On one occasion, when I was going to Tchitchick's house, I noticed that Ephraim Log-of-wood was looking at me very curiously. I stopped on the bridge and gazed into the water. Ephraim also stopped on the bridge, and he also gazed into the water. I started to go back. He followed me. I turned round again, to go forward, and he also turned round in the same direction. A few minutes later, he was lost to me. When I was sitting at Tchitchick's table, drinking tea, we heard the black dog barking loudly at some one, and tearing at his rope. We looked out of the window, and I imagined I saw a low-sized, black figure with short little legs, running, running. Then it disappeared from view. From his manner of running, I could have sworn the little creature was Ephraim Log-of-wood. And thus it came to pass-- I came home late that Sabbath evening. It was already after the "_Havdalah_." My face was burning. And I found Ephraim Log-of-wood sitting at the table. He was talking very rapidly, and was laughing with his curious little laugh. When he saw me, he was silent. He started drumming on the table with his short little fingers. Opposite him sat my father. His face was death-like. He was pulling at his beard, tearing out the hairs one by one. This was a sure sign that he was in a temper. "Where have you come from?" my father asked of me and looked at Ephraim. "Where am I to come from?" said I. "How do I know where you are to come from?" said he. "You tell me where you have come from. You know better than I." "From the House of Learning," said I. "And where were you the whole day?" said he. "Where could I be?" said I. "How do I know?" said he. "You tell me. You know better than I." "At the House of Learning," said I. "What were you doing at the House of Learning?" said he. "What should I be doing at the House of Learning?" said I. "Do I know what you could be doing there?" said he. "I was learning," said I. "What were you learning?" said he. "What should I learn?" said I. "Do I know what you should learn?" said he. "I was learning '_Gemarra_' were you learning?" said he. "What '_Gemarra_' should I learn?" said I. "Do I know what '_Gemarra_' you should learn?" said he. "I learnt the '_Gemarra_', '_Shabos_'," said I. At this Ephraim Log-of-wood burst out laughing in his rattling little laugh. And it seemed that my father could bear no more. He jumped up from his seat and delivered me two resounding fiery boxes on the ears. Stars flew before my eyes. My mother heard my shouts from the other room. She flew into us with a scream. "Nahum! The Lord be with you! What are you doing? A young man--a bridegroom-elect! Just before his wedding! Bethink yourself! If her father gets to know of this--God forbid!" * * *