about the frontier. Said he: 'As you see me, an _Ish
kosher_ (a ritually correct man), I will do you a kindness, not for
money, but for the sake of the _Mitzvah_ (good deed).' I began to
smell a rat, and thought to myself, How comes it that you know I want
the frontier? Your kindness is suspicious, for, as the moujik says:
'The devil has guests.' But if we need the thief, we cut him down even
from the gallows.

Such a necessary rascal proved Elzas Kazelia. I asked him how much he
wanted to smuggle me across. He answered thus: 'I see that you are a
clever respectable man, so look upon my beard and ear-locks, and you
will understand that you will receive fair treatment from me. I want
to earn a _Mitzvah_ (good deed) and a little money thereby.'

Then he cautioned me not to leave the station and go out into the
street, because in the street were to be found Jews without beards,
who would inform on me and give me up to the police. 'The world does
not contain a sea of Kazelias,' said he. (Would that it did not
contain even that one!)

Then he continued: 'Shake out your money on the table, and we will see
how much you have, and I will change it for you.'

'Oh,' said I, 'I want first to find out the rate of exchange.'

When Kazelia heard this, he gave a great spring and shrieked '_Hoi,
hoi!_ On account of Jews like you, the _Messhiach_ (Messiah) can't
come, and the Redemption of Israel is delayed. If you go out into the
street, you will find a Jew without a beard, who will charge you more,
and even take all your money away. I swear to you, as I should wish to
see Messhiach Ben David, that I want to earn no money. I only desire
your good, and so to lay up a little _Mitzvah_ in heaven.'

Thereupon I changed my money with him. Afterwards I found that he had
swindled me to the extent of fifteen roubles. Elzas Kazelia is like to
the Russian forest robber, who waylays even the peasant.

We began to talk further about the frontier. He wanted eighty roubles,
and swore by his _kosher Yiddishkeit_ (ritually pure Judaism) that the
affair would cost him seventy-five.

Thereupon I became sorely troubled, because I had understood it would
only cost us twenty roubles for all of us, and so I told him. Said he:
'If you seek others with short beards, they will take twice as much
from you.' But I went out into the street to seek a second murderer.
The second promised to do it cheaper, said that Kazelia was a robber,
and promised to meet