"Why do you weep?" asked the visitor.
Then the widow told her tale of woe--the story of the loss of her
husband, and how a red robber, in spite of the scythe blades set in
the chimney, had come down and taken away both her money and her cow.
Now, although she had sold all her butter and cream, she could neither
pay her rent, nor have any buttermilk with her rye bread and flummery.
"Dry your tears and take comfort," said the tall lady in the green
peaked hat. "Here is money enough to pay your rent and buy another
cow." With that, she sat down at the round table near the peat fire.
Opening her bag, the shining gold coins slid out and formed a little
heap on the table.
"There, you can have all this, if you will give me all I want."
At first, the widow's eyes opened wide, and then she glanced at the
cradle, where her baby was sleeping. Then she wondered, though she
said nothing.
But the next moment, she was laughing at herself, and looking around
at her poor cottage. She tried to guess what there was in it, that the
old lady could possibly want.
"You can have anything I have. Name it," she said cheerfully to her
visitor.
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