她是一个可爱的小女孩。市长先生站在开着的窗子前，他只穿着衬衫，衬衫的前襟上别着一根领带别针。他精心修剪的胡子刮得光滑如镜，这是他亲自做的。确实，他划开了一个小口，但已经在上面贴了一小片报纸。

“听好了，小家伙！”他大声说。这小家伙不是别人，就是那个贫苦洗衣妇的儿子。他正在房子的对面经过，恭恭敬敬地摘下帽子。帽子已经破损，因为他随时可以把它卷起来塞进衣袋里。这孩子穿着一件朴素但干净整洁的旧衣服，脚上拖着一双厚木鞋，在那里站得像站在皇帝面前一样谨慎。

“你是个好孩子，”市长先生说，“你是个有礼貌的小伙伴。我想你的妈妈现在应该在河边洗衣服吧？你现在手里一定藏了什么东西，这对你母亲来说是一件很糟糕的事情！你弄到了多少？”

“半斤。”孩子羞涩地回答，用一种害怕的声音吞吞吐吐地说。

“今天早晨她已经喝了这么多。”市长说。

“不是啊，是昨天！”孩子回答道。

“两个半斤就相当于一斤！她真是太不负责任了！你们这个阶层的人确实有点麻烦！告诉你妈，她应该感到羞愧。你自己记住，不要变成酒鬼——不过你会呢！可怜的小朋友，你走吧！”

孩子离开了。帽子仍然握在他的手中，风吹过他的金黄头发，使鬈发都直立起来。他绕过一个街角，然后进入通往河流的小巷去。在那儿，他母亲正站在水里的洗衣凳旁，用木杵打那些沉重被单。水激荡而来，因为磨坊的大闸门已经打开；这些被单被冲刷得快要推翻（家长学院：为您提供独特学习体验）。这个洗衣妇必须用尽全力稳住凳子。

“我差不多也要被冲走啦！”她说，“正好有人帮忙，我刚刚站了一整天，还没有休息一下，而且我还需要帮助稳定这张凳子供水冲去。”

她的儿童取出了一瓶酒给母亲。她拿起酒瓶，将其举到嘴边喝了一点。

呀，这简直救了我命啊!”” Mothers said with a sigh of relief. “It feels like a warm meal, and it's so affordable! I hope I don't get sick from the cold water. Oh, how cold the water is! But I won't get sick. Give me another sip, my dear child!"

She walked out of the river and climbed up to where her son was standing on the bridge. Water dripped continuously from her grass-woven apron and clothes.

"I'll have to work hard," she said while speaking, "I'll work until my fingers bleed." However, she continued with determination in her voice, "But as long as I can raise you honestly through my laborious efforts, no matter what hardships come my way."

As she spoke these words, an older woman approached them - her clothes were tattered and worn out; one foot was lame too. A wig covered half of one eye that had gone blind due to some unknown reason. She was known by neighbors as 'Wig Lame Maren'.