Reading Diary A: Russian Folktales

A Dead Mother

A loving husband and wife lived in a village. The couple had peace and happiness. Everyone wanted what they had. The neighbors were envious. People would be happy to see this happy couple. The wife gave birth to a baby boy. The wife died not long after the birth leaving the husband mourning his wife and to care for their baby alone.

The now widower decided to hire a woman to help take care of the baby. The baby cried all day and night. There was no way to ease the baby's crying. He wouldn't eat at all. But they found relief from the crying for most of the night when the baby would sleep so silently. It was as if the baby was not there it was so quiet. This phenomenon baffled the old woman. She decided to stay awake during the night to see why the baby would sleep so soundly.

When midnight struck the door to the baby's nursery open and someone went to his bed. The baby instantly stopped crying. It was as if someone had picked up the baby up. This same thing happened every night until the old woman told the father of it after 3 days. The father gathered all the kinsfolk to talk about the situation. They agreed that they would all take turns to spy on what was happening.

At night they went to sleep and set a trap with a light in it. At midnight the door opened, the baby stopped crying, and they flashed the light on the cradle. They saw the baby's dead mother leaning over the side of the crib and allowing the baby to suckle on her breast. When the light was shone on her she disappeared out of the room. Everyone was in struck by horror. When they checked on the baby they found him dead.

A ghost woman. Source