want her ring, and I felt there was something
reckless and extravagant about her wishing
to give it away to a boy she had never seen
before. No wonder Krajiek got the better of
these people, if this was how they behaved.

While we were disputing about the ring, I
heard a mournful voice calling, "An-tonia,
An-tonia!" She sprang up like a hare. _"Tat-_
_inek,_Tatinek!"_ she shouted, and we ran to
meet the old man who was coming toward us.
Antonia reached him first, took his hand and
kissed it. When I came up, he touched my
shoulder and looked searchingly down into my
face for several seconds. I became somewhat
embarrassed, for I was used to being taken
for granted by my elders.

We went with Mr. Shimerda back to the
dugout, where grandmother was waiting for
me. Before I got into the wagon, he took a
book out of his pocket, opened it, and showed
me a page with two alphabets, one English and
the other Bohemian. He placed this book in
my grandmother's hands, looked at her en-
treatingly, and said with an earnestness which
I shall never forget, "Te-e-ach, te-e-ach my
An-tonia!"

[[30]]

p029 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p030w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p031

v?