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Reb Journal!!! I have so much to tell you now!
First, Shprintze came upon me while I was writing in you last and begged me to read some to her. Of course, I made her promise not to tell anyone that I had a journal, and even after that, I made up half of what I told her was written in your pages. Of all my sisters, Shprintze is the one with the longest tongue, next to me of course. I accidentally let it slip to Perchik that Hodel had a crush on Mendel.
That is another thing that has happened. Perchik! He is a student from Kiev who Papa bought home to give lessons to Shprintze and Beilke. He, at first, thought that he was also to teach me. Shortly after Sabbath, he handed me a book and wanted to know if I could read the first sentence. I just smiled at him, and taking the book, read the entire first paragraph aloud. I looked up at Perchik, not to his eyes though, and asked if he would like me to translate it into Yiddish. Well, Reb Journal, I have never seen a man become so embarrassed. Papa pulled me aside afterwards and scolded me lightly for "wounding that man's pride," but he did so with a smile on his face, and I could tell he was proud.
Since then, Perchik and I have had a new respect for each other. Which leads to today's events...
Papa came home late last night, drunk as a fool, again. As Tzeitel saw him falling into the house, she ran the bed and buried her head beneath her pillow. Seeing Papa in that state was not a good sign.
We didn't see him again till this afternoon.
Tzeitel was in the barn, milking our new dairy cow, while Hodel was washing clothes in the yard. I was with her, churning butter and Perchik was giving crazy lessons to Shprintze and Beilke not far away. He was telling them the story of Laban and Jacob, and how Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his older, and uglier, daughter, Leah rather then Rachel, the beautiful, who Jacob had fallen in love with. But in order to marry Rachel, Jacob was forced to work a total of 14 years.
"You see, children," Perchik preached, "The Good Book clearly teaches us, you must never trust an employer!"
I just shook my head, and looked to Hodel, who in turn was staring at Perchik in utter disgust.
Suddenly Mama came barging through the gate. "Papa isn't up yet?"
"No, Mama," said Hodel, looking up from the soapy tin of clothes.
Mama turned right around and demanded that Shprintze and Beilke had had "enough lessons" and that "we have to do Papa's work today." Then she went off like a mad-woman! "How long can he sleep?" she asked us, waving her arms around, then turned back on my little sisters, who had no time to even move. "I said enough! Go clean the barn!" Looking back at Hodel, she added "call me when Papa gets up" before heading off into the house.
Hodel, after nodding to Mama, turned on Perchik, showing off her 'quick and witty tongue.'
"That was an interesting lesson, Perchik," she said in an innocent voice, keeping her eyes on her washing. All I could do was smile. Now he was in for it. Once Hodel starts, there is no way of stopping her short of the Sabbath.
"Do you think so?" He asked back, plain as day. Perchik, obviously, has not been around enough to know when Hodel is in one of her 'moods.'
"Although, I don't know if the Rabbi would agree with your interpretation."
"And neither, I suppose, would the Rabbi's son."
I was stunned, Reb Journal. No one in my family has been able to outwit Hodel in the longest time. Then I remembered where exactly Perchik had gotten that little bit of information, and Hodel figured it out pretty quickly.
"My little sisters have big tongues," she snapped, turning on me. I just smiled, probably looking terrified, grabbed my churn, and ran for the safe haven of the barn.
Tzeitel was there...
So was Motel.
Reb Journal, you'll have to pardon me, but those two need to find a more private spot to "talk," as they insist they were doing. What if I had been Mama, or even Papa?!
Well, we all went back to our jobs; me churning as Tzeitel milked the cow with Motel watching her intently. We stayed that way until Hodel came to get Tzeitel. Papa was awake and wanted her.
Of course, she ran right out. Hodel and I followed, leaving Motel behind.
"Tzeitel, my lamb! Come here..." Papa called her. "Tzeitel, you are to be congratulated. You are going to be married!"
Married! We were all horrified!
"What do you mean, Papa?" Tzeitel asked, trying to hide the tremor from her voice.
"Lazar Wolf has asked for your hand."
Poor Tzeitel! Lazar is so old, even older then Papa! How ever expect her to marry him?!?
Of course, Mama had something to say, as always. "I knew it! My heart told me this was our lucky day! O dear God, I thank thee, I thank thee!"
Papa, after trying to silence Mama, turned back to Tzeitel. "And what do you have to say, my child?"
"What can she say?" Mama interrupted again. "My first born, a bride! May you grow old with him in fortune and honor...not like Fruma-Sarah, that first wife of his. She was a bitter woman, may she rest in peace..." At this, Mama spat, warding off the evil spirits. "Not like my Tzeitel. And now, I must thank Yente! My Tzeitel, a bride!"
And off she went, like it was her wedding day!
But poor Tzeitel, she just stood there, as cold as stone. Hodel and I could do nothing but wish her a Mazel Tov, and then hurry back to the barn. Right? Wrong.
Motel was still there. We told him everything. I could see his eyes filling with pain, and then he ran from the barn.
Hodel shook her head in dismay, but I wasn't discouraged that easily. I knew Motel better then she did, and I didn't give up hope.
Slowly, crept back out of the barn, and stood by the side of the house. To my surprise, Motel was there, talking to my Papa like a man! He had asked Papa for her hand, and promised that she would not starve, afer making the mistake of mentioning the pledge.
But do you know what my Papa did? He asked them, "when shall we make the wedding?"
Reb Journal, I have never been happier for my sister! She is going to marry Motel, not Lazar, in about a month's time. Everyone is excited, hussling around already, making preparations even though they have been engaged less then twelve hours.
I must go now...Mama has cooked a large feast...unfortunately, she still thinks that Tzeitel is to marry Lazar. I wonder how Papa will explain this to her...
