ANNA KREBS
THE LITTLE KITCHEN MAID.
To the youngest, my mother, Anna, once she reached the
age of 8, was given the job of doing the dinner dishes. To make it a bit
easier for her, an older sister scraped, and rinsed, and stacked, and put
the pots and pans to soak.
One night Anna simply forgot to do those pots and
pans, and went up to bed and to sleep.
Much later that night she rose from her bed, and
stole downstairs to the kitchen like a small ghost. Luckily there was a
lamp glowing on top of the stove. She set about washing the pots and pans
she had overlooked.
This work was noisy enough to waken her mother and
father and several others of the family, who came down to see what was
causing all the racket. To their surprise it was little Anna!
Fortunately realizing that she was sleepwalking,
they did not speak or interfere; they stood back quietly watching.
When Anna was done, she dried her hands, hung up
the towel, turned, and slowly walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs
to her room, and climbed back into bed.
The next morning, her wise mother said to her "Anna,
I have decided that you don't have to do the dishes and more, I'll think
of a different job for you, perhaps weeding the kitchen garden." Then they
hugged and Anna was very relieved!
Some years later her mother told her about the sleepwalking
episode, but Anna simply could not remember it. And never did!
NEXT: BOARDING SCHOOL.
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