The Man with the Spade:
And so suddenly too, poor little fellow! I used to see him going to school. He was a fine lad.
The Mother:
And a good one, too. It was scarlet fever. He suffered a lot, but he was not ill for long.
The Father:
Our son!
The Mother:
The fever kept increasing; the boy was delirious, until the doctor said that there was no more hope. Oh, if only death had taken me instead!
The Man with the Spade:
It’s a pity, for the child’s sake.
The Mother:
The boy was delirious in his fever. “Father,” he shouted, “I’m going to the New Land. I shall become king in the New Land, and then I’ll bring you great riches.”
The Father:
My son! Before he fell ill, he said to us: “I’m going to the New Land, and then one day I’ll come back to you. You will sit alone at supper and think: Where is our Jenik? He must be grown-up by now. What can he be doing? Has he forgotten us? And then somebody will knock at the door, and that will be me. And I shall bring you nice things and great treasures.”
