The night was silent with no movement other than the snow that fell endlessly from the heavens. The chimney from every house puffed up smoke traveling with the wind. This was the worst and the longest winter that the town had ever faced. The lake remained frozen for over four years and it was impossible to grow any crop in this harsh weather condition. Now food and lumber for fire was starting to run out as every family gathered any food and wood that they could find for their own families.
At the Johnson's house everyone gathered around the dinner table and got ready for supper. Mr. Johnson began the supper prayer but soon he was disturbed by a knocking on the door. "Who is it?" shouted out Mrs. Johnson. There was no reply. "Maybe it was the wind," she thought and started back to the table. Then there was another knocking. Mrs. Johnson slowly opened the door and found an old lady shivering at the steps of the entrance of the house. The old lady had no shoes and was covered with rags. Her feet had caught frost bites and her hands were crippled. Her hair was long and white and her face was covered with wrinkles. She held out her crippled hands to Mrs. Johnson and said, "would you have pity on me and spare a room and supper for me for a few nights?" Mrs. Johnson looked at the old lady with disgust then looked backed at her four little children fighting over a piece of bread. Then Mr. Johnson came out and reacted the same way as Mrs. Johnson then he said, "sorry but we don't have room in here but you will see a cottage behind the house. You can stay there."
The old lady took their hands in her crippled hands and thanked them over and over again then hurried off to the cottage. Behind the house she found no cottage but a barn. She stepped in and settled herself as she covered herself with hay.
Inside the house Mrs. Johnson took the bowl chipped on the sides and poured in the leftover chicken soup from her children's bowls. When she caught a few pieces of chicken in the bowl that her children had missed, she took her spoon and put the pieces back into the pot. She stirred the soup one last time to check for anymore pieces in the bowl and made her way to the barn. She opened the door of the barn to gave the lady her chicken soup that was almost all water and salt. The old lady took it and thanked Mrs. Johnson with such honesty that made Mrs. Johnson feel as if something was caught in her throat.
The next day all the towns people heard about the old lady who had come last night. They were amazed at how she was able to make it through the snow. It was almost impossible for anyone to walk a few distance in the snow, but yet she had walked over ten miles to get to this town. No one even knew where she had come from but everyone thought that she was a witch.
One night, as the old lady waited for her supper in the barn, she heard something outside. She ignored it and continued to wait for the supper that never came. As she sat there helplessly she felt that the barn was starting to get warmer. Then she noticed that the barn was on fire. The old lady ran out of the barn and reached the mountain top where she was able to see the whole town. She could see that they barn was burning in blazing fire that no one intended to put it out. She sat on the cold ground with her back leaned on to a tree and watched the smoke coming out of the chimney of every house. The smoke that night seemed so black and cold compared to the white snow flasks that seemed so gentle and warm to the old lady. The smoke rose and rose high up to the sky away from the old lady as the white snow flasks settled gently on the old lady until she was completely blanketed by the white sheet of snow. There she drew her very last breath so warm and pure that it melted away all the snow and warmed up the earth to bring spring back to the town. The next day spring had arrived and everybody in the town cheered thinking that the witch had died in the fire and that her death had finally ended the icy cold winter.
Mrs. Johnson look up at the sky and remembered the only conversation that she had with the old lady. "What's your name," Mrs. Johnson had asked.
"My name? My name is spring."
At the Johnson's house everyone gathered around the dinner table and got ready for supper. Mr. Johnson began the supper prayer but soon he was disturbed by a knocking on the door. "Who is it?" shouted out Mrs. Johnson. There was no reply. "Maybe it was the wind," she thought and started back to the table. Then there was another knocking. Mrs. Johnson slowly opened the door and found an old lady shivering at the steps of the entrance of the house. The old lady had no shoes and was covered with rags. Her feet had caught frost bites and her hands were crippled. Her hair was long and white and her face was covered with wrinkles. She held out her crippled hands to Mrs. Johnson and said, "would you have pity on me and spare a room and supper for me for a few nights?" Mrs. Johnson looked at the old lady with disgust then looked backed at her four little children fighting over a piece of bread. Then Mr. Johnson came out and reacted the same way as Mrs. Johnson then he said, "sorry but we don't have room in here but you will see a cottage behind the house. You can stay there."
The old lady took their hands in her crippled hands and thanked them over and over again then hurried off to the cottage. Behind the house she found no cottage but a barn. She stepped in and settled herself as she covered herself with hay.
Inside the house Mrs. Johnson took the bowl chipped on the sides and poured in the leftover chicken soup from her children's bowls. When she caught a few pieces of chicken in the bowl that her children had missed, she took her spoon and put the pieces back into the pot. She stirred the soup one last time to check for anymore pieces in the bowl and made her way to the barn. She opened the door of the barn to gave the lady her chicken soup that was almost all water and salt. The old lady took it and thanked Mrs. Johnson with such honesty that made Mrs. Johnson feel as if something was caught in her throat.
The next day all the towns people heard about the old lady who had come last night. They were amazed at how she was able to make it through the snow. It was almost impossible for anyone to walk a few distance in the snow, but yet she had walked over ten miles to get to this town. No one even knew where she had come from but everyone thought that she was a witch.
One night, as the old lady waited for her supper in the barn, she heard something outside. She ignored it and continued to wait for the supper that never came. As she sat there helplessly she felt that the barn was starting to get warmer. Then she noticed that the barn was on fire. The old lady ran out of the barn and reached the mountain top where she was able to see the whole town. She could see that they barn was burning in blazing fire that no one intended to put it out. She sat on the cold ground with her back leaned on to a tree and watched the smoke coming out of the chimney of every house. The smoke that night seemed so black and cold compared to the white snow flasks that seemed so gentle and warm to the old lady. The smoke rose and rose high up to the sky away from the old lady as the white snow flasks settled gently on the old lady until she was completely blanketed by the white sheet of snow. There she drew her very last breath so warm and pure that it melted away all the snow and warmed up the earth to bring spring back to the town. The next day spring had arrived and everybody in the town cheered thinking that the witch had died in the fire and that her death had finally ended the icy cold winter.
Mrs. Johnson look up at the sky and remembered the only conversation that she had with the old lady. "What's your name," Mrs. Johnson had asked.
"My name? My name is spring."
.JPG)