23 They left everything at home for her to manage and she had no money。She knew no one。No one ever talked to her in town。When it was winter she had to gather sticks of wood for her fire，had to try to keep the stock fed with very littlegrain。
24 The stock in the barn cried to her hungrily，the dogs followed her about。Inthe winter the hens laid few enough eggs。They huddled in the corners of the barn and she kept watching them。If a hen lays an egg in the barn in the winter and you do not find it，it freezes and breaks。
25 One day in winter the old woman went off to town with a few eggs and the dogs followed her。She did not get started until nearly three o’clock and the snowwas heavy。She hadn’t been feeling very well for several days and so she went muttering along，scantily clad，her shoulders stooped。She had an old grain bag inwhich she carried her eggs，tucked away down in the bottom。There weren’t manyof them，but in winter the price of eggs is up。She would get a little meat in exchange for the eggs，some salt pork，a little sugar，and some coffee perhaps。It might be the butcher would give her a piece of liver。
26 When she had got to town and was trading in her eggs the dogs lay by the door outside。She did pretty well，got the things she needed，more than she had hoped。Then she went to the butcher and he gave her some liver and some dog meat。
27 It was the first time anyone had spoken to her in a friendly way for a long time。The butcher was alone in his shop when she came in and was annoyed by the thought of such a sick-looking old woman out on such a day。It was bitter cold and the snow，that had let up during the afternoon，was falling again。The butcher said something about her husband and her son，swore at them，and the old womanstared at him，a look of mild surprise in her eyes as he talked。He said that if either the husband or the son were going to get any of the liver or the heavy bones with scraps of meat hanging to them that he had put into the grain bag，he’d see him starve first。
28 Starve，eh？Well，things had to be fed。Men had to be fed，and the horses that weren’t any good but maybe could be traded off，and the poor thin cow that hadn’t given any milk for three months。
29 Horses，cows，pigs，dogs，men。
評注：安德森運用的語言都非常直白簡單，以符合敘事者“我”的口語化特征。老婦人需要喂養的不僅僅是男性，還包括各種牲畜，這進一步強化了她作為母親的哺乳形象。
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30 The old woman had to get back before darkness came if she could。The dogsfollowed at her heels，sniffing at the heavy grain bag she had fastened on her back。When she got to the edge of town she stopped by a fence and tied the bag on her back with a piece of rope she had carried in her dress-pocket for just that purpose。That was an easier way to carry it。Her arms ached。It was hard when shehad to crawl over fences and once she fell over and landed in the snow。The dogs went frisking about。She had to struggle to get to her feet again，but she made it。The point of climbing over the fences was that there was a short cut over ahill and through a woods。She might have gone around by the road，but it was a mile farther that way。She was afraid she couldn’t make it。And then，besides，the stock had to be fed。There was a little hay left and a little corn。Perhaps her husband and son would bring some home when they came。They had driven off in the only buggy the Grimes family had，a rickety thing，a rickety horse hitched to the buggy，two other rickety horses led by halters。They were going to trade horses，get a little money if they could。They might e home drunk。It would bewell to have something in the house when they came back。
31 The son had an affair on with a woman at the county seat，fifteenmiles away。She was a rough enough woman，a tough one。Once，in the summer，the son had brought her to the house。Both she and the son had been drinking。Jake Grimes was away and the son and his woman ordered the old woman about like a servant。She didn’t mind muchshe was used to it。Whatever happened she never said anything。That was her way of getting along。She had managed that way when she was a young girl at the German’s and ever since she had married Jake。That time her son brought his woman to the house they stayed all night，sleeping together just as though they were married。It hadn’t shocked the old woman，not much。She had got past being shocked early in life。
32 With the pack on her back she went painfully along across an openfield，wading in the deep snow，and got into the woods。
33 There was a path，but it was hard to follow。Just beyond the top of the hill，where the woods were thickest，there was a small clearing。Had someone once thought of building a house there？The clearing was as large as a building lot in town，large enough for a house and a garden。The path ran along the side of the clearing，and when she got there the old woman sat down to rest at the foot of a tree。
