DIE MUTTER UND DIE KRANKE TOCHTER
by Friedrich Giese · from Türkische Märchen
Adapted Version
An old woman lived. She had a daughter. Her daughter was very sick. Mama was sad. She cried every day. Her daughter stayed in bed. Mama watched her. She loved her daughter very much. She wanted her to get well.
Mama cried. She cried for her daughter. Mama made a big promise. She said, 'I will die for you.' She prayed for her daughter. She wanted her to be well. She wanted her to live.
The Cow lived with Mama. It was a big black cow. The Cow came from the field. It walked into the house. It went to the kitchen. It walked slowly. It looked for food.
The Cow was hungry. It smelled good food. A big pot was on the stove. It put its head in the pot. It wanted to eat all the food. Oh no! Its head got stuck. The pot was on its head. It could not get it off.
The Cow tried to pull hard. It could not get free. The pot stayed on its head. The Cow was very, very scared. It made a loud, scary noise. "Moooo! Moooo!" It ran around the kitchen. It hit things. It was very noisy. It made a big mess.
Mama heard the loud noise. She was in the other room. She did not know it was the cow. Mama heard strange, loud sounds. She saw a big, dark shape. It had a big pot on its head. It looked very scary to Mama. Mama was very, very afraid.
Mama thought it was Death. She thought Death came for her. Mama was so very scared. She forgot her big, big promise. She cried, 'Oh no, not me!' "I am an old woman, please!" "My daughter is sick in bed." "Take her instead, please!" Mama was very, very scared. She forgot her promise completely. She screamed these words.
It is easy to say big things. We can make big promises. But fear makes us forget promises. Fear can make us forget.
Original Story
61. DIE MUTTER UND DIE KRANKE TOCHTER
Eine alte Frau hatte eine wunderschöne Tochter, die plötzlich sehr krank geworden war. Die Mutter war immer am Bette der Tochter, vergoß Ströme von Tränen und sagte, indem sie voll Trauer zum Himmel blickte: „Liebes Kind, du bist mein alles. Wie gerne würde ich mein Leben für dich dahingeben. Nur mit dir habe ich Freude am Leben. Ohne dich nützt mir das Leben nichts. Ich will gern sterben, wenn du nur gesund wirst.“ So betete sie Tag und Nacht und war bereit, sich für ihre Tochter zu opfern.
Nun hatte die alte Frau eine schwarze Kuh. Diese war vom Felde heimgekommen und in die Küche gegangen. Angelockt durch den Geruch der Mahlzeit, hatte sie den Kopf in den Kessel gesteckt und alles, was sie fand, ausgefressen. Als sie den Kopf wieder herausziehen wollte, konnte sie den Kessel nicht loswerden und wurde dadurch ganz aufgeregt. Die alte Frau, die von diesem Vorgange nichts wußte, hörte gegen Abend eine schreckliche Stimme und sah diese merkwürdige Erscheinung. Da dachte sie, es sei der Todesengel, der gekommen sei, um ihre Tochter zu holen. Infolgedessen sagte sie unter Jammern und Wehklagen: „Engel des Todes, ich bin nicht die Kranke. Ich bin eine alte Frau. Die Kranke ist meine Tochter. Deren Seele hole.“
Story DNA
Moral
Be careful what you wish for, and consider the true depth of your sacrifices when faced with fear.
Plot Summary
An old woman's beloved daughter falls gravely ill, prompting the mother to repeatedly declare her willingness to die for her child. One evening, a black cow gets its head stuck in a cooking pot, creating a terrifying noise and appearance. The mother, mistaking this commotion for the arrival of the Angel of Death, immediately recants her earlier vows and offers her sick daughter's soul instead of her own.
Themes
Emotional Arc
grief to panic to self-preservation
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Friedrich Giese was a German writer, and this story reflects a simple, moralistic folk tale style common in 19th-century German literature.
Plot Beats (7)
- An old woman's beautiful daughter falls gravely ill.
- The mother weeps constantly, vowing to sacrifice her own life for her daughter's recovery.
- A black cow returns from the field and enters the kitchen.
- The cow puts its head into a cooking pot to eat and gets it stuck.
- Unable to remove the pot, the cow becomes agitated and makes a terrible noise.
- The old woman, unaware of the cow's predicament, hears the noise and sees the strange sight.
- Mistaking the cow for the Angel of Death, the mother immediately offers her daughter's soul instead of her own.
Characters
The Mother
A woman of advanced age, likely with a stooped posture from worry and grief, but still possessing the physical capacity to care for her daughter. Her build is probably slender due to her age and emotional distress.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing typical of a German peasant woman of the 19th century. This would include a dark, long-sleeved linen or wool dress, possibly with a plain apron over it. Her clothes would be worn and perhaps a bit disheveled from her constant caregiving.
Wants: Initially, her primary motivation is to save her daughter's life, even at the cost of her own. Later, her motivation shifts to self-preservation when confronted with what she believes is the 'Angel of Death'.
Flaw: Her overwhelming fear of death, which causes her to betray her earlier promise to sacrifice herself for her daughter.
She begins as a character willing to sacrifice her life for her daughter, but her arc reveals a darker, more self-preserving side when directly confronted with death, showing a tragic human flaw.
Devoted, self-sacrificing, desperate, fearful, and ultimately, self-preserving. Her initial devotion to her daughter is absolute, but her fear of death for herself overrides it.
The Sick Daughter
Described as 'wunderschöne' (beautiful), implying a delicate or graceful build, now likely emaciated and pale from her severe illness. She is confined to her bed.
Attire: Simple nightclothes, likely a plain white or cream linen nightgown, appropriate for a sickbed in a peasant home.
Wants: To recover from her illness, though she is too sick to express this actively.
Flaw: Her severe illness, which renders her helpless.
Her arc is static; she remains sick throughout the story, serving as the catalyst for her mother's actions.
Passive due to her illness. Her beauty suggests a gentle nature, but her personality is not explored beyond her state of sickness.
The Black Cow
A sturdy, mature black cow, typical of a farm animal. Its hide is entirely black, possibly with a healthy sheen. It is strong enough to get its head stuck in a kettle.
Attire: Its natural black hide.
Wants: To eat the food it smells, then to free itself from the kettle.
Flaw: Its curiosity and lack of foresight in sticking its head into a kettle.
A static character whose actions are purely instinctual and serve as a plot device to create a misunderstanding.
Curious and gluttonous (attracted by the smell of food), easily agitated and panicked when in distress.
Locations
Daughter's Sickroom
A modest, dimly lit room within a traditional German half-timbered house, where the sick daughter lies in bed. The air is heavy with sorrow and the scent of illness. Soft light might filter through a small, leaded-pane window.
Mood: Sorrowful, anxious, desperate, intimate
The mother's fervent prayers and offer to sacrifice her own life for her daughter's recovery.
Farmhouse Kitchen
A rustic, functional kitchen in a German farmhouse, likely with a large stone hearth or oven. It would have sturdy wooden furniture and cooking implements. The air might smell of recent cooking. The cow's head is stuck in a large cooking pot.
Mood: Initially mundane, then chaotic and terrifying
The black cow gets its head stuck in the cooking pot, creating a terrifying spectacle that the mother mistakes for the Angel of Death.