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Reb Journal!!! I have so much to tell you now!
First, Shprintze came upon me while I was writing in you last and begged me to read some to her. Of course, I made her promise not to tell anyone that I had a journal, and even after that, I made up half of what I told her was written in your pages. Of all my sisters, Shprintze is the one with the longest tongue, next to me of course. I accidentally let it slip to Perchik that Hodel had a crush on Mendel.
That is another thing that has happened. Perchik! He is a student from Kiev who Papa bought home to give lessons to Shprintze and Beilke. He, at first, thought that he was also to teach me. Shortly after Sabbath, he handed me a book and wanted to know if I could read the first sentence. I just smiled at him, and taking the book, read the entire first paragraph aloud. I looked up at Perchik, not to his eyes though, and asked if he would like me to translate it into Yiddish. Well, Reb Journal, I have never seen a man become so embarrassed. Papa pulled me aside afterwards and scolded me lightly for "wounding that man's pride," but he did so with a smile on his face, and I could tell he was proud.
Since then, Perchik and I have had a new respect for each other. Which leads to today's events...
Papa came home late last night, drunk as a fool, again. As Tzeitel saw him falling into the house, she ran the bed and buried her head beneath her pillow. Seeing Papa in that state was not a good sign.
We didn't see him again till this afternoon.
Tzeitel was in the barn, milking our new dairy cow, while Hodel was washing clothes in the yard. I was with her, churning butter and Perchik was giving crazy lessons to Shprintze and Beilke not far away. He was telling them the story of Laban and Jacob, and how Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his older, and uglier, daughter, Leah rather then Rachel, the beautiful, who Jacob had fallen in love with. But in order to marry Rachel, Jacob was forced to work a total of 14 years.
"You see, children," Perchik preached, "The Good Book clearly teaches us, you must never trust an employer!"
I just shook my head, and looked to Hodel, who in turn was staring at Perchik in utter disgust.
Suddenly Mama came barging through the gate. "Papa isn't up yet?"
"No, Mama," said Hodel, looking up from the soapy tin of clothes.
Mama turned right around and demanded that Shprintze and Beilke had had "enough lessons" and that "we have to do Papa's work today." Then she went off like a mad-woman! "How long can he sleep?" she asked us, waving her arms around, then turned back on my little sisters, who had no time to even move. "I said enough! Go clean the barn!" Looking back at Hodel, she added "call me when Papa gets up" before heading off into the house.
Hodel, after nodding to Mama, turned on Perchik, showing off her 'quick and witty tongue.'
"That was an interesting lesson, Perchik," she said in an innocent voice, keeping her eyes on her washing. All I could do was smile. Now he was in for it. Once Hodel starts, there is no way of stopping her short of the Sabbath.
"Do you think so?" He asked back, plain as day. Perchik, obviously, has not been around enough to know when Hodel is in one of her 'moods.'
"Although, I don't know if the Rabbi would agree with your interpretation."
"And neither, I suppose, would the Rabbi's son."
I was stunned, Reb Journal. No one in my family has been able to outwit Hodel in the longest time. Then I remembered where exactly Perchik had gotten that little bit of information, and Hodel figured it out pretty quickly.
"My little sisters have big tongues," she snapped, turning on me. I just smiled, probably looking terrified, grabbed my churn, and ran for the safe haven of the barn.
Tzeitel was there...
So was Motel.
Reb Journal, you'll have to pardon me, but those two need to find a more private spot to "talk," as they insist they were doing. What if I had been Mama, or even Papa?!
Well, we all went back to our jobs; me churning as Tzeitel milked the cow with Motel watching her intently. We stayed that way until Hodel came to get Tzeitel. Papa was awake and wanted her.
Of course, she ran right out. Hodel and I followed, leaving Motel behind.
"Tzeitel, my lamb! Come here..." Papa called her. "Tzeitel, you are to be congratulated. You are going to be married!"
Married! We were all horrified!
"What do you mean, Papa?" Tzeitel asked, trying to hide the tremor from her voice.
"Lazar Wolf has asked for your hand."
Poor Tzeitel! Lazar is so old, even older then Papa! How ever expect her to marry him?!?
Of course, Mama had something to say, as always. "I knew it! My heart told me this was our lucky day! O dear God, I thank thee, I thank thee!"
Papa, after trying to silence Mama, turned back to Tzeitel. "And what do you have to say, my child?"
"What can she say?" Mama interrupted again. "My first born, a bride! May you grow old with him in fortune and honor...not like Fruma-Sarah, that first wife of his. She was a bitter woman, may she rest in peace..." At this, Mama spat, warding off the evil spirits. "Not like my Tzeitel. And now, I must thank Yente! My Tzeitel, a bride!"
And off she went, like it was her wedding day!
But poor Tzeitel, she just stood there, as cold as stone. Hodel and I could do nothing but wish her a Mazel Tov, and then hurry back to the barn. Right? Wrong.
Motel was still there. We told him everything. I could see his eyes filling with pain, and then he ran from the barn.
Hodel shook her head in dismay, but I wasn't discouraged that easily. I knew Motel better then she did, and I didn't give up hope.
Slowly, crept back out of the barn, and stood by the side of the house. To my surprise, Motel was there, talking to my Papa like a man! He had asked Papa for her hand, and promised that she would not starve, afer making the mistake of mentioning the pledge.
But do you know what my Papa did? He asked them, "when shall we make the wedding?"
Reb Journal, I have never been happier for my sister! She is going to marry Motel, not Lazar, in about a month's time. Everyone is excited, hussling around already, making preparations even though they have been engaged less then twelve hours.
I must go now...Mama has cooked a large feast...unfortunately, she still thinks that Tzeitel is to marry Lazar. I wonder how Papa will explain this to her...
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