THE RABBI HELPS OUT

A Yiddish Folktale Retold

Also written as a Level 1 and a Level 1-2 Emergent Reading stories

In a small village in Eastern Europe lived a dairyman named
Mendl. He lived with his wife, his mother and six children in
a small, one room house.

Mendl was feeling very sad

*

He kept complaining every day,
And here is what he had to say:

“My house is crowded wall to wall.”
I don't like living here, at all. ”

"My wife and mother, girls and boys,
Are always making so much noise."

"I can not take it any more,
I need to run right out the door."

“I’ll ask the Rabbi,  what to do,
Perhaps he’ll know of something new.”

*

So Mendl ran to the house of the Rabbi.
The Rabbi was quietly sitting in his chair reading
his prayer books.
Mendl knocked on the Rabbi's door.

"Rabbi, please, I'm begging you.
Please tell me, TELL ME, what to do."

My house is very, very small,
It's really crowded, wall to wall.

My wife and mother, girls and boys,
Are always making so much noise.

" Each day I 'm running out the door,
I can not stand it any more."

*

The Rabbi lifted up his head and looked at Mendl
He thought for a moment and then said,

"You have a cow, I know it's true,
So take her in to live with you."

*

Poor Mendl couldn't believe his ears.
But the Rabbi is the wisest man in the village.
Mendl went home and took the cow into the house.
And now, Mendl was complaining more than ever.

"My life is so extremely bad,
I've never, ever been so sad."

"With people making noise, and now,
I'm living witha mooooing cow."

"I can not stand it anymore,
I have to run right out the door."

"I'll ask the rabbi what to do,
Perhaps he'll tell me something new."

When Mendl came to the Rabbi's house and knocked on
the door, the Rabbi was reading his prayer books.
Mendl gulped, and shouted,

"Rabbi things have gotten bad,
OH, Can't you see I'm awfully sad?

My wife and mother, girls and boys,
Are always making so much noise.

And oy gavolt, oy gutenu,
All day, all night my cow screams MOOOO.

So Rabbi I am begging you.
Please tell me something I should do."

The Rabbi thought for a few moments and said,

"I'll help you, Mendl, yes, of course,
But tell me, do you have a horse?"

Mendl was surprised at the question, but answered,

" I have a horse.He's very old,
He's not much good, or so I'm told."

The Rabbi nodded his head and said,

"Well, Mendl, here's what you should do,
Allow that horse to live with you."

*

So Mendl went home and followed the Rabbi's
directions. He brought the horse into his small
house.

Things got worse, and still worse, and even worse than that.
And that is why....

He couldn't stand it any more,
He had to rush right out the door.

"I'll ask the rabbi what to do,
I'm sure he'll think of something new."

*

So once again, Mendl ran to the Rabbi's house.
Once again, he saw the Rabbi reading the prayer book.
Once again, Mendl burst out with words.

“My house is crowded   wall to wall,
I don’t like living there, at all.”

My wife and mother, girls and boys,
Are always making so much noise.

And oy veys meir, oy gutenu,
My cow insists on bellowing mooo.

“The horse eats up my morning meal,
I 'm miserable, that’s how I feel.”

And then this horse will lick my head,
When I am sleeping in my bed.

So Rabbi, I am begging you,
Please tell me, TELL ME, what to do."

The Rabbi looked at Mendl, thought for a moment,
and asked if he had any chickens.

"Yes, dear Rabbi, it is true,
I have some chickens, more than two."

" Well Mendl, here's the thing to do,
Let your chickens live with you."

*

Mendl went home and brought the chickens into
his house to live with him, his wife, his mother, his
six children, the horse and the cow.

I am sure you can well imagine that...

Life had now become much worse.
These animals became a curse.

Mendl ran right out the door,
He couldn't stand it any more.

"I'll ask the Rabbi what to do,
Perhaps he'll think of something new."

**8*...........................

This time, Mendl was not only shouting his complaints,
but he was in tears.

He needed the Rabbi to help him.

I'm begging you on bended knee,
'cause life is really bad for me.

The cow is loudly screaming moo,
The stupid horse is neighing, too.

And late at night when I'm in bed,
This horse will lick me on the head.

The chickens fly around the place,
And twice they hit me in the face.

“The feathers of these chickens fly,
Fall in my soup, it makes me cry.”

“My house ,more crowded than before,
I can not take it any more.

Oh Rabbi, tell me what to do,
I'm sure you know of something new.

,,,,,,,,,,,,mmmmmm,,,,,,,,,,,,,....,,*
This time the Rabbi took more time thinking, but then
said to Mendl,

" There isn't any need to shout,
Go home and take the animals OUT!

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv*

As you can guess, Mendl liked the sound of this new
advice. He ran home to do what the Rabbi had said. He
led the animals out of his small house and shouted with joy--

"I took those animals out real fast."

"Baruch Hashem, there's peace at last."

"Without the chickens, horse and cow,
Things aren't quite as awful now."

“With only mother, kids and wife,
I have a lovely, peaceful life.”

*

Mendl learned that things can always get worse!

Okay, Okay , they can get better too!!!

Ach!!!