t sound like 'ice.' She pointed up to the sky, then to my
eyes, then back to the sky, with movements so quick and impulsive that
she distracted me, and I had no idea what she wanted. She got up on her
knees and wrung her hands. She pointed to her own eyes and shook her
head, then to mine and to the sky, nodding violently.

'Oh,' I exclaimed, 'blue; blue sky.'

She clapped her hands and murmured, 'Blue sky, blue eyes,' as if it
amused her. While we snuggled down there out of the wind, she learned
a score of words. She was alive, and very eager. We were so deep in the
grass that we could see nothing but the blue sky over us and the gold
tree in front of us. It was wonderfully pleasant. After Antonia had
said the new words over and over, she wanted to give me a little chased
silver ring she wore on her middle finger. When she coaxed and insisted,
I repulsed her quite sternly. I didn't want her ring, and I felt there
was something reckless and extravagant about her wishing to give it away
to a boy she had never seen before. No wonder Krajiek got the better of
these people, if this was how they behaved.

While we were disputing 'about the ring, I heard a mournful voice
calling, 'Antonia, Antonia!' She sprang up like a hare. 'Tatinek!
Tatinek!' she shouted, and we ran to meet the old man who was coming
toward us. Antonia reached him first, took his hand and kissed it. When
I came up, he touched my shoulder and looked searchingly down into my
face for several seconds. I became somewhat embarrassed, for I was used
to being taken for granted by my elders.

We went with Mr. Shimerda back to the dugout, where grandmother was
waiting for me. Before I got into the wagon, he took a book out of his
pocket, opened it, and showed me a page with two alphabets, one English
and the other Bohemian. He placed this book in my grandmother's hands,
looked at her entreatingly, and said, with an earnestness which I shall
never forget, 'Te-e-ach, te-e-ach my Antonia!'

IV

ON THE AFTERNOON of that same Sunday I took my first long ride on my
pony, under Otto's direction. After that Dude and I went twice a week to
the post-office, six miles east of us, and I saved the men a good deal
of time by riding on errands to our neighbours. When we had to borrow
anything, or to send about word that there would be preaching at the sod
schoolhouse, I was always the messenger. Formerly Fuchs attended to such
things after working hours.

All the yea