"In ze morning my moder tell my fader dot ce vill go back to Italy, mit
her moder; and my fader say dot ce may, but ce not go.
"Ze peoples come, but my fader bees not dare, and he not make zem any
more mit ze brush, but some my moder make.
"All ze time my fader go vay, and he drink ze beer mit ze bad men; and
ze fire he not get, and he not get ze bread, and too much he strike.
"Von time my moder tell my fader dot ce vill come in ze America, and ce
vill make ze peoples dare mit ze brush, and ce vill get ze money, and
ce vill live; and my fader say dot ce may. Zen my moder say dot ce vill
take ze boys mit her; and my fader say No, he keep ze boys mit him. My
moder say No, ce take ze boys mit her; and my fader say No, he keep ze
boys mit him. Zen my moder say ce vill take ze baby and her little
blind boy mit her, and ce vill come in ze America; and my fader say dot
ce may.
"Zen my moder sell ze ring fon her fing-er, and some ze money ce get,
and some ze money my granfader give her. Zen ce make me mit ze brush. I
sit up in ze chair, and ce look at me, and ce make me all roun mit ze
flowers. Ce make my curls go roun her fing-er, and zen ce make zem mit
ze brush in ze pic-sure, and ce make me mit vings; and ce make in my
hand vot ze boys shoot mit,--not ze gun vot make ze big noise and vot
kill, but ze bow mit ze tring, I not know vot you call it."
"The bow and arrow, Jakey."
"Yes, dot bees it, ze bow and ze arrow; and von time Jeem have shoot
Fred mit it in hees back, and he cry, and he come and he tell my moder
dot Jeem have kill him.
"Ven I bees done, ven my moder have make me, von lady ce come dare and
ce tell my moder, Vot ce make? and my moder tell her dot ce make me mit
ze brush, and ce vill sell me, and ce vill get ze money, and ce vill
come in ze America. Zen von oder day ze lady come dare, and ce give my
moder much ze money, and ce take ze pic-sure avay mit her; and ven ce
have go mit it, my moder ce cry and ce cry.
"Von day my granfader come dare mit ze carriage, and Jeem he go in ze
carriage, and Fred he go in, and my moder ce come in mit ze baby. My
granfader bring me, and he come in, and ze carriage come vay down to
ze--I not know vot you call it, but it bees von big house on ze vater."
"A ship, Jakey."
"Yes, ze ship, mit ze trees vay high, and on ze trees, Fred say, long
tings go vay out like ze sheet; and ze vinds blow in zem, and ze ship
ce go and ce go. My moder ce come in ze ship mit ze baby in von arm,
and my granfader bring me, and Jeem and Fred bees dare; and my
granfader say zey vill go, dot ze ship not come avay mit zem. Zen my
moder ce kiss Jeem and ce kiss Fred, von time and von time, and ce cry
and ce cry; and ce tell zem dot zey vill be good, and ven ce get ze
money, ce vill send it, and zey vill come in ze America mit her. Jeem
say dot ven he bees a man, he vill come in ze America; and Fred say dot
he vill come in ze America ven he bees not a man,--ven he get ze money
he come, and he vill get it.
"My moder ce kiss zem much times, and ce cry too hard dot ce leave zem.
And ce tell my granfader dot he vill not give my fader ze beer? and my
granfader say, No, he not give him, but he vill get it; and my
granfader cry ven he say dot. And my moder tell him dot ven my fader
have not ze money, he vill keep him in ze house mit him? and my
granfader say dot he vill, and he vill keep Jeem and he vill keep Fred
mit him, and he vill make zem go in ze school. Zen my moder tank my
granfader much times, and ce kiss him, and ce kiss Jeem, and ce kiss
Fred; and zey kiss me, and zey kiss ze baby, and zey kiss my moder; and
zey cry and zey go avay, and my moder ce scream and ce cry. Zen my
granfader leave Jeem and Fred, and he come back, and he tell my moder
dot ce not cry; much vords he tell her. Zen he go avay, and ze vinds
blow, and ze ship ce go and ce go.
"Long time ze ship go, much days and much nights. And von time ze vinds
blow too hard, and ze ship go von vay and von vay, and ze vaters come
vay high, and ze vinds make big noise, and it tunder, like ze sky
break; and von ze trees have come crash down on ze ship, and all ze
peoples cry, Gott im Himmel! Gott im Himmel! and all ze time zey cry,
and zey tink dot zey go vay down in ze deep. My moder ce be kneeled
down, mit ze baby in von arm and mit me in von arm, and ce not cry, but
all ze time ce pray and ce pray; and vile ce pray, ze ship come crash
on ze rock, and much ze peoples go vay down in ze vater, and too much
zey cry, too loud. Zen my moder have tie ze baby mit her shawl, and me
ce hold mit von arm, and mit von arm ce hold on ze ship. Von time ze
vater, ven it come vay high, take me avay, and my moder have loss me,
and too loud ce scream, and von man dare he get me fon ze vater mit my
hair, and long time he hold me mit his arm.
"Ven it bees morning, and ze vater not come vay high, and ze vinds not
blow, von oder ship come dare vot have not ze sail, but ce have von big
fire, and all ze time ce go, _burrh! burrh!_ and all ze peoples vot
have not go vay down mit ze fishes come in dot ship, and zey get ze
bread dare, and zey get ze meat dare, and much tings zey get dare.
"Long time zey go in dot ship, and ven zey see ze America, zey come in
von oder leetle ship vot have no tree, vot have no sail, and vot have
no fire, but ze men have ze long sticks, and zey go _so_, and zey go
_so_" (imitating men rowing, with his little hands).
"How did you know that, Jakey; you could not see them?"
"No, I not see zem, but my moder ce tell me; and ven ze leetle boat
have come close up in ze America, mit ze baby in von arm and mit me in
von arm, my moder come out ze leetle boat, and ven ce have valk some ze
vay, ce go down on ze ground and ce pray and ce cry. Not ce feel bad
dot ce come in ze America, but ce bees too glad dot ce have not go vay
down in ze deep mit ze fishes, and ze baby and me mit her dare, vare
von big fish be, vot eat ze peoples."
"Were you not afraid, Jakey?"
"No, I not cry. My moder ce be dare, and ce hold me tight, and I tink
Gott hear my moder vot ce pray."