Page 74 - Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

Hannah's lips and whispering hoarsely at her. "Hush!
The soldiers will hear."
Turning in Shmuel's arms, Fayge stared at Hannah,
her beautiful face sharp, her eyes nearly all pupil. "How
can you talk like that? Your words will fly up to heaven
and call down the Angel of Death, Lilith's bridegroom,
with his poisoned sword."
GUI shook her finger at Fayge. "Nonsense! You talk
like one of the old women in the village—angels and
poisoned swords. Why not flying chariots and the finger
of the Lord? Chaya does no such thing. How could she?
She is only a child, as you are no longer. She is a child
with too much imagination and stories filling her head.
She has just been recalled by a miracle from the doors
of death. Shame, shame, Fayge, to make her into some
kind of monster."
Rachel interrupted. "Tante Gitl, I think I know what
Chaya is talking about. She told us a story this morning.
About two children named . . ." She thought a mo-
ment. "Yes, Hansel and Gitl."
"Gretel," Hannah corrected automatically.
"Yes, Gretel," Rachel said. "And there is a witch
who shoves little boys into ovens and eats them." She
shuddered and drew a deep breath. "A fairy tale."
"The gas ovens I mean are no fairy tale," Hannah
said.
Gitl raised her chin, squinted her eyes and, ignoring
Hannah, addressed Fayge directly. "See, my almost-
sister-in-law, the child was just reciting a story. And
surely we have more important things to worry about
than bobbe meinses, tall tales." Her hands went up and

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