Pre-reading Activities My mother prayed that the washwoman would live many more years And who would want such a long life the washwoman responded. "I am so tired of working, and i do not want to be a burden to anyone.” The washwoman finished her tea and promised to return in a few weeks. But she never came back. On the night she sat in our kitchen, her work was finally doneOur washwoman was small, old and wrinkled. When she started washing for us, she was already past seventy. But she was proud and strong from her lifetime of hard work. Every two weeks, my mother would give her a large bundle of laundry, and the washwoman would put it on her narrow shoulders and carry it all the way home. And without fail, she would bring our clothes back two weeks later, cleaned and neatly folded. The washwoman had a wealthy, ungrateful son who did not help his mother. But she never complained. She quietly did her work and asked no one for help. Pre-reading Activities One time, however, the washwoman did not return as expected. One month passed and then another, and we became very worried. Finally, one evening, the door opened and the washwoman entered with a huge bundle of laundry on her back. We could see that she was even thinner now and more bent. As she sat warming herself with her cup of tea, she told us that she had been very, very ill. “But I could not rest easy in my bed because of the wash,” she said. “The wash would not let me die.” My mother prayed that the washwoman would live many more years. “And who would want such a long life!” the washwoman responded. “I am so tired of working, and I do not want to be a burden to anyone.” The washwoman finished her tea and promised to return in a few weeks. But she never came back. On the night she sat in our kitchen, her work was finally done