The Denver Jewish news., 1923-08-02
The Little Jewish Boy
BY MAXIM GoRKY

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When was still young man, was
in the wont of assembling the children
OF our street on Sunday mornings dur
ing the spring and summer and ol
taking them with me through the woods
beyond the city. 1 took great JOY IL
making friends of these little people
who were as happy as birds.
The children were only too glad tt
leave the dusty and narrow streets o1
the city. Their mothers would pro
vide them with slices of bread, while
1 would purchase some sweets ana I'LL
n big bottle with cider, and, like
shepherd, l would walk behind the
cSfe-free little lambs, while we would
pass through the town and the fields tc
the great forest arrayed in its summer
Of the morning dew.
We would always start on our jour-
ney early in the morning when the
church bells would be ushering in the
morning prayers and accompanied by
the sweet chimes and the clouds OF
dust which were raised by the child
ren's feet, we would proceed on our
journey.
In the heat of the afternoon, ex-
hausted from play, my companions
would assemble at the edge of the
forest, and after that, having par
taken of their lunch, the smaller
children would lie down and sleep un-
der the shade of large trees, and the
bigger boys gathering around me
would ask that ! tell them stories and
would relate one story after another,
chattering with as much zest as the
children, and very often l would, de-
spite the self assurance of youth and
the ridiculous pride which springs
from ignorance of life, feel like 20
year-old child among a gathering of
sages. ..
Sailing slowly across the heavens
are white fleecy clouds. Viewed from
the earth, warmed by the sun, the sky
appears so cold and it is wonderful to
behold how the clouds melt away.
And about me-little people, dear
little people, who have been called into
the world to experience all the sor-
rows and all the joys OF life.
These were my happy days, my real
holidays, and my soul already covered
with the dust accumulated through a
knowledge of all phases of life was
bathed and became refreshed in the
clear wisdom of childish thoughts and
feelings.
Once when emerged out of the city
with the crowd of children, we came
upon an unknown Jewish boys he was
barsfoeted and wore a tattered shirt.
He was slim, his eyebrows were black
and his hair grew in kinks like that
Of little sheep.
He was excited and appeared to
have ben crying. His eyelids, swollen
and red, were particularly conspicu-
ous in contrast with his emaciated
face, which was ghostly pale.
Dumping into the crowd Of children.
he remained standing still in the mid
die of the road, burrowing his bare
feet in the dust. Overfaken by fear,
the dark lips of his beautiful mouth
were half opened. One leap and he
was already on the sidewalk.
"Catch him." the children began to
shout, loud and gaily. "a little Jew
boy; catch the little Jew boy"
waited, expecting that he would
run away. Fear spoke through his
thin face and large eyes. His lips
trembled as he stood there with the
shouts and the laughter ringing about
him he stretched, appearing as if he
had suddenly grown bigger, pressed
his shoulders against the fence, and
held his hands back of him. But sud-
denly he spoke; very distinctly and in
Russian he said:
"If you wish L will show you some
tricks" knew his offer was made as
the means of parleying any blows that
might come his way. But the children
were interested. 1t is true that the
larger boys looked with distrust and
suspicion upon the little Jewish boy.
The children of our street were not in
friendly relations with the children of
other streets, our own young ones con-
sidering themselves superior and not
being willing to brook any rivalry in
any feats Of physical prowess.
But the smaller children approached
the matter more simply:
"Show u.s." they shouted.
The handsome, sinewy lad moved
away from the fence, bent his thin
figure backward, and throwing him
self upon his arms with his hands
toward the ground, he remained
standing with his feet high up in the
air, exclaiming:
HHop hon h0n -