5 Gimpel the Fool.docx

5 Gimpel the Fool.docx

《5 Gimpel the Fool.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《5 Gimpel the Fool.docx（10页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

5GimpeltheFool

GimpeltheFool

I

IamGimpelthefool.Idon’tthinkmyselfafool.Onthecontrary.Butthat’swhatfolkscallme.TheygavemethenamewhileIwasstillinschool.Ihadsevennamesinall:

imbecile,donkey,flax-head,dope,glump,ninny,andfool.Thelastnamestuck.Whatdidmyfoolishnessconsistof?

Iwaseasytotakein.Theysaid,“Gimpel,youknowtherabbi’swifehasbeenbroughttochildbed?

”SoIskippedschool.Well,itturnedouttobealie.HowwasIsupposedtoknow?

Shehadn’thadabigbelly.ButIneverlookedatherbelly.Wasthatreallysofoolish?

Theganglaughedandhee-hawed,stompedanddancedandchantedagood-nightprayer.Andinsteadoftheraisinstheygivewhenawoman’slyingin,theystuffedmyhandfullofgoatturds.Iwasnoweakling.IfIslappedsomeonehe’dseeallthewaytoCracow.ButI’mreallynotasluggerbynature.Ithinktomyself:

Letitpass.Sotheytakeadvantageofme.

Iwascominghomefromschoolandheardadogbarking.I’mnotafraidofdogs,butofcourseIneverwanttostartupwiththem.Oneofthemmaybemad,andifhebitesthere’snotaTartarintheworldwhocanhelpyou.SoImadetracks.ThenIlookedaroundandsawthewholemarketplacewildwithlaughter.ItwasnodogatallbutWolf-LeibtheThief.HowwasIsupposedtoknowitwashe?

Itsoundedlikeahowlingbitch.

Whentheprankstersandleg-pullersfoundthatIwaseasytofool,everyoneofthemtriedhisluckwithme.“GimpeltheCzariscomingtoFrampol;Gimpel,themoonfelldowninTurbeen;Gimpel,littleHodelFurpiecefoundatreasurebehindthebathhouse.”AndIlikeagolembelievedeveryone.Inthefirstplace,everythingispossible,asitiswrittenintheWisdomoftheFathers,I’veforgottenjusthow.Second,Ihadtobelievewhenthewholetowncamedownonme!

IfIeverdaredtosay,“Ah,you’rekidding!

”therewastrouble.Peoplegotangry.‘Whatdoyoumean!

Youwanttocalleveryonealiar?

”WhatwasItodo?

Ibelievedthem,andIhopeatleastthatdidthemsomegood.

Iwasanorphan.Mygrandfatherwhobroughtmeupwasalreadybenttowardthegrave.Sotheyturnedmeovertoabaker,andwhatatimetheygavemethere!

Everywomanorgirlwhocametobakeabatchofnoodleshadtofoolmeatleastonce.“Gimpel,there’safairinheaven;Gimpel,therabbigavebirthtoacalfintheseventhmonth;Gimpel,acowflewovertheroofandlaidbrasseggs.”Astudentfromtheyeshivacameoncetobuyaroll,andhesaid,“You,Gimpel,whileyoustandherescrapingwithyourbaker’sshoveltheMessiahhascome.Thedeadhavearisen.”“Whatdoyoumean?

”Isaid.“Iheardnooneblowingtheram’shorn!

”Hesaid,“Areyoudeaf?

”Andallbegantocry,“Weheardit,weheard!

”ThenincameRietzetheCandle-dipperandcalledoutinherhoarsevoice,“Gimpel,yourfatherandmotherhavestoodupfromthegrave.They’relookingforyou.”

Totellthetruth,Iknewverywellthatnothingofthesorthadhappened,butallthesame,asfolksweretalking,Ithrewonmywoolvestandwentout.Maybesomethinghadhappened.WhatdidIstandtolosebylooking?

