In eastern Europe they repeat...
Illustration
In eastern Europe they repeat an old legend about a child who was stolen from her family. The youngster had been put out into the yard to play and was not watched for a short while. When her mother looked out to check on her, the child was gone. What a hue and cry the mother made through the village! But no one had seen the child taken, nor was she found by the neighbors who scoured every inch of the area. The grieving parents searched everywhere, appealed to their relatives, followed up every lead, but without avail. Finally, many years later, they heard of a lovely blond girl who lived with gypsies in a distant camp. Still hoping this might be their daughter, they hurried to the place. They found the girl, but she refused to have anything to do with them. She preferred her life with the gypsies and treated these strangers with disdain. In an effort to get some response, the mother sang an old lullaby, "Hush, my babe, lie still and slumber." It stirred a spark of memory in the girl, and she returned to her home and parents.
