Our Little Roumanian CousinWinlow, Clara Vostrovsky
General
Our Little Roumanian Cousin
Winlow, Clara Vostrovsky
Children -- Romania -- Juvenile literature
As he spoke, one of the little fellows ran up a tree in the yard and
the other began to play with a young puppy. Soon the boys were trying
to help Demetrius teach them to turn somersaults and do other tricks.
They gave this up only when they remembered there were other things to
settle before parting. These things all related to St. George's Day,
or, as it is sometimes called, the "Witch's Sabbath." This would come
the very last of the week. There were mysteries in regard to the day,
for the boys spoke in whispers while Jonitza was trying to make one of
the bears jump through a hoop. He was so much interested in the antics
of the little creatures that he paid no attention until just at leaving
he heard something which made him open his eyes wide. Hidden treasure
was to be found!
On the way home he answered Nicolaia in monosyllables and looked moody,
much to the latter's surprise. "What's the matter?" Nicolaia finally
asked.
For answer Jonitza glared and then burst out with: "What have I done
that you won't let me go with you on St. George's Eve?"
Nicolaia was taken aback. "You've done nothing," he made haste to say.
"But this must be kept a secret and your mother wouldn't like your
going."
"I won't tell her," said Jonitza, wincing a little as he spoke; "that
is--not until--eh--I show her the treasure. Then she won't care."
Nicolaia looked up and down the road as if trying to find a way out of
a difficulty. At last he said faintly, "Well, all right, if you can
meet us in the yard by the cow-sheds at ten o'clock."
On the day before the "Witch's Sabbath," Jonitza watched Nicolaia's
father cut square blocks of turf and place them before every door and
window of the farm-house and stables. "Why are you doing that?" he
asked. The farmer smiled at him but did not answer. Katinka, however,
came and whispered that it was to keep out the witches. She turned
from him to help her father place thorn branches here and there in the
cut turf. Jonitza followed every act with a fascinated air. "What's
that for?" he asked her. "The witches run when they see thorns," she
explained, smiling at the thought.
Two of the men who were helping on the farm at the time, offered to
keep watch all night near the stables lest the witches should charm the
cattle and do them harm. Mrs. Popescu, who heard them make the offer,
asked them if they really believed in witches.
They looked at her with the air of grown up children. "If it wasn't
witches," said one with a triumphant air, "what made old Theodoresco's
cow give bloody milk last year for several months beginning the very
next day after the 'Witch's Sabbath'?" Mrs. Popescu, seeing that it
would be useless to argue the question, left them.
A half hour later, Nicolaia appeared and beckoned to Jonitza to follow
him indoors. Here he took an earthen jar from a closet. "What do you
think that is?" he asked.
"One of your mother's jars," Jonitza answered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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