am
not that sort.

* * *

"Good '_Yom-tov_,' teacher," I cried the moment I rushed into
"_Cheder_," in such an excited voice that he jumped. "My brother Mottel
has sent you a '_Purim_' present, and he wishes you to live to next
year."

And I gave the teacher Esther's letter. He opened it, read it, thought a
while, looked at it again, turned it about on all sides, as if in search
of something. "Search, search," I said to myself, "and you will find
something."

The teacher put on his silver spectacles, read the letter, and did not
even make a grimace. He only sighed--no more. Later he said to me:
"Wait. I will write a few lines." And he took the pen and ink and
started to write a few lines. Meanwhile, I turned around in the
"_Cheder_." The teacher's wife gave me a little cake. And when no one
was looking, I put into Esther's hand the poem and the money intended
for her father. She reddened, went into a corner, and opened the
envelope slowly. Her face burnt like fire, and her eyes blazed
dangerously. "She doesn't seem to be satisfied with the '_Purim_'
present," I thought. I took from the teacher the few lines he had
written.

"Good '_Yom-tov_' to you, teacher," I cried in the same excited voice
as when I had come in. "May you live to next year." And I was gone.

When I was on the other side of the door, Esther ran after me. Her eyes
were red with weeping. "Here," she said angrily, "give this to your
brother!"

On the way home I first opened the teacher's letter. He was more
important. This is what was written in it.

"MY DEAR AND FAITHFUL PUPIL, MORDECAI N.

"I thank you many times for your '_Purim_' present that you have sent
me. Last year and the year before, you sent me a real '_Purim_' present.
But this year you sent me a new translation of the 'Book of Esther.' I
thank you for it. But I must tell you, Mottel, that your rendering does
not please me at all. Firstly, the city of Shushan cannot be called 'our
village.' Then I should like to know where it says that Mordecai was a
young man? And why do you call him Mottel? Which Mottel? And where does
it say he loved a maiden? The word referring to Mordecai and Esther
means 'brought up.' And your saying 'he will go with her under the
wedding canopy' is just idiotic nonsense. The phrase you quote refers to
Ahasuerus, not to Mordecai. Then again, it is nowhere mentioned in the
'Book of Esther' that Ahasuerus went with Esther under the wedding
canopy. Does it ne