hen all at once the oppressive gloom and terror passed away, the dark
curtain was torn from heaven, and far above there appeared the holy city
Jerusalem, with its towers and gates; the Temple gleamed in golden
splendor, and in its fore-court Sara saw her father in his yellow
Sabbath dressing-gown, smiling as if well pleased. All her friends and
relatives were looking out from the round windows of the Temple,
cordially greeting her; in the Holy of Holies knelt pious King David,
with his purple mantle and golden crown; sweetly rang his song and the
tones of his harp, and smiling happily, Beautiful Sara awoke.

CHAPTER II

As Beautiful Sara opened her eyes they were almost dazzled by the rays
of the sun. The high towers of a great city rose before her, and Dumb
William, with his oar upright, was standing in the boat, pushing and
guiding it through the lively confusion of many vessels, gay with their
pennons and streamers, whose crews were either gazing idly at
passers-by, or else were busily loading with chests, bales, and casks
the lighters which were to bear them to the shore. And with it all was a
deafening noise, the constant halloh cry of steersmen, the calling of
traders from the shore, and the scolding of the custom-house officials
who, in their red coats and with their white maces and white faces,
jumped from boat to boat.

"Yes, Beautiful Sara," said the Rabbi, cheerfully smiling to his wife,
"this is the famous, free, imperial, and commercial city of
Frankfort-on-the-Main, and we are now passing along the river Main. Do
you see those pleasant-looking houses up there, surrounded by green
hills? That is Sachsenhausen, from which our lame Gumpert brings us the
fine myrrh for the Feast of the Tabernacles. Here you see the strong
Main Bridge with its thirteen arches, over which many men, wagons, and
horses can safely pass. In the middle of it stands the little house
where Aunty Taeubchen says there lives a baptized Jew, who pays six
farthings, on account of the Jewish community, to every man who brings
him a dead rat; for the Jews are obliged to deliver annually to the
State council five thousand rats' tails for tribute."

At the thought of this war, which the Frankfort Jews were obliged to
wage with the rats, Beautiful Sara burst out laughing. The bright
sunlight, and the new gay world now before her, had driven all the
terrors and horrors of the past night from her soul, and as she was
helped ashore from the b