protested that " there must be a difference,"
and a " Meister's " son ought not to go
barefooted to school, like the children of wretched
cottagers. From the closet, too, she fetched
a small slate, which she had providentially
purchased for me a few weeks after my birth,
and which now was tied to my neck with
great ceremony ; and, finally, she took me by
the hand and led me to the best room in the
house. There, on the shelf, she showed me
the image of St. Mikolas, with his golden
mitre and crook, and beard of white cotton,
amidst coffee-cups, pewter-pots, and japanned
sugar-boxes. Behind him were two gilt
devils, with their tongues of scarlet cloth
lolling out of their mouths. I stood in the
greatest awe of St. Mikolas.

"Thou hadst better mind what thou art
about," said my mother; "look how St.
Mikolas is staring at thee, and the two devils
are only waiting for the word to fly at thee.
So mind and be a good boy!"

My resolution to be a good boy was so
sincere, that not even the nurse's presents of
apples and cake could induce me to dry my
tears; and thus, with the slate dangling from
my neck, the apples in my pocket, and the
cake in my hand, I went on my way weeping.
Herr Holub, who stood leaning against the
doorposts of the schoolhouse, and who was
taking snuff as usual, received me very
graciously, and gave me his hand to kiss. I
was too innocent to heed the movement, and
the usher, bringing his hand in forcible
contact with my mouth, asked:—" Hast thou
not been told by thy parents to greet thy
master with a respectful inclination, and to
kiss his hand whenever thou happenest to
come into his presence? This once I pardon
thy fault, but this once only."

Saying which, and taking hold of my ear
in a familiar and playful manner, he led me
towards the school-room, which resounded
with the shouts of half-a-hundred uproarious
boys. He seized the lock as if to open the
door, but took a second thought, and looked
through the keyhole. Suddenly, a terrible
noise, like the falling down of half-a-dozen
heavy tables or closets, caused him to alter
his plan of operations again, and to pounce
upon and seize the rioters in the act. He
rushed in, dragging rne along by the ear.
The uproar was hushed in a moment. There
was a quick shuffling of a hundred bare
feet, as every boy strove to regain his place.
In the centre of the room lay the black
ciphering board, which had been detached
from the wall, and by its side Herr Holub's
table, with its four clumsy legs turned upwards.

'Who did this?" cried Herr Holub,
pinching my ear with all the energy of just
indignation." " Who did this?"

No answer.

"I ask you once more! Who did this?"

Still the boys were silent.

"Take care. If you make me angry, it will
be the worse for you all! Who did this?"

"Nobody! " said one of the boys, rising and
trembling violently.

"Am I to understand that the table and
board have left their places without human
agency?"

"Ye—es! " said the boy, and had his ears
boxed for his impertinence.

This powerful argument, and Herr Holub's
threat to award a " pardus " to every boy in
the room, proved more convincing than all the
usher's persuasions; and after many accusations
and denials, the crime was falsely fixed
on a juvenile Jew.

Vain were Herzel Samuel's protestations.
A cloud of witnesses were arrayed against the
unfortunate Hebrew.

"Herzel Samuel, come up! " cried Herr
Holub, turning up his coat-sleeves, and, in
other respects, "clearing for action." He
grasped a large rider, the well-known and
dreaded instrument of his justice. Next,
sitting down on his stool, in the position
prescribed by the ancient Sachsen Spiegel, he
cast a terrible look at the trembling little
Jew, and desired in an awful voice to know
why he had done " all this mischief?"

"By my life, sir, I did not do it. It was—"

He stopped at the name, for, in the farthest
corner of the room, a fist was held up—that
of the real culprit.

Herr Holub, who was a great admirer of
equitable justice, compelled Herzel Samuel
to raise the table, and hang the board up in
its accustomed spot,—a task evidently beyond
his strength, and which he accomplished only
after various unsuccessful attempts. When
he had finished,

"And now," Herr Holub said, "tell me
why did you do this?"

"You told me to hang up the board,"
quoth the Jew.

"I ask why you took it down ? " thundered
the usher.

All the boys laughed, and Herzel Samuel
cried.

"Bring the ' Bock,' and purchase a broom,"
repeated he, taking a kreutzer from a very
long and lank purse.

The Bock and broom were soon in readiness,
and Herzel Samuel's agony was prolonged until
Herr Holub had read prayers. The Jew, who,
during prayers, had been confined in an adjoining
room (for his religion prevented his joining
in an act of Christian worship), was then
brought up again, and Herr Holub proceeded
to belabour the centre of his person with that
modicum of impressive blows, which to the
proficient in Bohemian popular education is known
by the technical appellation of a " Pardus."

Herr Holub had just satisfied the claims of
his duty and of justice, and Herzel Samuel,
bearing the traces of his flagellation in his
every movement, had just gained the last
form, on which he, as an Israelite, was
condemned to sit, when the door opened and
admitted two stout men, whose appearance
sufficed to petrify us with awe. These men