Approach With Caution

The Gift

Mother and Father lived together in a humble home like most couples. Father worked as a labourer and Mother stayed at home. It was a simple house with just a kitchen, a washroom, a master bedroom and a smaller room, which kept all of Mother's things. They had no children.

One day while Father was out working and Mother cleaned the house there came a loud cry from outside. Mother opened the door of her house and saw at her feet a baby wrapped in cloth crying for the entire world to hear. Mother looked around to see who had left the child, but could see no one. The baby continued to cry and this scared her. She had never had children before and ignorant of what to do she panicked. Scared of what the villagers would say she picked up the child and ran. She ran and ran past houses, then over the bridge, straight to the woods, and when she had gone deep enough she left the bundle in the forest and walked back to the village, hoping the child would be eaten by animals.

After work had finished Father took his tools and made his way home. As he neared the house he saw ahead of him a man. He stared directly at him and he carried something in his arms. He was dressed in exceptional clothing; a long purple robe that sparkled as if covered in precious stones. He had white hair, dark skin, and his eyes – there were none, just a blank space where the pupils should be.

"Your wife has been blessed with a child."

Father stood aghast as he heard the man speak.

"Please bring this child to your wife so she will nurse it and look after it till it grows strong and healthy."

The man stretched his arms out in front of him where he had held the bundle of cloth. The cloth let out a whine and shot out a tiny foot.

Father sucked in his breathe, it was true, a new born babe. Father took the bundle from the man and said "Thank you," and hurried his way home careful not to trip over his feet.

Mother was cooking when Father entered.

"Mother," he said, "We are proud parents!"

Mother turned to him and saw in his arms the babe she had left before.

"Well don't just stand there woman, bring some bread and milk and feed the child!"

They named the girl Ursula.

Time past and things went on as they had. Father laboured at work and Mother tended the home and their daughter. Each morning Ursula woke up and vomited the poison that Mother had put in her meal the night before. When younger Ursula was left in a field of nervous cattle, who when spooked, bolted in all directions. She survived. Once Mother put her in a well. A man had found her. She was pushed in front of an oncoming carriage, thrown from a horse and nearly burned alive, but each time she was saved. Everyone said she was lucky. When she saw her daughter arise from her slumber Mother was scared.

"Ursula, we shall go to the woods to pick herbs for dinner."

"Yes Mother," replied the daughter.

The two walked through the dense trees, until they stopped at a small clearing. Ursula began to pick leaves when Mother called to her.

"Look, look here daughter."

Ursula followed her voice and saw her mother standing on a ledge.

"Look down here, can you see a bright thing in the water?"

Ursula walked to the edge to see what Mother could see. She looked down towards the swishing, silvery creek. She could not see any sparkling thing.

"Where is it Mother, where is it? Where did y-"

Ursula felt weightless. She saw ahead of her the glistening waters coming nearer and nearer, her feet flung behind her and hands flailing. She saw this all happen standing on the opposite side of the bank. He body crashed into the creek before pushing her up above the rippling waters. She called, called for Mother. Where was Mother? Where? Ursula looked at the ledge where she last stood. No one was there.