eserve my
body after death, why have they turned against me on hearing that I
wished for a bit of Palestinian earth while I live? Why are they all so
interested and such good brothers to the dead, and such bloodthirsty
enemies to the living? Why, because I wish to provide for my sad
existence, have they noised abroad that I am a missionary, and made up
tales against me? Why? I ask you, why, Yuedel, why?"

"You ask me? How should I know? I only know that ever since Palestine
was Palestine, people have gone there to die--that I know; but all this
ploughing, sowing, and planting the earth, I never heard of in my life
before."

"Yes, Yuedel, you are right, because it has been so for a long time, you
think so it has to be--that is the real answer to your questions. But
why not think back a little? Why should one only go to Palestine to die?
Is not Palestinian earth fit to _live_ on? On the contrary, it is some
of the very best soil, and when we till it and plant it, we fulfil the
precept to restore the Holy Land, and we also work for ourselves, toward
the realization of an honest and peaceable life. I won't discuss the
matter at length with you to-day. It seems that you have quite forgotten
what all the holy books say about Palestine, and what a precept it is to
till the soil. And another question, touching what you said about
Palestine being only there to go and die in. Tell me, those Palestinian
Jews who were so interested in my death, and brought earth from over
there to bestrew me--tell me, are they also only there to die? Did you
notice how broad and stout they were? Ha? And they, they too, when they
heard I wanted to live there, fell upon me like wild animals, filling
the world with their cries, and made up the most dreadful stories about
me. Well, what do you say, Yuedel? I ask you."

"Do I know?" said Yuedel, with a wave of the hand. "Is my head there to
think out things like that? But tell me, I beg, what _is_ the good to
you of buying land in Palestine and getting into trouble all round?"

"You ask, what is the good to me? I want to live, do you hear? I want to
_live_!"

"If you can't live without Palestinian earth, why did you not get some
before? Did you never want to live till now?"

"Oh, Yuedel, you are right there. I confess that till now I have lived in
a delusion, I thought I was living; but--what is the saying?--so long as
the thunder is silent...."

"Some thunder has struck you!" interrupted Yuedel