y, my dear friend,
I sell it cheap!" he begged in a piteous voice.

The Jews burst out laughing.

"What should we want it for now, fool?" "The festival has begun!" said
another. Antosh was confused with his misfortune, he scratched the back
of his head, and exclaimed, weeping:

"Buy! Buy! I want salt, soap! I want petroleum."

The group of Jews, who had begun by laughing, were now deeply moved.
They saw the poor, starving peasant standing there in his despair, and
were filled with a lively compassion.

"A poor Gentile--it's pitiful!" said one, sympathetically. "He hoped to
make a fortune out of his fir-boughs, and now!" observed another.

"It would be proper to buy up that bit of fir," said a third, "else it
might cause a Chillul ha-Shem." "On a festival?" objected some one else.

"It can always be used for firewood," said another, contemplating the
cartful.

"Whether or no! It's a festival----"

"No salt, no soap, no petroleum--" It was the refrain of the bewildered
peasant, who did not understand what the Jews were saying among
themselves. He could only guess that they were talking about him. "Hold!
he doesn't want _money_! He wants ware. Ware without money may be given
even on a festival," called out one.

The interest of the bystanders waxed more lively. Among them stood a
storekeeper, whose shop was close by. "Give him, Chayyim, a few jars of
salt and other things that he wants--even if it comes to a few gulden.
We will contribute."

"All right, willingly!" said Chayyim, "A poor Gentile!"

"A precept, a precept! It would be carrying out a religious precept, as
surely as I am a Jew!" chimed in every individual member of the crowd.

Chayyim called the peasant to him; all the rest followed. He gave him
out of the stores two jars of salt, a bar of soap, a bottle of
petroleum, and two packets of tobacco.

The peasant did not know what to do for joy. He could only stammer in a
low voice, "Thank you! thank you!"

"And there's a bit of Sabbath loaf," called out one, when he had packed
the things away, "take that with you!"

"There's some more!" and a second hand held some out to him.

"More!"

"More!"

"And more!"

They brought Antosh bread and cake from all sides; his astonishment was
such that he could scarcely articulate his thanks.

The people were pleased with themselves, and Yainkel Leives, a cheerful
man, who was well supplied for the festival, because his daughter's
"intended" was stayin