"Did you say odd? May you suffer for ever! Hand them over here. You have lost four nuts." He changed four nuts from his left-hand pocket to the right, shook the cap and said again: "Well, maybe you'll guess right now. Odd or even?" "Even." "Even did you say? May your bones rot! You rascal, hand out here five nuts." "Isn't it enough that I lose. Why do you curse me?" "Whose fault is it that you are a fool and that you guess as a blind man guesses a hole? Well, say again--odd or even? This time you must be right." "Even." "Even? May you live long! Hand out seven nuts, you fool, and guess again. Odd or even?" "Even." "Again even. May you be my father! Good-for-nothing, hand over five more nuts, and guess again. Maybe you will guess right for once. Odd or even? Why are you silent--eh?" "I have no more nuts." "It's a lie, you have!" "As I am a Jew, I haven't." "Just look in your pocket, like this." "There isn't even a sign of one." "None? Lost all the nuts? Well, what good has it done you? Aren't you a fool?" "Enough! You have won all my nuts, and now you torment me." "It's good, it's all right. You wanted to win all my nuts, and I have won yours." Goyetzel was well satisfied that Getzel had lost, whilst he, Goyetzel had won. He felt it was doing him good to win. He felt equal to winning all the nuts in the whole world. "Where are they now, the '_Cheder_' boys? I would have got my own back from them. I would not have left them the smallest nut, not even for a cure. They would have died here on the ground in front of me." Getzel grew angry, fierce. He closed his fists, clenched his teeth, and spoke to himself, just as if there was some one beside him. "Well, try now. Now that I am not by myself. Now that there are two of us. Well, Getzel, why are you sitting there like a bridegroom? Let's play nuts another little while." "Nuts? Where have I nuts? Didn't I tell you I haven't a single one?" "Ah, I forgot that you have no more nuts. Do you know what I would advise you, Getzel?" "For instance?" "Have you any money?" "I have. Well, what of that?" "Buy nuts from me." "What do you mean by saying I should buy nuts off you?" "Fool! Don't you know what buying means? Give me money, and I'll give you nuts. Eh?" "Well, I agree to that." He took from his purse a silver coin, bargained about the price, counted a score of nuts from the right-hand pocket to the left, and the play began all over again. An experienced card-player, the story goes, half an hour before his death called his son--also a gambler--to his bedside, and said to him: "My child, I am going from this world. We shall never meet again. I know you play cards. You have my nature. You may play as much as you like, only take care not to play yourself out."