lake, where there was neither ship nor boat.
The lake was not frozen sufficiently to bear her; neither was it open,
nor low enough that she could wade through it; and across it she must go
if she would find her child! Then she lay down to drink up the lake, and
that was an impossibility for a human being, but the afflicted mother
thought that a miracle might happen nevertheless.

"Oh, what would I not give to come to my child!" said the weeping
mother; and she wept still more, and her eyes sunk down in the depths of
the waters, and became two precious pearls; but the water bore her up,
as if she sat in a swing, and she flew in the rocking waves to the shore
on the opposite side, where there stood a mile-broad, strange house, one
knew not if it were a mountain with forests and caverns, or if it were
built up; but the poor mother could not see it; she had wept her eyes
out.

"Where shall I find Death, who took away my little child?" said she.

"He has not come here yet!" said the old grave woman, who was appointed
to look after Death's great greenhouse! "How have you been able to find
the way hither? And who has helped you?"

"OUR LORD has helped me," said she. "He is merciful, and you will also
be so! Where shall I find my little child?"

"Nay, I know not," said the woman, "and you cannot see! Many flowers and
trees have withered this night; Death will soon come and plant them over
again! You certainly know that every person has his or her life's tree
or flower, just as everyone happens to be settled; they look like other
plants, but they have pulsations of the heart. Children's hearts can
also beat; go after yours, perhaps you may know your child's; but what
will you give me if I tell you what you shall do more?"

"I have nothing to give," said the afflicted mother, "but I will go to
the world's end for you!"

"Nay, I have nothing to do there!" said the woman. "But you can give
me your long black hair; you know yourself that it is fine, and that
I like! You shall have my white hair instead, and that's always
something!"

"Do you demand nothing else?" said she. "That I will gladly give you!"
And she gave her her fine black hair, and got the old woman's snow-white
hair instead.

So they went into Death's great greenhouse, where flowers and trees
grew strangely into one another. There stood fine hyacinths under glass
bells, and there stood strong-stemmed peonies; there grew water plants,
some so fresh, others h