Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rewards and Fairies
and I sat down. The fat man went back to his fiddling. ‘“Ho!” he says, and he shoves two bottles at me. “What’s
‘“Toby!” says the Indian after quite a while. “I brought the those?”
boy to be fed, not hit.”
‘“Calomel,” I says. “And t’other’s senna.
‘“What?” says Toby, “I thought it was Gert Schwankfelder.” ‘“Right,” he says. “One week have I tried to teach Gert
He put down his fiddle and took a good look at me. Schwankfelder the difference between them, yet he cannot
“Himmel!” he says. “I have hit the wrong boy. It is not the tell. You like to fiddle?” he says. He’d just seen my kit on the
new boy. Why are you not the new boy? Why are you not floor.
Gert Schwankfelder?”
‘“Oh yes!” says I,
‘“I don’t know,” I said. “The gentleman in the pink blanket ‘“Oho!” he says. “What note is this?” drawing his bow across.
brought me.”
‘He meant it for A, so I told him it was.
‘Says the Indian, “He is hungry, Toby. Christians always ‘“My brother,” he says to the Indian. “I think this is the
feed the hungry. So I bring him.”
hand of Providence! I warned that Gert if he went to play
‘“You should have said that first,” said Toby. He pushed upon the wharves any more he would hear from me. Now
plates at me and the Indian put bread and pork on them, and look at this boy and say what you think.”
a glass of Madeira wine. I told him I was off the French ship, ‘The Indian looked me over whole minutes—there was a
which I had joined on account of my mother being French. musical clock on the wall and dolls came out and hopped while
That was true enough when you think of it, and besides I saw the hour struck. He looked me over all the while they did it.
that the French was all the fashion in Philadelphia. Toby and ‘“Good,” he says at last. “This boy is good.”
the Indian whispered and I went on picking up the pills. ‘“Good, then,” says Toby. “Now I shall play my fiddle and
‘“You like pills—eh?” says Toby. ‘“No,” I says. “I’ve seen you shall sing your hymn, brother. Boy, go down to the bak-
our ship’s doctor roll too many of em.’
ery and tell them you are young Gert Schwankfelder that
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