Well,whatacatmusicwentup!

AndthenItookavowtobelievenothingmore.Butthatwasnogoeither.TheyconfusedmesothatIdidn’tknowthebigendfromthesmall.

Iwenttotherabbitogetsomeadvice.Hesaid,“Itiswritten,bettertobeafoolallyourdaysthanforonehourtobeevil.Youarenotafool.Theyarethefools.ForhewhocauseshisneighbortofeelshamelosesParadisehimself.”Neverthelesstherabbi’sdaughtertookmein.AsIlefttherabbinicalcourtshesaid,“Haveyoukissedthewallyet?

”Isaid,“No;whatfor?

”Sheanswered,“It’sthelaw;you’vegottodoitaftereveryvisit.”Well,theredidn’tseemtobeanyharminit.Andsheburstoutlaughing.Itwasafinetrick.Sheputoneoveronme,allright.

Iwantedtogoofftoanothertown,buttheneveryonegotbusymatchmaking,andtheywereaftermesotheynearlytoremycoattailsoff.TheytalkedatmeandtalkeduntilIgotwaterontheear.Shewasnochastemaiden,buttheytoldmeshewasvirginpure.Shehadalimp,andtheysaiditwasdeliberate,fromcoyness.Shehadabastard,andtheytoldmethechildwasherlittlebrother.Icried,“You’rewastingyourtime.I’llnevermarrythatwhore.”Buttheysaidindignantly,“Whatawaytotalk!

Aren’tyouashamedofyourself?

Wecantakeyoutotherabbiandhaveyoufinedforgivingherabadname.”IsawthenthatIwouldn’tescapethemsoeasilyandIthought:

They’resetonmakingmetheirbutt.Butwhenyou’remarriedthehusband’sthemaster,andifthat’sallrightwithherit’sagreeabletometoo.Besides,youcan’tpassthroughlifeunscathed,norexpectto.

Iwenttoherclayhouse,whichwasbuiltonthesand,andthewholegangholleringandchorusing,cameafterme.Theyactedlikebear-baiters.Whenwecametothewelltheystoppedallthesame.TheywereafraidtostartanythingwithElka.Hermouthwouldopenasifitwereonahinge,andshehadafiercetongue.Ienteredthehouse.Lineswerestrungfromwalltowallandclothesweredrying.Barefootshestoodbythetub,doingthewash.Shewasdressedinawornhand-me-downgownofplush.Shehadherhairputupinbraidsandpinnedacrossherhead.Ittookmybreathaway,almost,thereekofitall. 

EvidentlysheknewwhoIwas.Shetookalookatmeandsaid,“Lookwho’shere!

He’scome,thedrip.Grabaseat.”

Itoldherall;Ideniednothing.“Tellmethetruth,”Isaid,“areyoureallyavirgin;andisthatmischievousYechielactuallyyourlittlebrother?

Don’tbedeceitfulwithme,forI’manorphan.”

“I’manorphanmyself,”sheanswered,“andwhoevertriestotwistyouup,maytheendofhisnosetakeatwist.Butdon’tletthemthinktheycantakeadvantageofme.Iwantadowryoffiftyguilders,andletthemtakeupacollectionbesides.Otherwisetheycankissmyyou-know-what.”Shewasveryplainspoken.Isaid,“It’sthebrideandnotthegroomwhogivesadowry.”Thenshesaid,“Don’tbargainwithme.Eitheraflat‘yes’oraflat‘no’—Gobackwhereyoucamefrom.”

Ithought:

Nobreadwilleverbebakedfromthisdough.Butoursisnotapoortown.Theyconsentedtoeverythingandproceededwiththewedding.Itsohappenedthattherewasadysenteryepidemicatthetime.Theceremonywasheldatthecemeterygates,nearthelittlecorpse-washinghut.Thefellowsgotdrunk.WhilethemarriagecontractwasbeingdrawnupIheardthemostpioushighrabbiask,“Isthebrideawidoworadivorcedwoman?

