Page 62 - Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

"Even today?" Hannah asked, not sure when today
was.
"Even today," they all said together.
Hannah turned to look at the man Rachel had pointed
out as the badchan. She wondered who he was. The
word seemed to have no easy translation in her head.
As she watched, the tall, skinny man circulated from
group to group. Each knot of people he left was laugh-
ing uproariously. Maybe he was some sort of comedian.
When the badchan got to the girls, he squatted down
in front of them. He was so tall, even squatting, he
towered a full head above Rachel, who was the smallest
of them. Then he began in a sing-song manner to rhyme
about each one in turn. When he got to"Hannah, he
pointed his finger at her and sang:
Pretty girl, with faraway eyes,
Why do you look with such surprise?
How did you get to be sa wise,
Old girl in young-girl disguise.

"That is you, Chaya!" Gitl cried out from behind
them. "What a fine badchan."
Without taking his eyes off Hannah, the badchan
said, "So, your name is Chaya, which is to say, life. A
strong name for a strange time, child. Be good life and
long life to your friends, young-old Chaya." He stood
up slowly, unfolding like some kind of long-legged bird,
and danced away to the next group of villagers.
"Strange," Hannah remarked to no one in particular.
"Well, that is what he is hired to be," Rachel said.

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