eliewiesel-nightfulltext_3_26_2014_3_23_04_pm

Recommendations

Info

On the last day of our journey, a terrible wind began to blow. And the snow kept falling. We sensed that the end was near; the real end. We could not hold out long in this glacial wind, this storm. Somebody got up and yelled: "We must not remain sitting. We shall freeze to death! Let's get up and move…" We all got up. We all pulled our soaked blankets tighter around our shoulders. And we tried to take a few steps, to shuffle back and forth, in place. Suddenly, a cry rose in the wagon, the cry of a wounded animal. Someone had just died. Others, close to death, imitated his cry. And their cries seemed to come from beyond the grave. Soon everybody was crying. Groaning. Moaning. Cries of distress hurled into the wind and the snow. The lament spread from wagon to wagon. It was contagious. And now hundreds of cries rose at once. The death rattle of an entire convoy with the end approaching. All boundaries had been crossed. Nobody had any strength left. And the night seemed endless. Meir Katz was moaning: "Why don't they just shoot us now?" That same night, we reached our destination. It was late. The guards came to unload us. The dead were left in the wagons. Only those who could stand could leave. Meir Katz remained on the train. The last day had been the most lethal. We had been a hundred or so in this wagon. Twelve of us left it. Among them, my father and myself. We had arrived in Buchenwald. 103
AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAMP, SS officers were waiting for us. We were counted. Then we were directed to the Appelplatz. The orders were given over the loudspeakers: "Form ranks of fives! Groups of one hundred! Five steps forward!" I tightened my grip on my father's hand. The old, familiar fear: not to lose him. Very close to us stood the tall chimney of the crematorium's furnace. It no longer impressed us. It barely drew our attention. A veteran of Buchenwald told us that we would be taking a shower and afterward be sent to different blocks. The idea of a hot shower fascinated me. My father didn't say a word. He was breathing heavily beside me. "Father," I said, "just another moment. Soon, we'll be able to lie down. You'll be able to rest…" He didn't answer. I myself was so weary that his silence left me indifferent. My only wish was to take the shower as soon as possible and lie down on a cot. Only it wasn't easy to reach the showers. Hundreds of prison- 1<strong>04</strong>
Page 3 and 4:
Also by Elie Wiesel DAWN DAY (previ
Page 6 and 7:
ELIE W I E S E L TRANSLATED FROM TH
Page 8:
In memory of my parents and of my l
Page 11 and 12:
why not for others more deserving t
Page 13 and 14:
the wisdom of their elders understa
Page 15 and 16:
"Well?" The SS had flown into a rag
Page 17 and 18:
were alive when they were thrown in
Page 20 and 21:
Foreword by François Mauriac FOREI
Page 22 and 23:
man—this set of circumstances wou
Page 24:
Almighty to whom my life had been b
Page 27 and 28:
2
Page 29 and 30:
One day I asked my father to find m
Page 31 and 32:
AND THEN, one day all foreign Jews
Page 33 and 34:
news: the daily bombings of Germany
Page 35 and 36:
made no offensive remarks, and some
Page 37 and 38:
small Jewish r e p u b l i c … A
Page 39 and 40:
"There are rumors," my father said,
Page 41 and 42:
By eight o'clock in the morning, we
Page 43 and 44:
My father had accompanied the depor
Page 45 and 46:
We finally arrived at our destinati
Page 47 and 48:
and the wine and swallowed the food
Page 49 and 50:
German Army. Anyone who still owns
Page 51 and 52:
Our nerves had reached a breaking p
Page 53 and 54:
strolling down the platform, asking
Page 55 and 56:
Behind me, an old man fell to the g
Page 57 and 58:
Tell him that I was a student? "Far
Page 59 and 60:
mained of my strength in order to b
Page 61 and 62:
Suddenly someone threw his arms aro
Page 63 and 64:
"And now, stop moving!" There was n
Page 65 and 66:
"EVERYBODY outside!" A dozen or so
Page 67 and 68:
NO SOONER HAD WE CLIMBED into our b
Page 69 and 70:
I knew nothing about them…Since 1
Page 71 and 72:
"Mother is still a young woman," my
Page 73 and 74:
most important thing is not to be a
Page 75 and 76:
gerous. Only Idek, the Kapo, occasi
Page 77 and 78: "What are you going to do, sir?" "I
Page 79 and 80: "Idek, the Kapo…the young Jewish
Page 81 and 82: This went on for two weeks. It was
Page 83 and 84: "Ten…eleven!…" His voice was ca
Page 85 and 86: and, with open mouth, thrust his he
Page 87 and 88: frightened. His manacled hands did
Page 89 and 90: The Oberkapo was arrested on the sp
Page 91 and 92: THE SUMMER was coming to an end. Th
Page 93 and 94: them from paradise. When You were d
Page 95 and 96: transferred me to another Kommando,
Page 97 and 98: Yes, we were ready. So were the SS
Page 99 and 100: "Let's have a moment of quiet. I ha
Page 101 and 102: quickly or not. I was afraid of fin
Page 103 and 104: We went off to work as usual, our b
Page 105 and 106: "Doctor?" "Yes?" "Will I be able to
Page 107 and 108: As for me, I was thinking not about
Page 109 and 110: TWO O'CLOCK in the afternoon. The s
Page 111 and 112: "Don't think, don't stop, run!" Nea
Page 113 and 114: a single bark. Houses with gaping w
Page 115 and 116: he lay down too, next to the corpse
Page 117 and 118: There was shouting outside, in the
Page 119 and 120: I thought he'd lost his mind. His v
Page 121 and 122: think that the Germans would run ou
Page 123 and 124: PRESSED TIGHTLY AGAINST one another
Page 125 and 126: WE RECEIVED no food. We lived on sn
Page 127: him. They jumped him. Others joined
Page 131 and 132: The sirens began to wail. Alert. Th
Page 133 and 134: worldly, the face of a stranger. It
Page 135 and 136: THE FOLLOWING DAY, he complained th
Page 137 and 138: When I came down from my bunk after
Page 139 and 140: This was the end! Hitler was about
Page 141 and 142: 116
Page 143 and 144: perished? Do I have the right to ac
Page 145 and 146: Holy Land. Please understand my dee
show all

eliewiesel-nightfulltext_3_26_2014_3_23_04_pm

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?