and old woman live alone, lamenting their childless state and the lack of help.
- They decide to seek out a child, with the old man finding a dog and the old woman finding a mouse.
- They choose to adopt the mouse and send the dog away, returning home delighted.
- The old woman sets porridge to boil and leaves the mouse to watch it while she and the old man go to work.
- The porridge boils over, splashing the mouse, which warns it to stop.
- When the porridge continues to splash, the mouse, in anger, jumps into the pot.
- The old couple returns, searches for their child, and eventually finds the dead mouse at the bottom of the porridge pot.
- They are overcome with intense grief, tearing their hair and beard.
- The old man's grief causes a magpie to tear out its feathers.
- The old woman's grief causes a girl at the well to smash her pitcher.
- The girl's story causes the empress to fall from a balcony and die.
- The emperor, out of love for his wife, becomes a monk.
- The narrator concludes by stating that old acquaintances found the tale so absurdly funny it made them laugh.
Characters
The Old Man
A stooped, thin elderly man, likely of peasant stock, with a weathered face from years of working in the fields. His build is probably wiry from manual labor.
Attire: Simple, worn peasant clothing suitable for field work. Likely a coarse linen or wool tunic, possibly breeches, and sturdy, practical shoes or boots. Colors would be muted earth tones.
Wants: To have a child and alleviate the loneliness and burden of old age.
Flaw: Overly emotional, prone to extreme reactions in grief (tearing his beard).
Starts as a hopeful, lonely old man, finds a brief moment of joy with the 'child', then descends into profound grief and despair, tearing his beard in sorrow.
Grieving, practical, somewhat impulsive (in adopting the mouse), deeply emotional, and easily distressed.
The Old Woman
A small, frail elderly woman, likely with a slight build from a lifetime of hard work. Her hands would be gnarled and calloused.
Attire: Practical, simple peasant attire. A long, plain linen dress or skirt and blouse, possibly an apron, in muted, natural colors. Sturdy, comfortable shoes.
Wants: To have a child and alleviate the loneliness and burden of old age.
Flaw: Overly emotional, prone to extreme reactions in grief (tearing her hair out).
Starts as a hopeful, lonely old woman, finds a brief moment of joy with the 'child', then descends into profound grief and despair, tearing her hair out in sorrow.
Grieving, practical, hopeful, deeply emotional, and easily distressed. She is the one who finds the mouse and makes the fire.
The Mouse
A small, typical house mouse, likely gray or brown, with delicate whiskers and a long tail.
Attire: None, as it is an animal.
Wants: To stop the porridge from splashing on it.
Flaw: Lack of foresight, quick temper leading to a fatal decision.
Adopted as a child, briefly lives with the old couple, then dies tragically in the porridge pot.
Impulsive, easily angered, perhaps a bit naive or foolish (leaping into boiling porridge).
The Magpie
A medium-sized bird with glossy black and white plumage, a long tail, and a distinctive chattering call.
Attire: Its natural black and white feathers.
Wants: To understand the Old Man's distress; then, to express its own grief.
Flaw: Overly dramatic, prone to self-mutilation in response to others' grief.
Observes the Old Man's grief and mirrors it by tearing out its own feathers.
Curious, empathetic (or perhaps prone to dramatic mimicry), easily moved to extreme reactions.
The Girl by the Well
A young woman, likely of peasant or common stock, with a sturdy build from carrying water. Her appearance would be simple and unadorned.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for drawing water, such as a plain dress or skirt and blouse made of linen or cotton, in muted colors. She carries a pitcher.
Wants: To draw water; then, to understand the Old Woman's distress and react to it.
Flaw: Overly dramatic, prone to destructive reactions in grief.
Witnesses the Old Woman's grief, mirrors it by smashing her pitcher, and then spreads the tragic news.
Empathetic, easily moved to grief, impulsive (smashing her pitcher).
The Empress
A regal woman, likely adorned with fine clothing and jewelry. Her build would be elegant, accustomed to court life rather than labor.
Attire: Luxurious court robes made of silk or brocade, possibly embroidered with gold or silver thread, in rich colors. She would wear significant jewelry, such as a tiara or necklace.
Wants: To live her life as royalty; then, to react to the tragic news.
Flaw: Overly dramatic, physically fragile, prone to extreme reactions leading to her demise.
Hears the tragic story and dies dramatically by falling from a balcony.
Empathetic (or prone to dramatic reactions), fragile, deeply affected by tragic news.
The Emperor
A powerful and dignified man, likely with a commanding presence, accustomed to authority.
Attire: Luxurious imperial robes, possibly made of silk or brocade, in rich colors, perhaps with dragon motifs or other symbols of power. He might wear a crown or elaborate headwear.
Wants: To rule his empire; then, to express his love and grief for his wife.
Flaw: Overly dramatic, prone to extreme reactions in grief, abandoning his duties.
Reacts to his wife's death by abandoning his throne and becoming a monk, driven by love and grief.
Deeply loving (towards his wife), prone to extreme reactions in grief, capable of renouncing worldly power for spiritual solace.
Locations
Old Couple's Humble Home
A simple, rustic dwelling, likely a small, single-room cottage or hut, with a central hearth for fire-lighting and cooking. The interior is sparse, reflecting the old couple's modest life.
Mood: Initially weary and longing, then delighted, transitioning to profound grief and despair.
The old couple lives here, adopts the mouse, the mouse drowns in the porridge, and they discover its death.
Fields near the Home
Agricultural land, likely small plots, where the old couple toils. The ground is worked earth, possibly with young crops or recently harvested, suggesting a rural, agrarian setting.
Mood: Toilsome and mundane, a place of daily labor.
The old couple works here, leaving the mouse to watch the pot, and returns to discover the tragedy.
Tree in front of the Hut
A prominent tree, likely a deciduous type, with a sturdy bough suitable for a magpie to perch upon, located directly in front of the old couple's dwelling.
Mood: Initially somber due to the old man's grief, then surprising and dramatic as the magpie reacts.
The old man laments to the magpie, which then plucks out its feathers in sympathy.
Village Well
A communal well, likely made of stone or wood, where villagers draw water. It's a gathering point, suggesting a modest village setting.
Mood: Initially mundane, then becomes a scene of shared grief and dramatic reaction.
The old woman goes to draw water, meets a girl, and shares her tragic story, leading to the girl's dramatic reaction.