English Original
In a large town, an old woman sat alone in her room one evening. She reflected on her losses: first her husband, then both her children, then all her relations one by one, and finally, that very day, her last friend. Now she was utterly alone and desolate. Her heart was heavy, and the loss of her sons weighed upon her most. In her grief, she blamed God.
Lost in thought, she suddenly heard the bells ringing for early morning prayer. Surprised to realize she had spent the entire night in sorrowful vigil, she lit her lantern and went to church.
Upon arrival, she found the church already lit, not with the usual wax candles, but with a dim light. It was crowded, every seat taken. When she reached her usual place, the entire bench was entirely full. Looking at the people, she saw they were none other than her deceased relations, dressed in old-fashioned garments with pale faces.
They neither spoke nor sang, but a soft humming and whispering filled the church. Then, an aunt of hers stood up, stepped forward, and said to the poor old woman, "Look beside the altar, and thou wilt see thy sons."
The old woman looked and saw her two children: one hanging on the gallows, the other bound to the wheel. Her aunt then said, "Behold, so would it have been with them if they had lived, had the good God not taken them to Himself when they were innocent children."
The old woman went home trembling, fell to her knees, and thanked God for having dealt with her more kindly than she had been able to understand. On the third day, she lay down and died.
中文翻译
在一个大城镇里，一位老妇人某晚独自坐在房中。她回想着自己失去的一切：先是丈夫，然后是两个孩子，接着是所有亲人一个接一个地离去，最后，就在那天，她失去了最后一位朋友。如今她孑然一身，孤苦无依。她内心悲伤，而失去儿子们的痛苦最为沉重。在悲痛中，她责怪了上帝。
她正陷入沉思，突然听到了晨祷的钟声。她惊讶地发现自己竟在悲伤中守了一整夜，于是点亮灯笼去了教堂。
到达时，她发现教堂已经亮着灯，但不是往常的蜡烛光，而是一种昏暗的光。教堂里挤满了人，所有座位都坐满了。当她走到自己常坐的位置时，整个长凳也完全坐满了。她看向那些人，发现他们不是别人，正是她已故的亲属们，穿着老式服装，面色苍白。
他们既不说话也不唱歌，但一种轻柔的嗡嗡声和低语声弥漫在整个教堂。接着，她的一位姑母站起来，走上前，对可怜的老妇人说：“看祭坛旁边，你将看到你的儿子们。”
老妇人望去，看到了她的两个孩子：一个吊在绞刑架上，另一个被绑在车轮上。她的姑母接着说：“看吧，如果他们活下来，这就是他们的结局。若非仁慈的上帝在他们还是无辜孩童时将他们带到了自己身边。”
老妇人颤抖着回到家，跪下来感谢上帝以她未能理解的仁慈方式对待了她。第三天，她躺下，去世了。