The Story of a Mother facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "The Story of a Mother" |
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Vilhelm Pedersen illustration.
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| Author | Hans Christian Andersen |
| Original title | "Historien om en moder" |
| Country | Denmark |
| Language | Danish |
| Genre(s) | Fairy tale |
| Publication date | December 1847 |
The Story of a Mother (Danish: Historien om en moder) is a famous fairy tale by the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. He was a well-known poet and short story writer. This special story was first published in December 1847.
Andersen's tale has been turned into movies many times. It was even made into an animated film using a cool technique called stop-motion puppets. This story is about a mother's deep love and sacrifice for her child.
Contents
What Happens in the Story?
This sad but beautiful story begins with a mother watching over her very sick child. She has not slept for three days and nights, staying by her child's side. She is so tired that she closes her eyes for just a moment.
In that brief moment, a mysterious figure named Death appears. Death quietly takes her child away. When the mother opens her eyes, her child is gone.
The Mother's Journey Begins
Heartbroken, the mother rushes out into the street. She sees a woman who is actually Night itself. The mother desperately asks Night which way Death went.
Night tells the mother she must first sing every lullaby she has ever sung for her child. Only then will Night tell her the path to follow. The mother sings all her lullabies, and Night points her towards a dark forest.
Sacrifices Along the Way
The mother enters the forest. A thorny bush blocks her path and tells her which way to go next. But there's a price: the mother must warm the bush by pressing it to her chest. This causes her to bleed, but she does it without hesitation.
After leaving the forest, the mother reaches a wide lake. The lake offers to carry her across, but only if she gives it her eyes. The mother, determined to find her child, cries out her eyes and gives them to the lake. Now she is blind.
Finding Her Child
The blind mother finally arrives at a large greenhouse. This is where Death keeps all the flowers and trees, and each one represents a human life. Inside, the mother uses her other senses to search. She listens carefully and recognizes the faint sound of her child's heartbeat.
An old woman helps care for the greenhouse. The mother asks for help. The old woman agrees to tell her what to do, but only if the mother gives her hair. The mother sacrifices her hair.
The old woman explains that when Death comes, the mother must threaten to pull up the other flowers in the greenhouse. Death will be afraid because he must answer to God. Only God decides when lives (represented by the plants) are taken and planted in the garden of Paradise.
A Difficult Choice
Death returns the mother's eyes to her. He then asks her to look into a well. In the well, she sees the futures of two different children. One future is full of happiness and love. The other is filled with sadness and trouble.
Death tells her that one of these futures would be her child's future if it were to live. The mother screams in fear, "Which is my child? Please, carry my child into God's kingdom instead of letting it suffer such a life!"
Death seems confused. He asks, "Do you want your child back, or should I carry it away into the unknown?"
The mother is torn. She wrings her hands, kneels, and prays to God. She says, "Please, do not listen to me when I ask for things against your will! Do not listen to me, do not listen to me, do not listen to me!"
And so, Death leaves, carrying her child away into the unknown land. The story ends with the mother's ultimate act of love and trust in God's plan.
Images for kids
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Vilhelm Pedersen illustration.
