A father tells a story about his deceased wife and the mother of his daughters. The daughters listen to his story while their father's new wife goes shopping. Father talks about how he and Mother used to have a tradition each day. During one winters day, Mother would prepare brandy for the both of them after Father returned from work. Father and Mother would drink schnapps, which seemed to glow under the orange lamp above their dining table. One of the daughters, Elsa, asks if Father and Mother ever were hungry. Father explains that he and his wife were not big spenders and they were satisfied with just eating a little and drinking a lot. However, he encourages his daughters to eat as they are still growing. Father describes how Mother used to dance with the brandy bottle on her head and that the liquid inside was colored like caput mortuum--of blood that has been tinged by death. Each night, Mother and Father would dance around until they got very drunk and then fall asleep in the large chair by the fire. Their maid would watch them and get angry at their actions. Eventually, Father would carry Mother to their bed and they would struggle to change clothes and sleep. Each week, the maid would spy on Mother and Father and send letters to their grandmother talking about all of the strange traditions they had. The letters their grandmother would send were always critical of their actions and Mother and Father decided to fire their maid. However, there were many people outside of the house who were similar to the maid. Father talks about how many people outside of their home were jealous of the happiness that he and Mother shared. One day, Mother was drunk on the balcony and dropped alcohol on a man's head, who was walking by their home. A policeman came to check in on them and Mother kept placing flowers into the policeman's belt. The policeman, surprisingly not upset about these actions, left. Despite this, Mother and Father avoided the balcony as many people would walk by their home and stare at them. As another winter came, Father explained that he and Mother would sit by the fire and they would play cards. Mother was often fond of playing with a basket of colored silk. Father explains that he would always hate to leave Mother home alone when he would leave for work. Eventually, he and Mother chose to stay in bed and Father's work fired him. However, this did not upset Mother and Father as they did not eat much anyway. In February, their grandmother began to send letters again and sends her own housekeeper to Mother and Father's home. In an effort to scare the housekeeper, Mother jumped around and tore everything the housekeeper put up until the housekeeper left. However, the housekeeper went to call their grandmother and tell her of the incident. The grandmother came a few days after only to find Mother very sick. Father explains that nurses began to come often and eventually the nurses took Mother to the hospital. Father cries, wishing he would've been able to take care of Mother and give her the alcohol to make her feel better. Eventually, the nurses did let Father into Mother's hospital room and they hugged and cried together. A few days later, the nurses locked Father in a separate room from Mother and he became lonely and wished for a way to feel closer to Mother through alcohol. Father explains that he just wanted something warm because he was so cold in that room. His daughters, hearing this story, begin to cry. The daughters decide that they will work hard to get a good job so they can eventually buy Father his alcohol again. Elsa asks Father what color the alcohol was that Mother used to dance with and Father explains it was caput mortuum. Father explains that he feels like shouting and as he shouts, his new wife returns from shopping.