FREE WEEKLY SUPPLEMENT TO OUR REVIEW NO. 21 (8352) JANUARY 21, 1938 IN WARSAW. (ISSN 2544-0187) CHILDREN'S AND YOUTH PAPER PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY MORNING CORRESPONDENCE AND MATERIALS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE LITTLE REVIEW NEWSROOM WARSAW, NO. 7 NOWOLIPKI STREET ON A WINTER’S LONG NIGHTS AND BIZARRE DAY DREAMS Today, the teacher advised us that “Maybe they just hid. Maybe A DREAM ABOUT LONG KNIVES AND AN ABYSS gaberdine and with a cane in hand, he we do as many winter sports as we they’ve agreed to play a trick on us.” A MIRROR ROOM This was a Friday evening. Electricity looked like the district rabbi himself. can, especially skating. That’s why “Hello! Leon!” I usually fell asleep with my head sloping suddenly went out, so we went to beds He greeted us and said: we agreed we would meet in Cielętnik Silence. Only an echo responded. to the lower edge on my soft pillow. The earlier than usual. My father opened the “Listen boys, I will take you for this Park after school. “That’s no joke,” said Motek. delightful lethargy would not allow me window to air the room out for the night. trip provided you behave well. Any of As I am not punctual, I was late as “Something must’ve happened to to move higher up the cushion. That’s We mentioned my mother’s departure, you unwilling to obey will get the cat.” usual by 10 minutes. Leon and Motek them.” why my head heavy with thoughts and we talked about the aunts and maybe And then (as in a dream everything were already sitting on a bench. We set off in search of our missing musings rested somewhere at the pil- the uncles. happens right away) we were in the “And where is Maks?” I asked. friends. low’s edge, even if my sore neck called I fell asleep. In my dream, I called park. We formed two factions: the Jews “Probably having his dinner.” After a while, we spotted two hu- out for change of that position. out and shouted with all my strength, and the Egyptians. The Egyptians were Forgetting about Maks, we talked man figures at the bottom of a deep I did not close my eyes. With delight, and ever louder: supposed to hide, and the Jews were to about this and that. Leon was the gorge. I say “human” though as we I watched the windowpane, by then “Catch them!” catch them. Those who caught the most first to notice him. looked at those scrambling snow- dark blue as the clear winter skies They showed me their knives and Egyptians would get candy from the “Oh, here he comes now. But look… covered figures, it was hard to guess behind it. It seemed to me that the told me not to talk or they would kill me. rebbe. I search and search for Egyptians; What’s he carrying?” whether they were people or bears. sky – imprisoned in the glass pane My crying got even louder, until I woke then I hear something splash behind “It’s ice skates,” Motek called. We came up closer. – begged me to remove the glass so everybody up. That is when everybody me. I turn around, and see my brother “After all, he said he was a great “Leon!” I shouted in astonishment. that it could rush into the room with began waking me up. I was grateful for drowning. People try to save my brother, skater. Well, we’ll see; we’ll see “What happened to you two?” its fragrant blue stream. that and told them about my dream. and I just stand on the embankment if he can actually skate down from “Well, we lost it. We didn’t notice The slumber closed my heavy It turned out that the window had and pray that they save him because Zamkowa Hill.” we were skating down at the edge of eyelids, which still held the image of stayed open. Father fell asleep and if he drowned, my father would spank We went up Zamkowa Hill: Maks and a crevasse. And Maks lost his balance. the sky trapped in window glass. My forgot to close it. As our place is on the me hard. Leon with skates in hand, Motek and I tried to catch him by his coat, but he drowsy imagination forced me to drape ground floor, anyone could climb in. We With this prayer, I woke up. I with our sleds. The path was steep is hefty; he pulled me behind him and the pane in a transparent, lightweight searched the premises for any strangers. The next day, I told the rebbe about and slippery. We climbed up slowly, we rolled down to the very bottom curtain. The curtain swayed with