veh saw a hungry face before him. He said he would tell this to
the Rebbe, Chayyim Vital, so that he might pray, and the evil spirit, if
such indeed it was, might depart. Meantime he would give orders for two
pieces of bread and two plates of porridge to be taken up to the attic,
so that there should be enough for both, the Porush and the turkey. Reb
Chayyim Vital, however, to whom the story was told in the name of the
Rosh ha-Yeshiveh, shook his head, and declared with a deep sigh that
this was only the beginning!

Meanwhile the Porush received a double portion and was satisfied, and
the turkey was satisfied, too. The turkey even grew fat. And in a couple
of weeks or so the Porush had become so much attached to the turkey that
he prayed every day to be invited for Purim by a _rich_ man, so that he
might not be tempted to destroy it.

And, as we intimated, _that_ temptation, anyhow, was spared him, for he
was invited to dinner by one of the principal householders in the place,
and there was not only turkey, but every kind of tasty dish, and wine
fit for a king. And the best Purim-players came to entertain the rich
man, his family, and the guests who had come to him after their feast at
home. And our Porush gave himself up to enjoyment, and ate and drank.
Perhaps he even drank rather more than he ate, for the wine was sweet
and grateful to the taste, and the warmth of it made its way into every
limb.

Then suddenly a change came over him.

The Ahasuerus-Esther play had begun. Vashti will not do the king's
pleasure and come in to the banquet as God made her. Esther soon finds
favor in her stead, she is given over to Hegai, the keeper of the women,
to be purified, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with other
sweet perfumes. And our Porush grew hot all over, and it was dark before
his eyes; then red streaks flew across his field of vision, like tongues
of fire, and he was overcome by a strange, wild longing to be back at
home, in the attic of the house-of-study--a longing for his own little
room, his quiet corner, a longing for the turkey, and he couldn't bear
it, and even before they had said grace he jumped up and ran away home.

He enters his room, looks into the corner habitually occupied by the
turkey, and stands amazed--the turkey has turned into a woman, a most
beautiful woman, such as the world never saw, and he begins to tremble
all over. And she comes up to him, and takes him around the neck with
he