afforded the Shimerdas great satisfaction,
apparently. For weeks afterward, whenever
Jake and I met Antonia on her way to the post-
office, or going along the road with her work-
team, she would clap her hands and call to us
in a spiteful, crowing voice: --

"Jake-y, Jake-y, sell the pig and pay the
slap!"

Otto pretended not to be surprised at An-
tonia's behavior. He only lifted his brows and
said, "You can't tell me anything new about
a Czech; I'm an Austrian."

Grandfather was never a party to what Jake
called our feud with the Shimerdas. Am-
brosch and Antonia always greeted him re-
spectfully, and he asked them about their
affairs and gave them advice as usual. He
thought the future looked hopeful for them.
Ambrosch was a far-seeing fellow; he soon
realized that his oxen were too heavy for any
work except breaking sod, and he succeeded in
selling them to a newly arrived German. With
the money he bought another team of horses,
which grandfather selected for him. Marek was
strong, and Ambrosch worked him hard; but
he could never teach him to cultivate corn,
I remember. The one idea that had ever got

[[150]]

p149 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p150w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p151

v?