in the morning by a messenger, with the three great wagons, are not there. Lipovietz is not more than five versts away—what can have happened? 'The parents of the bridal couple and the assembled guests wait to proceed with the ceremony.
At last the messenger comes riding on a horse unharnessed from his vehicle, but no poor.
"Why have you come back alone?" demands Reb Yitzchok-Aizik."
"They won't come!" replies the messenger.
"What do you mean by 'they won't come'?" asked everyone in surprise.
"They say that unless they are given a kerbel apiece, they won't come to the wedding."
All laugh, and the messenger goes on:
"There was a wedding with a dinner to the poor in Lipovietz to-day, too, and they have eaten and drunk all they can, and now they've gone on strike, and declare that unless they are promised a kerbel a head, they won't move from the spot. The strike leaders are the Crooked Man with two crutches, Mekabbel the Long, Feitel the Stammerer, and Yainkel Fonfatch; the others would perhaps have come, but these won't let them. So I didn't know what to do. I argued a whole hour, and got nothing by it, so then I unharnessed a horse, and came at full speed to know what was to be done."
We of the company could not stop laughing, but Reb Yitzchok-Aizik was very angry.
"Well, and you bargained with them? Won't they come for less? he asked the messenger.
"Yes, I bargained, and they won't take a kopek less."
