in our town, Mazapevka. The sun barely showed itself. A
sharp wind blew, brought us clouds, tore open our coats, and threw us
off our feet. It was not pleasant out of doors.

Just then the assistants took it into their heads to take us for a walk
outside the town, so that we might play at wars, with swords and
pop-guns and bows and arrows.

It is an old custom amongst Jewish children, to become war-like on the
"_L'ag Beomer_." They arm themselves from head to foot with wooden
swords, pop-guns and bows and arrows. They take food with them, and go
off to wage war. Jewish children who are the whole year round closed up
in small "_Chedorim_," oppressed by fears of the master, and trembling
under the whips of the assistants, when "_L'ag Beomer_" comes round, and
they may go out into the open, armed from head to foot, imagine that
they are giants who can overcome the strongest foe and reduce the world
to ruins. All at once they grow brave. They step forward eagerly,
singing songs that are a curious mixture of Yiddish and Russian.

"One, two, three, four!
Jewish children
Learn the '_Torah_,'
Believe in miracles,
Are not afraid.
Hear, O Israel! Nothing matters.
We are not afraid of any one,
Excepting God."

And we carried out the old custom. We took down our swords of last year
from the attic, and we made bows from the hoops of old wine barrels.
Pop-guns the assistants provided us with, for money, of course--fine
guns with which one could shoot flies if they only stood still long
enough. In a word, we had all the Jewish weapons to frighten tiny
infants to death. And we provided ourselves with food in good earnest,
each boy as much as the Lord had blessed him with, and his mother would
give him, out of her generosity. We arrived at "_Cheder_" armed from
head to foot, and our pockets bulging out with good things--rolls,
cakes, boiled eggs, goose-fat, cherry-wine, fruit, fowls, livers, tea
and sugar, and preserves and jam, and also many "_groschens_" in money.
Each boy tried to show off by bringing the best and the largest
quantity. And we wished to please the assistants. They praised us, and
said we were very good boys. They took our food and put it into their
bags. They placed us in rows, like soldiers, and commanded us.

"Jewish children, take hands, and march across the bridge, straight for
Mezritzer fields. There you will meet the sea-cats, and do battle with
them."

"Hurrah for the