”Andthesexton’swifeansweredforher,“Bothawidowanddivorced.”Itwasablackmomentforme.ButwhatwasItodo,runawayfromunderthemarriagecanopy?

”

Therewassinginganddancing.Anoldgrannydancedoppositeme,huggingabraidedwhitechalah.Themasterofrevelsmadea‘God‘amercy’inmemoryofthebride’sparents.Theschoolboysthrewburrs,asonTisheb’Avfastday.Therewerealotofgiftsafterthesermon:

anoodleboard,akneadingtrough,abucket,brooms,ladies,householdarticlesgalore.ThenItookalookandsawtwostrappingyoungmencarryingacrib.“Whatdoweneedthisfor?

”Iasked.Sotheysaid,“Don’trackyourbrainsaboutit.It’sallright,it’llcomeinhandy.”IrealizedIwasgoingtoberooked.Takeitanotherwaythough,whatdidIstandtolose?

Ireflected:

I’llseewhatcomesofit.Awholetowncan’tgoaltogethercrazy.

II

AtnightIcamewheremywifelay,butshewouldn’tletmein.“Say,lookhere,isthiswhattheymarriedusfor?

”Isaid.Andshesaid,“Mymonthlyhascome.”“Butyesterdaytheytookyoutotheritualbath,andthat’safterward,isn’titsupposedtobe?

”“Todayisn’tyesterday,”saidshe,“andyesterday’snottoday.Youcanbeatitifyoudon’tlikeit.”Inshort,Iwaited.

Notfourmonthslatershewasinchildbed.Thetownsfolkhidtheirlaughterwiththeirknuckles.ButwhatcouldIdo?

Shesufferedintolerablepainsandclawedatthewalls.“Gimpel,”shecried,“I’mgoing.Forgiveme!

”Thehousefilledwithwomen.Theywereboilingpansofwater.Thescreamsrosetothewelkin.

ThethingtodowastogotheHouseofPrayertorepeatPsalms,andthatwaswhatIdid.

Thetownsfolklikedthat,allright.IstoodinacornersayingPsalmsandprayers,andtheyshooktheirheadsatme.“Pray,pray!

”theytoldme.“Prayernevermadeanywomanpregnant.”Oneofthecongregationputastrawtomymouthandsaid,“Hayforthecows.”Therewassomethingtothattoo,byGod!

Shegavebirthtoaboy.FridayatthesynagoguethesextonstoodupbeforetheArk,poundedonthereadingtable,andannounced,“ThewealthyRebGimpelinvitesthecongregationtoafeastinhonorofthebirthofason.”ThewholeHouseofPrayerrangwithlaughter.Myfacewasflaming.ButtherewasnothingIcoulddo.Afterall,Iwastheoneresponsibleforthecircumcisionhonorsandrituals.

Halfthetowncamerunning.Youcouldn’twedgeanothersoulin.Womenbroughtpepperedchickpeas,andtherewasakegofbeerfromthetavern.Iateanddrankasmuchasanyone,andtheyallcongratulatedme.Thentherewasacircumcision,andInamedtheboyaftermyfather,mayherestinpeace.WhenallweregoneandIwasleftwithmywifealone,shethrustherheadthroughthebed-curtainandcalledmetoher.

“Gimpel,”saidshe,“whyareyousilent?

Hasyourshipgoneandsunk?

”

“WhatshallIsay?

’Ianswered.“Afinethingyou’vedonetome!

Ifmymotherhadknownofitshe’dhavediedasecondtime.”

Shesaid,“Areyoucrazy,orwhat?

’

“Howcanyoumakesuchafool,”Isaid,“ofonewhoshouldbethefordandmaster?

”

“What’sthematterwithyou?

”shesaid.“Whathaveyoutakenitintoyourheadtoimagine?

”

IsawthatImustspeakbluntlyandopenly.“Doyouthinkthisistheway