He wanted to talk to Maciek, but he was asleep; he tried Magda and found her absorbed in the baby; he was afraid of Jendrek's dragging him out of doors if he spoke to him. At last he clung to his mother, but she was cross because of the fire and pushed him away. 'A likely thing I should amuse you, when the dinner is being spoilt!' He roamed about again, then leant against his father's knee. 'Daddy,' he said in a low voice, 'why is the storm so bad?' 'Who knows?' 'Is God doing it?' 'It must be God.' Stasiek began to feel a little more cheerful, but his father happened to shift his position, and the child thought he had been pushed away again. He crept under the bench where Burek lay, and although the dog was soaking wet, he pressed close to him and laid his head on the faithful creature. Unluckily his mother caught sight of him. 'Whatever's the matter with the boy?' she cried. 'Just you come away from there, or the lightning will strike you! Out into the passage, Burek!' She looked for a piece of wood, and the dog crept out with his tail between his legs. Stasiek was left again to his restlessness, alone in a roomful of people. Even his mother was now struck by his miserable face and gave him a piece of bread to comfort him. He bit off a mouthful, but could not swallow it and burst into tears. 'Good gracious, Stasiek, what's the matter? Are you frightened?' 'No.' 'Then why are you so queer?' 'It hurts me here,' he said, pointing to his chest. Slimak, who was depressed himself, thinking of his harvest, drew him to his knee, saying: 'Don't worry! God may destroy our crop, but we won't starve all the same. He is the smallest, and yet he has more sense than the others,' he said, turning to his wife; 'he's worrying about the gospodarstwo.' Gradually, as the storm abated, the roar of the river struck them afresh. Slimak quickly drew on his boots. 'Where are you going?' asked his wife. 'Something's wrong outside.' He went and returned breathlessly. 'I say! It's just as I thought.' 'Is it the corn?' 'No, that hasn't suffered much, but the dam is broken.' 'Jesus! Jesus!' 'The water is up to our yard. Those scoundrel Swabians have dammed up their fields, and that has taken some more off the hill.' 'Curse them!' 'Have you looked into the stable?' asked Maciek. 'Is it likely I shouldn't? There's water in the stable, water in the cowshed, look! even the passage is flooded; but the rain is stopping, we must bale out.' 'And the hay?' 'That will dry again if God gives fine weather.' Soon the entire household were baling in the house and farm-buildings; the fire was burning brightly, and the sun peeped out from behind the clouds. On the other bank of the river the Germans were at work. Barelegged, and armed with long poles, they waded carefully through the flooded fields towards the river to catch the drifting logs.