But it was supposed that the child had subsisted,
perhaps for weeks, on the berries and other sustenance such as a
forest-child knew how to find in the woods. I forgot to say, above, that
a piece of birch or other bark was found, which he appeared to have
gnawed. It was thought that the cry of "Father! father!" which the
mother and little sister heard in the night-time, was really the little
fellow's voice, then within hearing of his home; but he wandered away
again, and at last sank down, and Death found him and carried him up to
God. His bones were never found; and it was thought that the foxes or
other wild animals had taken his little corpse, and scattered the bones,
and that, dragging the body along, one lock of his flaxen hair had
adhered to a tree.
I asked a physician whether it were possible that a child could live so
long in the woods; and he thought it was, and said that children often
show themselves more tenacious of life than grown people, and live
longer in a famine. This is to me a very affecting story; and it seems
to be felt as such by the people of the country. The little boy's
parents, and his brothers and sisters, who probably lived to maturity or
old age, are all forgotten; but he lives in tradition, and still causes
wet eyes to strangers, as he did to me.
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