soft We looked everywhere. Nobody was my dream. The rebbe fell silent for a long pulling the heavy sleds behind us. here. We’ve been calling out to you and quiet movements and blushed with there. We went to our beds, but could time, and I waited apprehensively as if But the view from the top was for a good half an hour now.” its wonderful pinkiness. In my dream, not get to sleep any more. We had this for a court sentence. worth the trouble. We beheld the “But I called you too. Only an echo I saw how the mirror, which had just strong sense of someone hiding in our Finally, the rebbe said this: entirety Vilnius down below. responded.” reflected the pink fabric, suddenly home. “Listen, son. The fact that your “Oh, how nice it looks,” whispered “Fine, we’ll talk about this later. melted into a silver mist. I felt myself Another time, I dreamed I was skiing brother drowned is a bad omen. Some Maks, who had arrived from Latvia Guys, help us scramble out of this absorbed by that mist and found myself and admiring majestic and captivating misfortune will be visited upon your only recently. wolf’s pit.” in a mirror room. mountains along the way. The farther family. But you can turn that misfor- “Sure thing,” said Motek with pride, Our rescue expedition began its The curtain sways lightly donning I go, the more beautiful the landscape tune around: only pray every Saturday “there's a reason that our city is known cautious descent into the Valley of the its pinkiness against the windowpane, becomes. I climb peaks and ride down, throughout the day, from morning for its beauty. Maksio, you must know White Death, straight at two red-cold behind which the dark blue sky howls and suddenly I fall into an abyss. to night. Come to me once a month that even the foreign press has been noses pointed upward and pleading its cold, moon-cast lament. I slowly regain consciousness. I call passes.” reporting on the beauty of Vilnius.” for a lifeline, which was ultimately I am in the mirror room. Do you out for help. I hear no answer. What will Every Saturday I would pray ear- “Enough of the talking, boys,” Leon formed out of three scarves and one remember? You dreamed of it when- happen to me? Will I remain lying here? nestly. One time, as I stood bent in the called. “Let’s ride!” sweater. ever I spun for you the tales about Won’t anybody come to my rescue and synagogue, an elderly man approached We formed two pairs: Maks and Leon “What a story,” snapped Motek the mirror world. will I perish here? I start crying out me and asked why I wasn’t out playing on skates and Motek and I on sleds. feeling out the slippery ground with I cozy up, with my head in my loud: “Help, help!” with my friends, but continued to pray. The first ride went swell. The sleds his foot. “If my leg slips here, I will grandma’s hands, and we both enter I awaken suddenly. I am overjoyed I told him the whole story. He praised flew downhill as if into an abyss. fall on your heads.” the room’s mysterious depths. Huge as I realize I am not lying alone at the me for listening to the rebbe. We go up the hill once more. “This is crazy!” potted philodendrons don their foliage, bottom of a crevice. I have everybody “God will take pity on you and turn Suddenly Maks exclaims: “It’s worth describing!” and a tiny silver boat looms in the around me. There was some sadness the misfortune away from your home.” “The day is so nice and the course “Let’s send it to the Little Review. middle. Great white flowers bloom in that awakening too: sadness for not My spirits thus raised, I prayed even is great: let’s have a race! I can write it down if you guys want in its depths. being out skiing. more zealously. Of course! We accepted this with me to.” The two of us move slowly through Idzia After a month, I came to the rebbe a Great Lakes’ Indians war cry. “I’ll give you 15 groszy for the the solemn, fragrant stillness of the for further guidance. “Maks and Leon will start straight postage stamp.” room. We carefully brush aside green ONE FRIDAY NIGHT’S DREAM Just as the month earlier, the rebbe down from here,” Motek ordered, “And I’ll donate 10 groszy.” rushes. A boat rocks lightly under our Some superstitious Jews believe that was silent for a long time, before he “while we circle round and down “You’ll get an envelope from me.