The Children Read Online Free PDF Page A

wooden fence. If it came to getting over the fence, no doubt they would find a way.
    â€œMaybe,” he considered, “dey won’ led us in.”
    â€œMaybe.”
    â€œIs duh gaden empty?”
    â€œMaybe.”
    Then they went out in the street together, blinking like two owls in the strong sunshine. Then Ishky saw Marie and Ollie.
    Marie stood near him; Ollie stood on the other side of the street. Marie just stood, staring at the gutter, but Ollie swaggered back and forth, never looking in Marie’s direction. Her long hair curled down to her shoulders, and Ishky wondered what they could find in the garden, when here, outside, Marie was so beautiful.
    â€œC’mon,” Shomake urged.
    â€œAwright.”
    But he stood looking at Marie—and he knew, without seeing, that Ollie had stopped swaggering, and was looking at him. And Marie knew that he was looking at her; she glanced up to meet his eyes.
    How beautiful her eyes were, softly blue, and liquid as water. Why did he want the secret garden, if not for beauty? Then, briefly, Ishky knew what he was to know on and off for many years, that beauty is the truth of the world. He felt that he became bigger and bigger as he looked at her. Inside of him, the words came with a rush, soft words and beautiful ones. “Marie, you are my heart and my desire. You see, I know. You are the world and the skies, too. I could go and die for you, bravely.”
    â€œWhaddya lookin’ at?” she wanted to know.
    â€œNuttin’.”
    â€œC’mon, Ishky,” Shomake said. “Ollie’s comin’.”
    â€œLeddim come.”
    Ishky knew that he was doomed. But if that’s the truth, why then it pays to die for the truth; and life was not much after all, just bickering and fighting. He thought, “I love you, Marie, I love you, I love you. Don’t you know that I love you, how I love you?”
    â€œLookit yer ass!”
    Ollie came across the street. Aching inside of himself, he didn’t want to fight with Ishky any more than he did with Marie. But he couldn’t fight with Marie. Male and female do not strike one another. And Ishky wouldn’t fight—
    â€œLeava alone, yuh dirdy sheeney,” Ollie yelled.
    Ollie was taken off balance. Like a small dog gone mad, Ishky sprang at him, clawing and biting and spitting and kicking; and for a moment his tactics succeeded. Ollie went down with Ishky on top of him, and Ishky fastened his teeth in Ollie’s small freckled nose.
    â€œWow—yuh dirdy Jew basted!”
    Marie danced about in excitement. No matter who won, it was for her. All the fury and wonder of the battle surged into her little head. She had beauty, and that could turn the world over. Would anything else make Ishky fight with Ollie? Let them fight, let them fight!
    Let the world go round—men must fight for women. “Aye—lookit dem!” she yelled to Shomake.
    If his violin had been broken, would it have felt what he was feeling? First there was terror inside of him, and he whispered to himself, “Shomake, run, run.” But he stood still, and then the terror was replaced with hot fury. What right—what right had Ollie, curse him for a little mick bastard, to do what he was doing to his friend Ishky? He wanted to fight; why didn’t he fight? He wanted to pile on top of Ollie; the two of them together could surely whip him. But he didn’t. He simply stood there, watching it. And then he began to sob. And then he could stand there no longer, and he ran down the block, sobbing as if the devil himself were behind him.
    Marie screamed, “Run, run yuh dirdy wop! Killim, Ishky!” But she saw that Ishky would be beaten as he never was beaten before.
    W HAT MADE me fight with Ollie? Did I think I would win? but I knew that I wouldn’t win, and I didn’t mind him calling me a dirty sheeney. My God, if I minded thinks like that, I would be fighting with