taring at him. Isshur hated little
children. He could not bear them. "Children," he said, "are naturally
bad. They are scamps and contradictory creatures. Children are goats
that leap into strange gardens. Children are dogs that snap at one's
coat-tails. Children are pigs that crawl on the table. Children should
be taught manners. They ought to be made to tremble, as with the ague."
And we did tremble as if we had the ague.

Why were we afraid, you ask. Well, would you not be afraid if you were
taken by the ear, dragged to the door, and beaten over the neck and
shoulders?

"Go home, wretches. May the devil take your father and mother."

You will tell your mother on him? Well, try it. You want to know what
will happen? I will tell you. You will go home and show your mother
your torn ear. Your mother will pounce on your father. "You see how the
tyrant has torn the ear of your child--your only son." Your father will
take you by the hand to the synagogue, and straight over to Isshur the
beadle, as if to say to him: "Here, see what you have done to my only
son. You have almost torn off his ear." And Isshur will reply to my
father's unspoken words: "Go in health with your wretches." You hear?
Even an only son is also wretches. And what can father do? Push his hat
on one side, and go home. Mother will ask him: "Well?" And he will
reply: "I gave it to him, the wicked one, the Haman! What more could I
do to him?"

It is not at all nice that a father should tell such a big lie. But what
is one to do when one is under the yoke of a beadle?

* * *

One might say that the whole town is under Isshur's yoke. He does what
he likes. If he does not want to heat the synagogue in the middle of
winter, you may burst arguing with him. He will heed you no more than
last year's snow. If Isshur wants prayers to start early in the morning,
you will be too late whenever you come. If Isshur does not want you to
read the portion of the Law for eighteen weeks on end, you may stare at
him from today till tomorrow, or cough until you burst. He will neither
see nor hear you. It is the same with your praying-shawl, or your
prayer-book, or with your citron, or the willow-twigs. Isshur will bring
them to you when he likes, not when you like. He says that householders
are plentiful as dogs, but there is only one beadle--may no evil eye
harm him! The congregation is so big, one might go mad.

And Isshur was proud and haughty. He reduced every one to