does not want to fall out with her
mother to-day, she wants to be on good terms with everyone.
In the middle of dressing she loses herself in thought, with one naked
foot stretched out and an open stocking in her hands, wondering how the
dream would have ended, if she had not awoke so soon.
Chayyimel, a villager's son, who boards with her mother, passes the open
doors leading to Sossye's room, and for the moment he is riveted to the
spot. His eyes dance, the blood rushes to his cheeks, he gets all he can
by looking, and then hurries away to Cheder without his breakfast, to
study the Song of Songs.
And Sossye, fresh and rosy from sleep, her brown eyes glowing under the
tumbled gold locks, betakes herself to the kitchen, where her mother,
with her usual worried look, is blowing her soul out before the oven
into a smoky fire of damp wood.
"Look at the girl standing round like a fool! Run down to the cellar,
and fetch me an onion and some potatoes!"
Sossye went down to the cellar, and found the onions and potatoes
sprouting.
At sight of a green leaf, her heart leapt. Greenery! greenery! summer is
coming! And the whole of her dream came back to her!
"Look, mother, green sprouts!" she cried, rushing into the kitchen.
"A thousand bad dreams on your head! The onions are spoilt, and she
laughs! My enemies' eyes will creep out of their lids before there will
be fresh greens to eat, and all this, woe is me, is only fit to throw
away!"
"Greenery, greenery!" thought Sossye, "summer is coming!"
Greenery had got into her head, and there it remained, and from greenery
she went on to remember that to-day was the first Passover-cake baking
at Gedalyeh the baker's, and that Shloimeh Shieber would be at work
there.
Having begged of her mother the one pair of boots that stood about in
the room and fitted everyone, she put them on, and was off to the
Matzes.
It was, as we have said, the first day's work at Gedalyeh the baker's,
and the sack of Passover flour had just been opened. Gravely, the
flour-boy, a two weeks' orphan, carried the pot of flour for the
Mehereh, and poured it out together with remembrances of his mother, who
had died in the hospital of injuries received at _their_ hands, and the
water-boy came up behind him, and added recollections of his own.
"The hooligans threw his father into the water off the bridge--may they
pay for it, suesser Gott! May they live till he is a man, and can settle
his a
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