Chad Gadya

That's a Nice Umbilical Cord You Got There

    I woke up shivering. Even with all of us huddled together like penguins, it had been a cold night. We were only too glad to wake up and get our blood flowing. "Our temperature falls when we sleep," Kuni told me. "That's why you're colder in the morning."

    I smiled at him. "So you're a science nerd as well as a Torah scholar now?"

    He rolled his eyes. "I just pay attention in school."

    "So do I," I said. "I pay attention to what I'll use in life. Half the stuff they teach us I'll never use again."

    "There's nothing wrong with learning stuff just for the sake of learning," Kuni replied.

    "I personally like learning through doing," Marzipan said. "I like to learn how the grass tastes different in different parts of the world."

   She paused. "The grass here is a lot tougher and more bland."

   Kuni caught my eye and smiled. "Let's see what things we can learn today," he said.

   Marzipan bounced. "Oh yes! I feel that tingling sensation again. I know where to go."

     "Are we leaving the mountains?" Alexandros asked, hope creeping into their voice.

     "Eventually," Marzipan said.

     She led us as we descended down the mountain. The ascent had been difficult because of how much exertion it took to pull ourselves upwards — not to mention the altitude sickness that accompanied us. The descent was harder because we had to be careful and painfully slow at times. It was a mental challenge as well as a physical one. Kuni and I both had to ask for breaks several times and Marzipan granted them, though I could see her tail twitching in agitation as the day grew older.

      It took us the better part of two days to descent and when we finally got down, Alexandros raised their hands to the sky and whispered a prayer. My mother patted them on the shoulder. "We should find a place to rest for tonight."

     Alexandros blinked their eyes open and pointed to something off in the distance. I squinted my eyes, but all I could see was the snowy landscape that seemed to stretch on for miles and the looming mountains. "Whatcha pointing at?" I asked.

     "A cave," Alexandros said matter-of-factly.

    I squinted my eyes until they were nearly shut, but I still couldn't see anything. "How can you see it?"

   Alexandros patted me on the back. "We Golem have better sight than you humans."

      "How far away is it?" Kuni asked.

      Alexandros noticed the weariness in Kuni's eyes and without a word, picked him up. Kuni started wriggling like a carp trying to avoid becoming a gefilte fish. "If it wasn't you, Alexandros, I'd accuse you of kidnapping me," he said.

     Alexandros sighed and let him down. "It's still a long walk. You and Breina are both tired."

     "I am not!" I protested, my sore legs screaming at me to not be so proud.

    "So, I could give you a piggy back ride," Alexandros offered.

   Kuni looked straight at them and put his hands on his hips. "Only if you alternate between Breina and me. I don't want to be treated like a four year-old the entire time."

   Alexandros nodded and we set off. When we stopped for the day, Alexandros set me down. "You give first-rate piggy back rides," I said. "You could start a business out of it."