Who was it?—Your dear mother; she took care of you then. She nursed you in her arms, and fed you, and took you out in the air, and washed you, and dressed you. Do you love your mother?—Yes.
I know you do. But who gave you a mother? It was God who sent you to a kind mother.
A little while ago there was no such little creature as you. Then God made your little body, and he sent you to your mother, who loved you as soon as she saw you. It was God who made your mother love you so much, and made her so kind to you.
Your kind mother dressed your poor little body in neat clothes, and laid you in a cradle. When you cried she gave you food, and hushed you to sleep in her arms. She showed you pretty things to make you smile. She held you up, and showed you how to move your feet. She taught you to speak, and she often kissed you, and called you sweet names.
Is your mother kind to you still?—Yes, she is, though she is sometimes angry. But she wishes to make you good: that is why she is sometimes angry.
Your mother has sent you to this nice school, and she gives you supper when you go home. I know she will be kind to you as long as she lives.
But remember who gave you this mother. God sent you to a dear mother, instead of putting you in the fields, where no one would have seen you or taken care of you.
Can your mother keep you alive?—No.
She can feed you, but she cannot make your breath go on.