ASZSZONY SEMEYER'S brother-in-law had a large vineyard and, when it came
time for the vintage, the good woman drove the children over to her
brother's farm. The grapes grew in long lines up and down the hillside
where the sun was strongest. White carts, drawn by white oxen, were
driven by white-frocked peasants. All were decked with grape leaves, all
had eaten golden grapes until they could eat no more, for the great
bunches of rich, yellow grapes are free to all at vintage time. From
these golden grapes is made the amber-hued "Riesling," and the children
enjoyed very much helping to tread the grapes, for the wine is made in
the old-fashioned way, the grapes being cast into huge vats and trod
upon with the feet till the juice is entirely pressed out. The peasants
dance gaily up and down upon the grapes, tossing their arms above their
heads and making great pleasure of their work.
After the long, happy, sunny day the white cart of Aszszony Semeyer
joined the line of carts which wound along from the vineyard, filled
with gay toilers. At her brother's farm they stayed all night, for the
vintage dance upon the grass under the golden glow of the harvest moon
was too fair a sight to miss.
They stayed, too, for the nut-gathering. Hungarian hazel nuts are
celebrated the world over, and the nutting was as much a fête as had
been the vintage. This was the last frolic of the year, and the children
went back to Harom Szölöhoz to work hard all winter. Banda Bela still
helped the swine-herd, but Marushka was no longer a goose girl.
Aszszony Semeyer had grown very fond of the little girl and spent long
hours teaching her to sew and embroider. Many salt tears little Marushka
shed over her _Himmelbelt_, or marriage bed-cover. Every girl in Hungary
is supposed to have a fine linen bedspread embroidered ready to take to
her home when she is married. It takes many months to make one of them,
and Marushka's was to be a very elaborate one.
The linen was coarse, but spun from their own flax by Aszszony Semeyer
herself. In design Marushka's _Himmelbelt_ was wonderful. The edge was
to be heavily embroidered in colours, and in one corner was Marushka's
name, a space being left for the day of the wedding. In the centre was a
wedding hymn which was embroidered in gay letters, and began:
"Blessed by the Saints and God above I'll be
If I do wed the man who loveth me;
Then may my home be full of peace and rest,
And I with goodly sons and daughters blest!"
Marushka worked over it for hours and grew to fairly hate the thought of
marrying.
"I shall never, never marry," she sobbed. "I shall never finish this
horrid old _Himmelbelt_ and I suppose I can't be married without it."
Banda Bela sympathized with her and often played for her while she
worked. Through the long winter the children learned to read and write,
for all children are compelled to go to school in Hungary, and the
Gypsies are the only ones who escape the school room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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