can you not tell me when the
day is? Why are you silent? Help! Help! Help!

* * *

"God be with you! Why are shouting? Why do you shriek? What is the
matter with you? May the Lord preserve you!"

You will understand it was my mother who was speaking to me. She held my
head. I could feel her trembling and shaking. The lowered lamp gave out
no light, but an oppressive stench. I saw my mother's shadow dancing on
the wall. The points of the kerchief she wore on her head were like two
horns. Her eyes gleamed horribly in the darkness.

"When do I say the mourner's prayer, mother? Tell me, when do I say the
mourner's prayer?"

"God be with you! The anniversary of your father's death was not long
ago. You have had a bad dream. Spit out three times. Tfu! Tfu! Tfu! May
it be for a good sign! Amen! Amen! Amen!"

* * *

Children, I grew up, and Benny grew up. He became a young man with a
yellowish beard and a round belly. He wears a gold chain across it. It
seems he is a rich man.

We met in the train. I recognized him by his fishy, bulging eyes and his
scattered teeth. We had not met for a long time. We kissed one another
and talked of the good old times, the dear good days of our childhood,
and the foolish things we did then.

"Do you remember, Benny, that '_Chanukah_' when you won everything with
the spinning top? The G always fell for you."

I looked at Benny. He was convulsed with laughter. He held his sides. He
was rolling over. He was actually choking with laughter.

"God be with you, Benny! Why this sudden burst of laughter, Benny?"

"Oh!" he cried, "oh! go away with your spinning-top! That was a good
top. It was a real top. It was a pudding made only of suet. It was a
stew of nothing but raisins."

"What sort of a top was it, Benny? Tell me quicker."

"It was a top that had all around it, on all the corners only the one
letter, G."

Esther

I am not going to tell you a story of "_Cheder_" or of the teacher, or
of the teacher's wife. I have told you enough about them. Perhaps you
will allow me, this time, in honour of the feast of "_Purim_," to tell
you a story of the teacher's daughter, Esther.

* * *

If the Esther of the Bible was as beautiful a creature as the Esther of
my story, then it is no wonder she found favour in the eyes of King
Ahasuerus. The Esther of whom I am going to tell you was loved by
everybody, everybody, even by me and by my older brother Mottel,
although he was "_Bar