I had brought on his garden. He scrutinized each bed
and examined each little stick. He was so overcome that the tears filled
his eyes. He stood facing me, his hands folded, and he asked me only one
solitary question:

"Why have you done this to me?"

It was only then that I realized the mischief I had done, and whom I had
done it to. I was so amazed at myself that I could only repeat:

"Why? Why?"

"Come," said Okhrim, and took me by the hand. I was bowed to the earth
with fear. I imagined he was going to make an end of me. But Okhrim did
not touch me. He only held me so tightly by the hand that my eyes began
to bulge from my head. He brought me home to my mother, told her
everything, and left me entirely in her hands.

* * *

Need I tell you what I got from my mother? Need I describe for you her
anger, and her fright, and how she wrung her hands when Okhrim told her
in detail all that had taken place in his garden, and of all the damage
I had done to his vegetables? Okhrim took his stick and showed my mother
how I had destroyed everything on all sides, how I had smashed and
broken, and trampled down everything with my feet, pulled the little
potatoes out of the ground, and torn the tops off the little onions
and the garlic that were just showing above the earth.

"And why? And wherefore? Why, Mrs. Abraham--why?"

Okhrim could say no more. The sobs stuck in his throat and choked him.

I must tell you the real truth, children. I would rather Okhrim with the
strong arms had beaten me, than have got what I did from my mother,
before "_Shevuous_," and what the teacher gave me after "_Shevuous_."
... And the shame of it all. I was reminded of it all the year round by
the boys at "_Cheder_." They gave me a nickname--"The Gardener." I was
Yossel "the gardener."

This nickname stuck to me almost until the day I was married.

That is how I went to gather greens for "_Shevuous_."

Another Page from "The Song of Songs"

"Quicker, Busie, quicker!" I said to her the day before the
"_Shevuous_." I took her by the hand, and we went quickly up the hill.
"The day will not stand still, little fool. And we have to climb such a
high hill. After the hill we have another stream. Over the stream there
are some boards--a little bridge. The stream flows, the frogs croak, and
the boards shake and tremble. On the other side of the bridge, over
there is the real Garden of Eden--over there begins my real property."

"Your