THE CLOCK 123
we only thought at first that robbers had descended upon our house, and were firing guns, and we could not move for terror. For one minute we looked at one another, and then with one accord we began to call out, "Help ! help ! help !" and my mother was so carried away that she clasped me in her arms and cried:
"My child, my life for yours, woe is me !"
"Ha? What? What is the matter with him? What has happened?" exclaimed my father.
"Nothing ! nothing ! hush ! hush !" cried Aunt Yente, gesticulating wildly, and the maid came running in from the kitchen, more dead than alive.
"Who screamed ? What is it ? Is there a fire ? What is on fire? Where?"
"Fire? fire? Where is the fire?" we all shrieked. "Help ! help ! Gewalt, Jews, to the rescue, fire, fire !"
"Which fire ? what fire ? where fire ? ! Fire take you, you foolish girl, and make cinders of you!" scolded Aunt Yente at the maid. "Now she must come, as though we weren't enough before! Fire, indeed, says she ! Into the earth with you, to all black years ! Did you ever hear of such a thing ? What are you all yelling for? Do you know what it was that frightened you? The best joke in the world, and there's nobody to laugh with! God be with you, it was the clock falling onto the floor now you know! You hung every sort of thing onto it, and now it is fallen, weighing at least three pud. And no wonder! A man wouldn't have fared better. Did you ever ? !"
It was only then we came to our senses, rose one by one from the table, went to the clock, and saw it lying
