| Mordocha Gadaliah, living in a wood beyond the village |
| Fraidele, his little daughter |
| An Old Woman |
| Two Men |
Notes
The original title of this play in the Yiddish, “Raisins and Nuts,” is taken from the folk slumber song which Fraidele sings to her brother:
“…Father will buy
Nuts and raisins for you”
In translation it appeared more feasible, owing to the symbolism of the little play, to entitle it “The Stranger.”
Leaving the house, or part of it—as a patch over the door not whitewashed, denotes a house of mourning.
Mezuzeh: (Heb) A tiny parchment bearing an inscription from the Bible, usually rolled into a cylindrically shaped container, with a little peep-hole at the top, and attached to the door posts of Jewish homes. Enjoined by Deut. vi. 9.
Bobbe’she: (Slav) Grandmother; granny. The suffix “she” denotes the affectionate diminutive, equivalent to saying "granny dear.”
Sholem Alechem: (Heb) Greeting; “ Peace be unto Thee.”
Minshitzer: Persons often assumed as their surnames the name of the town in which they lived, in this instance, “Minshitz;" "Er" one who; thus, one who lives in or comes from Mintshitz.
