Getzel?"

"It's all the same to me."

Getzel sat down on the ground, far beyond the town, behind the mill,
took out the nuts, counted them, divided them in two equal parts, put
one lot in his right-hand pocket, and the other in his left. He took off
his cap, and threw into it a few nuts from his right-hand pocket. He
said to himself:

"They imagine I can't get on without them. Listen, Getzel, what game are
we playing?"

"I don't know. Whatever game you like."

"Then let us play 'odd or even.'"

"I'm quite willing."

He shook his cap.

"Now, guess. Odd or even? Well, speak out," he said to himself. He dug
his elbow into his own ribs, and said to himself:

"Even."

"Even did you say? Who'll thrash you? You have lost. Hand over three
nuts."

He took three nuts from his left-hand pocket, and put them into the
right. Again he shook the cap, and again he asked:

"Odd or even this time?"

"Odd."

"Did you say odd? May you suffer for ever! Hand them over here. You have
lost four nuts."

He changed four nuts from his left-hand pocket to the right, shook the
cap and said again:

"Well, maybe you'll guess right now. Odd or even?"

"Even."

"Even did you say? May your bones rot! You rascal, hand out here five
nuts."

"Isn't it enough that I lose. Why do you curse me?"

"Whose fault is it that you are a fool and that you guess as a blind man
guesses a hole? Well, say again--odd or even? This time you must be
right."

"Even."

"Even? May you live long! Hand out seven nuts, you fool, and guess
again. Odd or even?"

"Even."

"Again even. May you be my father! Good-for-nothing, hand over five more
nuts, and guess again. Maybe you will guess right for once. Odd or even?
Why are you silent--eh?"

"I have no more nuts."

"It's a lie, you have!"

"As I am a Jew, I haven't."

"Just look in your pocket, like this."

"There isn't even a sign of one."

"None? Lost all the nuts? Well, what good has it done you? Aren't you a
fool?"

"Enough! You have won all my nuts, and now you torment me."

"It's good, it's all right. You wanted to win all my nuts, and I have
won yours."

Goyetzel was well satisfied that Getzel had lost, whilst he, Goyetzel
had won. He felt it was doing him good to win. He felt equal to winning
all the nuts in the whole world. "Where are they now, the '_Cheder_'
boys? I would have got my own back from them. I would not have left them
the smallest nut, not even for a cure. They