"He has not come here yet!" said the old grave woman， who was appointed to look afterDeath's GREat greenhouse! "How have you been able to find the way hither? And who hashelped you?"
"OUR LORD has helped me，" said she. "He is merciful， and you will also be so! Where shall Ifind my little child?"
"Nay， I know not，" said the woman， "and you cannot see! Many flowers and trees havewithered this night; Death will soon come and plant them over again! You certainly know thatevery 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 alsobeat; go after yours， perhaps you may know your child's; but what will you give me if I tellyou 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 thewoman. "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'salways something!"
"Do you demand nothing else?" said she. "That I willgladly give you!" And she gave her her fine blackhair， and got the old woman's snow-white hairinstead.
So they went into Death's GREat greenhouse，where flowers and trees grew strangely into one another. There stood fine hyacinths underglass bells， and there stood strong-stemmed peonies; there grew water plants， some sofresh， others half sick， the water-snakes lay down on them， and black crabs pinched theirstalks. There stood beautiful palm-trees， oaks， and plantains; there stood parsley andflowering thyme： every tree and every flower had its name; each of them was a human life，the human frame still lived——one in China， and another in Greenland——round about in theworld. There were large trees in small pots， so that they stood so stunted in growth， andready to burst the pots; in other places， there was a little dull flower in rich mould， withmoss round about it， and it was so petted and nursed. But the distressed mother bent downover all the smallest plants， and heard within them how the human heart beat; and amongstmillions she knew her child's.
"there it is!" cried she， and stretched her hands out over a little blue crocus， that hung quitesickly on one side.
"Don't touch the flower!" said the old woman. "But place yourself here， and when Deathcomes——I expect him every moment——do not let him pluck the flower up， but threaten himthat you will do the same with the others. Then he will be afraid! He is responsible for them toOUR LORD， and no one dares to pluck them up before HE gives leave."
All at once an icy cold rushed through the GREat hall， and the blind mother could feel that itwas Death that came.
"How hast thou been able to find thy way hither?" he asked. "How couldst thou come quickerthan I?"
"I am a mother，" said she.
And Death stretched out his long hand towards the fine little flower， but she held her handsfast around his， so tight， and yet afraid that she should touch one of the leaves. Then Deathblew on her hands， and she felt that it was colder than the cold wind， and her hands felldown powerless.
"Thou canst not do anything against me!" said Death.
"But OUR LORD can!" said she.
"I only do His bidding!" said Death. "I am His gardener， I take all His flowers and trees， andplant them out in the GREat garden of Paradise， in the unknown land; but how they growthere， and how it is there I dare not tell thee."
"Give me back my child!" said the mother， and she wept and prayed. At once she seized holdof two beautiful flowers close by， with each hand， and cried out to Death， "I will tear all thyflowers off， for I am in despair."
"Touch them not!" said Death. "Thou say'st that thou art so unhappy， and now thou wiltmake another mother equally unhappy."
"Another mother!" said the poor woman， and directly let go her hold of both the flowers.
"there， thou hast thine eyes，" said Death; "I fished them up from the lake， they shone sobright; I knew not they were thine. Take them again， they are now brighter than before;now look down into the deep well close by; I shall tell thee the names of the two flowers thouwouldst have torn up， and thou wilt see their whole future life——their whole humanexistence： and see what thou wast about to disturb and destroy."
And she looked down into the well; and it was a happiness to see how the one became ablessing to the world， to see how much happiness and joy were felt everywhere. And she sawthe other's life， and it was sorrow and distress， horror， and wretchedness.
"Both of them are God's will!" said Death.
"Which of them is Misfortune's flower and which is that of Happiness?" asked she.
"That I will not tell thee，" said Death; "but this thou shalt know from me， that the one flowerwas thy own child! it was thy child's fate thou saw'st——thy own child's future life!"
then the mother screamed with terror， "Which of them was my child? Tell it me! Save theinnocent! Save my child from all that misery! Rather take it away! Take it into God'skingdom! Forget my tears， forget my prayers， and all that I have done!"
"I do not understand thee!" said Death. "Wilt thou have thy child again， or shall I go with itthere， where thou dost not know!"
then the mother wrung her hands， fell on her knees， and prayed to our Lord： "Oh， hearme not when I pray against Thy will， which is the best! hear me not! hear me not!"
And she bowed her head down in her lap， and Death took her child and went with it into theunknown land.