The Spanking of Jacob Ciasen.
THE SPANKING OF
JACOB
271
CLASEN.
BY LEE M. FRIEDMAN. ON the 24th of June, 1656, old Jan Vinje, He and his wife tended it as they might have the innkeeper, spanked little Jacob tended a favorite child, and in it they raised Ciasen. Do you ask me how I know this? vegetables that were famous throughout The whole story has stood for almost two New Amsterdam. hundred and fifty years on the court records When the squirrels came down from the of New Amsterdam, where every reader of tree, where they had taken refuge, they start Old Dutch may see it all at a glance. This is ed directly across Jan's sacred "pea patch" how it came about. towards a neighboring grove. The boys, June 24, 1656, was Saturday, and the little carried away with the excitement of the boys in New Amsterdam were excused from chase, made after them right through the school so they might help at home in the peas, never once heeding Jan's warning preparations for the following Sabbath. It shouts. But poor little Jacob could not run was such an extraordinarily beautiful June as fast as the other boys, and so fell into Jan's day that it made every boy long for a holi clutches, and was made to suffer not only day. Little Jacob Ciasen teased his mother for his own sins, but for those of all the to let him go fishing with the other boys, so other boys as well. Jan laid him over his Vrou Ciasen gave him his lunch in a basket knee and spanked him soundly. When he and off little Jacob ran to join his compan let him go little Jacob, forgetful of fish and ions at the river at Schreyer's Hook, near the squirrrels, took the shortest cut for home. Little Jacob did not want his supper. He was present Battery Park. Our story, however, does not begin until lame and only wanted to go to bed. Such an Jacob returned home and would never have extraordinary desire on Jacob's part aroused been written at all had it not been for two great curiosity in the minds of Herr and gray squirrels. Squirrels were too common Vrou Ciasen, who started an investigation in New Amsterdam to interest the boys which led to the discovery of the black and especially. But these two particular squir blue spots that little Jacob was hiding. rels sat in the road winking at the boys in It might be expected that this would end such a tame and friendly manner that Peter our story. But Jan was so indignant that on Dircksen said he was going to walk right up the following Monday morning he went to and catch them, and as soon as he had them the Court of Burgomasters and Schepsafely he would give Jacob one of them, so ens to ask that Herr Ciasen might be or that then each would have a tame squirrel, dered to pay for the damage that little Jacob just like the one Herr Van Leyden had given and the other boys had done. So little Jacob his son Oloff. Unfortunately, however, the had his spanking appear upon the court rec squirrels did not agree to this arrangement. ords of New Amsterdam. Jan complained When the boys ran after them they scam that last Saturday he found in his peas and pered under a fence and up a neighboring corn Herr Clasen's son with three or four tree from the branches of which they mocked other school boys, who did much damage, at their pursuers. Now, where the many- and he requested reparation from Herr Cia storied business buildings stand to-day, be sen. tween Wall Street and Maiden Lane, in 1656 This was too grave a matter to decide off Jan Vinje had a famous "pea patch." This hand, so the Worshipful Court of Burgomas "pea patch" was the pride of old Jan's life. ters and Schepens appointed arbitrators to
