changed , but the same , with ghastly looks and arms that were withered , she appeared to her sons as they returned from the hunt , in the twilight , in the close of the day . at night she darkly unlatched the lodge - door and glided in , and bent over them as they sought to sleep . oftenest it was her bare brow , white , and bony , and bodyless , that they saw floating in the air , and making a mock of them in the wild paths of the forest , or in the midnight darkness of the lodge . she was a terror to all their lives , and she made every spot where they had seen her , hideous to the living eye ; so that after being long buffeted and beset , they at last resolved , together with their father , now stricken in years , to leave the country . they began a journey toward the south . after traveling many days along the shore of a great lake , they passed around a craggy bluff , and came upon a scene where there was a rough fall of waters , and a river issuing forth from the lake . they had no sooner come in sight of this fall of water , than they heard a rolling sound behind them , and looking back , they beheld the skull of a woman rolling along the beach . it seemed to be pursuing them , and it came on with great speed ; when , behold , from out of the woods hard by , appeared a headless body , which made for the beach with the utmost dispatch . the skull too advanced toward it , and when they looked again , lo ! they had united , and were making all haste to come up with the hunter and his two sons . they now might well be in extreme fear , for they knew not how to escape her . at this moment , one of them looked out and saw a stately crane sitting on a rock in the middle of the rapids . they called out to the bird , " see , grandfather , we are persecuted . come and take us across the falls that we may escape her . " the crane so addressed was of extraordinary size , and had arrived at a great old age , and , as might be expected , he sat , when first descried by the two sons , in a state of profound thought , revolving his long experience of life there in the midst of the most violent eddies . when he heard himself appealed to , the crane stretched forth his neck with great deliberation , and lifting himself slowly by his wings , he flew across to their assistance . " be careful , " said the old crane , " that you do not touch the crown of my head . i am bald from age and long service , and very tender at that spot . should you be so unlucky as to lay a hand upon it , i shall not be able to avoid throwing you both in the rapids . " 
the mother .
who was the skull and headless body ?
who was the skull and headless body ?