He rose from the grass and walked over to the water's edge. The air was warm with the new summer. The two horses moved about near him, like friends. He was young, young! Come, it would be morning soon! Was a sleepy bird already singing a first song? He slipped off his clothes swiftly and dived into the water. When he rose again, the water-drops flung from his hair gleamed like gems. It was cold, harshly, superbly cold; but he shouted for joy as he struck for the bank in the first breath of the morning. The horses rubbed their noses together and communed. GLOSSARY (_The following Yiddish words--mainly, of course, of Hebrew or German extraction--are spelt in such a fashion as rather to recall their actual pronunciation than to indicate what is often a dubious or mixed origin._) _Becher_. Beaker. _Blintsie_. A thin cake, usually of mashed potatoes, and fried in oil. _Bobbie_. Grandmother. _Chayder_. A Hebrew school. _Chazan_. A professional cantor at services. _Davenning_. The reciting of prayers, which must not be interrupted by extraneous matter. _Folg mir_. Obey me. _Gollus_. The dispersion; the exile. _Goyishke_. Gentile (adj.). _Ligner_. Liar. _Machzer_. Festival prayer-book. _Maggid_. Professional orator. _Minchah_. Afternoon service. _Minyon_. The quorum of ten worshippers for prayer. _Mishkosheh_. Be content; that will do. _Mitzvah_. Lit. a command; hence, a pious act. _Nekaveh_. A female. _Perinny_. An exaggerated eiderdown. _Shabbos_. The Sabbath Day, Saturday, on which, among many prohibitions, it is forbidden to ride. _Shiksah_. A Gentile girl. _Shmaltz_. Fat, usually of fowls. _Shmeis_. To give a whipping. _Shool_. Synagogue. _Takke_. Indeed. _Tallus and Tephilim_. Praying-shawl and phylacteries. _Yamelke_. Skull-cap. _Yeshiveh_. A highly advanced _chayder_. _Yom tov_. Lit. a good day; hence, festival. _Zadie_. Grandfather. _The Mayflower Press, Plymouth, England_. William Brendon & Son, Ltd. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Forward from Babylon, by Louis Golding