34 It was a foolish thing to do。When she got herself placed，the pack against the tree’s trunk，it was nice，but what about getting up again？She worried about that for a moment and then quietly closed her eyes。
35 She must have slept for a time。When you are about so cold you can’t get anycolder。The afternoon grew a little warmer and the snow came thicker than ever。Then after a time the weather cleared。The moon even came out。
36 There were four Grimes dogs that had followed Mrs。Grimes into town，all tall gaunt fellows。Such men as Jake Grimes and his son always keep just such dogs。They kick and abuse them，but they stay。The Grimes dogs，in order to keep fromstarving，had to do a lot of foraging for themselves，and they had been at it while the old woman slept with her back to the tree at the side of the clearing。They had been chasing rabbits in the woods and in adjoining fields and in their ranging had picked up three other farm dogs。
37 After a time all the dogs came back to the clearing。They were excited aboutsomething。Such nights，cold and clear and with a moon，do things to dogs。It may be that some old instinct，e down from the time when they were wolves and ranged the woods in packs on winter nights，es back into them。
38 The dogs in the clearing，before the old woman，had caught two orthree rabbits and their immediate hunger had been satisfied。They began to play，running in circles in the clearing。Round and round they ran，each dog’s nose at the tailof the next dog。In the clearing，under the snow-laden trees and under the wintry moon，they made a strange picture，running thus silently，in a circle their running had beaten in the soft snow。The dogs made no sound。They ran around and around in the circle。
39 It may have been that the old woman saw them doing that before she died。Shemay have awakened once or twice and looked at the strange sight with dim old eyes。
40 She wouldn’t be very cold now，just drowsy。Life hangs on a long time。Perhaps the old woman was out of her head。She may have dreamed of her girlhood，at the German’s，and before that，when she was a child and before her mother lit out and left her。
41 Her dreams couldn’t have been very pleasant。Not many pleasant things had happened to her。Now and then one of the Grimes dogs left the running circle and came to stand before her。The dog thrust his face close to her face。His red tongue was hanging out。
42 The running of the dogs may have been a kind of death ceremony。It may have been that the primitive instinct of the wolf，having been aroused in the dogs bythe night and the running，made them somehow afraid。
sniff：v。聞
frisk：v。歡躍，蹦跳
forage：v。尋食
adjoining：adj。鄰接的
ceremony：n。儀式
primitive：adj。原始的
43 “Now we are no longer wolves。We are dogs，the servants of men。Keep alive，man！When man dies we bee wolves again。”
評注：老婦人凍死後這些狗的反應頗耐人尋味。他們有狼的遺傳基因，但在吃完兔子之後，他們似乎在用一種原始的儀式來紀念這位喂養他們的“母親”。按照常理，他們餓急了也是會吃掉老婦人屍體的，但似乎最後“獸性”還是輸給了這些畜生們感恩的“人性”。這對那些奴役、淩辱她一輩子的男人們來說構成了巨大的諷刺。
44 When one of the dogs came to where the old woman sat with her back against the tree and thrust his nose close to her face，he seemed satisfied and went backto run with the pack。All the Grimes dogs did it at some time during the evening，before she died。I knew all about it afterward，when I grew to be a man，because once in a woods in Illinois，on another winter night，I saw a pack of dogs act just like that。The dogs were waiting for me to die as they had waited for the old woman that night when I was a child，but when it happened to me I was a young man and had no intention whatever of dying。
評注：“我”這個不可靠的敘事者已經自我暴露給讀者說，這段關於老婦人臨死前的一幕其實是他根據其他的經曆嫁接到這個故事中的。這說明，對於這個故事，“我”不僅是見證者，也是一個創作者。
45 The old woman died softly and quietly。When she was dead and whenone of theGrimes dogs had e to her and had found her dead，all the dogs stopped running。
46 They gathered about her。
47 Well，she was dead now。She had fed the Grimes dogs when she was alive，what about now？
48 There was the pack on her back，the grain bag containing the piece of salt pork，the liver the butcher had given her，the dog-meat，the soup bones。The butcher in town，having been suddenly overe with a feeling of pity，had loaded her grain bag heavily。It had been a big haul for the old woman。
49 It was a big haul for the dogs now。
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50 One of the Grimes dogs sprang suddenly out from among the others and began worrying the pack on the old woman’s back。Had the dogs really been wolves，thatone would have been the leader of the pack。What he did，all the others did。
51 All of them sank their teeth into the grain bag the old woman hadfastened with ropes to her back。