Adam and Thomas by Aharon Appelfeld & translated from the Hebrew by Jeffrey M. Green & illustrated by Philippe Dumas

Author:Aharon Appelfeld & translated from the Hebrew by Jeffrey M. Green & illustrated by Philippe Dumas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: children's book, history, ficiton, WWII, world war II, Holocaust, Jewish, winter, survive, hiding, refuge, children, picture book, chapter book
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Published: 2015-09-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

In the middle of the night, while they were wondering what they could do and where they could turn and how they could get another coat or a blanket to warm the nest, they heard a moan of pain. Adam and Thomas quickly climbed down from the tree and ran toward the sound of the groaning. Not far from the tree lay a man, breathing heavily.

Adam leaned over the man on the ground and said, “My name is Adam. Where does it hurt?”

“I’m weak. They’ve been running after me for two days. I’m exhausted.”

“We have a little fresh milk and some bread.”

“I’m thirsty. If you have water, that will save me.”

“Drink some milk, and later we’ll bring you water.”

The two boys lifted the man’s head, and he took a sip and then another. “Now we’ll go and fetch you some water.

“Thanks, boys, thanks, angels.”

They raced to the stream, rinsed out the thermos and filled it with water. The man drank and drank. He opened his eyes and said, “Angel children. Where are you from? Who sent you to save me?”

“My name is Adam, and my friend’s name is Thomas. We’ve been hiding in the forest since the beginning of the summer.”

“Did you hear my voice?”

“We heard it clearly. We have a nest in the top of a tall tree. You can hear things well from there. How are the people in the ghetto?”

“The ghetto has been liquidated.”

“Where were the people sent?”

“To Poland.”

“Have they gotten there?” Thomas asked cautiously.

“I assume so.”

While they were talking, they heard shots. The man raised his head and called out, “Run away, boys. I’ll look for a hiding place.” When Adam and Thomas didn’t move, he called out, “Quickly, quickly. You can’t stay near me.”

They returned to the tree in a crouch.The shooting continued, but they were glad they had managed to help the man who was running away. They were still worried about him. Who knew whether he had found a hiding place, whether he would hold out. They forgot about their own concerns. The image of the fugitive didn’t leave their sight.

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