Sayfa 376 / 626

In front of the house there was a court, in which grew a

juniper-tree. One winter's day the wife stood under the tree to

peel some apples, and as she was peeling them, she cut her

finger, and the blood fell on the snow. 'Ah,' sighed the woman

heavily, 'if I had but a child, as red as blood and as white as

snow,' and as she spoke the words, her heart grew light within

her, and it seemed to her that her wish was granted, and she

returned to the house feeling glad and comforted. A month passed,

and the snow had all disappeared; then another month went by, and

all the earth was green. So the months followed one another, and

first the trees budded in the woods, and soon the green branches

grew thickly intertwined, and then the blossoms began to fall.

Once again the wife stood under the juniper-tree, and it was so

full of sweet scent that her heart leaped for joy, and she was so

overcome with her happiness, that she fell on her knees.