“A kid, a kid, which my father bought for two pieces of money.  A kid! 
  A kid!

  There came a cat which ate the kid, which my father
  bought for two pieces of money.  A kid!

  There came a dog, who bit the cat, who ate the kid, which my father
  bought for two pieces of money.  A kid!

  There came a stick, which beat the dog, who bit the cat, who ate the
  kid, which my father bought for two pieces of money.  A kid!  A kid!

  There came a fire, which burnt the stick, which beat the dog, who bit
  the cat, who ate the kid, which my father bought for two pieces of money. 
  A kid!  A kid!

  There came the water, which quenched the fire, which burnt the stick,
  which beat the dog, who bit the cat, who ate the kid, which my father
  bought for two pieces of money.  A kid!  A kid!

  There came an ox, who drank the water, which quenched the fire, which
  burnt the stick, which beat the dog, who bit the cat, who ate the kid,
  which my father bought for two pieces of money.  A kid!  A kid!

There came the butcher, who slew the ox, who drank the water, which quenched the fire, which burnt the stick, which beat the dog, who bit the cat, that ate the kid, which my father bought for two pieces of money.  A kid!  A kid!

“Then came the Angel of Death, who slew the butcher, who killed the ox, who drank the water, which quenched the fire, which burnt the stick, which beat the dog, who bit the cat, who ate the kid, which my father bought for two pieces of money.  A kid!  A kid!"[61]

“Yes, beautiful lady,” added the singer, “and the day will come when the Angel of Death will slay the slayer, and all our blood come over Edom, for God is a God of vengeance.”

But all at once, casting aside with a violent effort the seriousness into which he had involuntarily fallen, Jaekel plunged again into his mad buffoonery, and went on in his harsh jester tones, “Don’t be afraid, beautiful lady, Nose Star will not harm you.  He is only dangerous to old Schnapper-Elle.  She has fallen in love with his nose—­which, faith! deserves it.  Yea, for it is as beautiful as the tower which looketh forth toward Damascus, and as lofty as a cedar of Lebanon.  Outwardly it gleameth like gold loaf and syrup, and inwardly it is all music and loveliness.  It bloometh in summer and in winter it is frozen up—­but in summer and winter it is petted and pulled by the white hands of Schnapper-Elle.  Yes, she is madly in love with him.  She nurses him, and feeds him, and for her age she is young enough.  When he is fat enough, she means to marry him; and whoever comes to Frankfort, three hundred years hence, will not be able to see the heavens for Nose Stars.”

“Ah, you are Jaekel the Fool,” exclaimed the Rabbi, laughing.  “I mark it by your words.  I have often heard of you.”

“Yes—­yes,” replied Jaekel, with comical modesty.  “Yes, that is what reputation does.  A man is often known far and wide as a bigger fool than he himself has any idea of.  However, I take great pains to be a fool, and jump and shake myself to make the bells ring; others have an easier time.  But tell me, Rabbi, why do you journey on a holiday?”