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A couple of old slow-coaches, that rattle at every move they make, and your friend the old raven-mother, Frau Kummerfelden, whose rough paws would kill anything at all delicate." "Now, now," said Frau Kummerfelden, "you mustn't say anything about the raven-mother she's a splendid old soul."
Then came the suitors, the Kirsten girls with their friends, the pretty young widow, and often the good Kummerfelden, who took great delight in listening to the irrational chatter of the amorous youths. "These men-creatures are enough to drive one mad when they're in love," she said once to the Raven-mother.
"Soul, perhaps ... but a little too much body with it!" said the little woman, spinning round to emphasize her dainty figure. "Well, facts are facts," said Frau Kummerfelden. "The raven-mother is perhaps a trifle massively built. To be sure, last winter, when I was full of all kinds of pains, she picked me up out of bed and put me in again like a child.
Engraver?" said the stranger with a peculiar intonation. "Why not, for example, Mr. Walker, Mr. Eater, Mr. Drinker, or Mr. Sleeper? Or ... no, that's enough!" He put the question with great calmness. "Well ..." said the Raven-mother.
On this day he strolled down to Weimar, which had been the goal of his pilgrimage, in order to tread the streets and roads which the old man was accustomed to walk. He went to the theatre, and came back to the Ettersberg and the farm late in the evening. The whole place was asleep; only the Raven-mother came to bring him some supper. So he wandered about the next day also.
The Raven-mother was grumbling because this evening she had all the labor of preparing supper; but the table under the trees was spread, and old Sperber, who came to see how they were getting on, announced that he would provide a punch. The Kirsten girls and their friends brought the wine from the Sperber farm and worked reverently and busily at the brewing of the punch.
They are only really clever when they're driven into a corner and can't help themselves; it must be a fearful strain on them." "Yes," said the Raven-mother, "it's as if they thought that a fresh girl like that could only be caught by extraordinary nonsense to be sure, she laughs at their foolishness; but I tell you she's a cool head all the same." "And she's right," said Frau Kummerfelden.
The ravens croaked as the raven had done which she saw in the daytime, but now she understood what they said. "I am the raven-mother; I am the raven-mother," each raven croaked, and Anne Lisbeth felt that the name also applied to her; and she fancied she should be transformed into a black bird, and have to cry as they cried, if she did not dig the grave.
Come, child, let us go to the others." Helplessly she followed him, and took leave of her guests. The suitors went away in deep, dumb amazement. The Kirsten girls kissed their friend heartily on the cheeks, and their comrades pressed her hand. "For God's sake, child," said the Raven-mother, when the last had departed, "are you clean out of your senses?" "Let her alone," said Herr Sperber.
"For heaven's sake!" cried the Raven-mother. The rest sat in silent wonder; their number was complete who could it be? "Perhaps it's another one coming over from the Sperbers'," said Röse. "Heaven forbid!" said Beate. She was thinking, "It will be no life at all if I marry one of these it would be a hopeless business."
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