Mr. Monday and other tales of Jewish Amsterdam

87 Air. Monday and Other Tales of Jewish Amsterdam

bolts are separated and sorted according to size, thickness and quality. Screws he puts into a bottle, ball-bearings in a wooden box. Then on Sunday morning he moves his heap of rust to the marketplace. If you own an old-fashioned bicycle that still has complicated clock-bearings instead of modern cranks, you can turn the world inside out, but nowhere will you find a spare part except here. Half-a-sleigh feels the broken-down bicycle with his fingers because he can't see it so well, then he says, "Here's the replacement.That will cost you twenty five cents, so you're all right again."

On the other side of the market are the quacks. Doctor Herman impresses his patients with the immaculate whiteness of his doctor's coat. He knows everything there is to know about rheumatic pains. If you have a quarter, you can exchange it for a chip box filled with a greasy substance. Doctor Herman however does not sell his medicine, he gives it to you as a present, the quarter only serves to cover his expenses. For Doctor Herman's sole desire is to alleviate human suffering, especially the pains that arise due to the accumulation of uric acid in the joints, the formation of bile in the knees, water on the knee which affects the heart, and chronic gout in another part of the human anatomy which he will not name because there are also some children standing around listening. The doctor makes no secret of the fact that his medicine is basically lard with a drop of oil and gin added. But it also contains a certain mysterious component which is his special secret.

He tells, "My whole family uses it, and that I consider the biggest miracle of all. But now I will tell you another miracle. The other day I got rheumatic pains myself. Here,