a tree that grows in brooklyn

rows In

IAL LI

w, Publishe

ROWS IN

43, 1947 by

K O

ut to Brooklyn, New York. Esp

ut it did not apply to Williamsb

sound, but you couldn't fit tho

; especially on a Saturd

slanted down into the mossy ya

den fence. Looking at the shaf

hen she recalled the poe

meval. The murmuring p

in garments green, indi

ke Druid

was neither a pine nor a hemloc

h radiated from the bough and

Some people called it the Tree

struggled to reach the sky. It g

was the only tree that grew out

tenements

fternoon and came to a nice n

through the iron gate leading

lyn would get to be a tenement

foreigners seeped in and the q

eds were pushed out on the wind

as the kind of tree it wa

ancie's yard. Its umbrellas cur

n-year-old girl sitting on this f

what Francie imagined every S

Saturday in Brooklyn. Oh, h

was a holiday without the rig

. They ate well for once, got

ing, playing music, fighting an

ey could sleep late-un

into the eleven o'clock mass.

were given credit for this but t

late that it was morning when

ith and went home and slept al

h the trip to the junkie. She and

paper, metal, rubber, and other

under the bed. All week Francie

ing for tin foil from cigarette

ar. The junkie wouldn't take an u

the middle to make it weigh he

him break the top off and mel

use he'd get into trouble with t

ne. Melted, it wa

into the cellar each evenin

ed trash. They owned this priv

the shelves of paper, rags an

nny for ten pounds. Rags broug

nts a pound. Sometimes Franc

. She got it off with a can opene

ounded i

urday morning, kids began sprayi

n thoroughfare. They made th

heir junk in their arms. Other

den wheels. A few pushe

r junk into a burlap bag and ea

n Avenue, past Maujer, Ten Ey

. From each side street hordes o

y to Carney's, they met other

lready, squandered the pennie

t the ot

ker! Rag

me. No comfort knowing that the

ld straggle back, empty-handed

e way. Francie

in a tumble-down stable. Turnin

spitably and she imagined that

me. She saw Carney, with his r

e. Carney liked girls better tha

id not shrink when h

is bonus, Neeley stepped aside a

ard, dumped the contents of th

eek. While he piled the stuff o

ess and was aware of the mossy

dial and spoke two words: hi

odded yes, and Carney flipped

corner, threw the rags in anothe

nts pockets, haul up an old leat

s that looked like junk too. A

k on her and pinched her cheek

nny. Then his manner changed

ext one in line, a boy. "Get th

ldren laughed dutifully. The lau

ambs but Carney

o her brother. "He gave me sixte

he said, according

pocket and turned the rest of t

ie. But he was the boy; he han

s care

t was the rule; half of any mo

ailed to the floor in the darkes

u and four c

y in her handkerchief. She lo

they could be changed

, tucked it under his arm and p

Cheap Charlie's was the penny

At the end of a Saturday, its c

t was a boys' store. So Francie

y the d

n years of age, looked alike in

around, hands in pockets and

oking like that; standing the

arette seemingly permanently fas

in accent as

ously, their thin faces turning

e noticed that some already h

e nicks in the scalp where the

s crammed into their pockets o

d gently and still babyishly

ulled so far down over their

in spite of their

d his name wasn't Charlie. He

ie believed it. Charlie gave you

prize hanging from each hook,

ates, a catcher's mitt, a doll wi

other penny articles. Francie w

the ragged envelope. Twenty-s

had drawn a pe

ndy?" Charli

hat do yo

ie had never heard of anyone

sted and the doll's hair was du

ke Little Boy Blue's toy dog an

ts, she would take all the picks

usiness deal: skates, mitt, doll a

ere worth four times that muc

rls seldom patronized Charlie's

ash ones, too developed for thei

boys-girls whom the neighbor

od

to Gimpy's candy store. Gimpy

o everyone thought until that su

nto his disma

uld sacrifice one of her pennie

in-awhile girl friend, was abo

s standing behind Maudie. She

as Maudie, after much specula

rancie would have picked a sma

out a few pieces of stale cand

ncie had gotten a small bottle

n a prize bag. It was nice to be

d she had been surprised by be

nd that was al

enue reading aloud the fine-so

ntrose and then Johnson Avenu

The district called Jew Town s

ent past Broadway. Fran

lliamsburg, Brooklyn? Nothing-

g and glittering and had everythi

irl. Francie had a nickel. Fra

tore! It was the only place in

d up and down the aisles handlin

k something up, hold it for a m

replace it carefully. Her nicke

intended buying anything, she

wonderful thing, she decided. Af

e-five cents worth of pink-a

am Avenue, the Ghetto street.

itself-the bargaining, emotiona

fish, sour rye bread fresh fro

he stared at the bearded men

hat made their eyes so small a

led the dress fabrics arranged

g out of windows, clothes of Ori

children playing in the gutter

wooden chair. She sat in the hot

within herself, her

e that time when mama told her

tholic. But mama knew. Mama

but a troublesome Yiddish bo

own and raise a family. And the

Thinking of this, Francie st

have so many babies," Francie

aren't ashamed the way they ar

Jesus. That's why they walk so p

ashamed. They know that they

ow up and know that I am going

slow even though

home. Mama came in soon after

hat final bang which meant that

l Mo

black hair and brown eyes and

ked as a janitress and kept th

rubbed floors to make a living

always bubbling over with inte

m the sodaed water, they were

it was a pity that a slight pret

at else could she do considerin

r which way you looked at it

any man on the block. But he wa

t was

e she put the eight cents in

uring about how much was in t

llars. Mama said eight doll

about going out to buy somethin

uarter loaf of Jew rye bread and

and ask for the end-of-t

have a pull, with

" insisted Katie firmly. She th

cents worth of sugar buns or

All week you said we could

t. Get th

as full of Christians buying Jew

per bag. With its wonderful cri

onderful bread in the world, she

uctantly. Sometimes he was ag

gue at seventy-five cents a pou

could get the square end for a

't much tongue to the end. It w

only the me

ein's agreeable days. "The tong

t for you because I know your m

tell her t

he looked down on the floor as

n and would /70/tell m

our buns, carefully choosing tho

eeped into the bag and cut a c

ur cents worth of candy that m

e run all t

ner. He was a free lance singi

he spent Saturday morning at U

ome in f

a very fine meal. Each had a t

ead spread with unsalted butter

a teaspoon of sweetened co

about the coffee. It was thei

eated it for dinner and supper

water and very little coffee but

bitter. Each one was allowed th

a cup of black coffee anytime y

raining and you were alone in th

even though it was only a cu

e but seldom drank it. Today,

ed milk spread on bread. He sip

poured out Francie's coffee an

the child woul

ee and the way it was hot. As s

cup enjoying its warmth. From

better than drinking it. At the e

nk

nd Evy, who came to the flat

ey gave mama a lecture

itled to one cup each meal like

n to drink it, all right, /think

and get the feeling of how it

to worry abou

ied mama and pleased Francie. I

teful rich. The girl felt that e

ad more. She was richer becaus

luctant to have done with its sw

down the sink drain feeling casua

the family's semi-weekly suppl

nd buy a stale pie if she could

ch

d the neighborhood stores. The

sher's redeemed the stale bread

et store adjoined the bakery. It

ran along the other two sid

wagons backed up to it and unlo

for a nickel, and when it wa

ng it. There was never enough br

ore they could buy bread. At th

t of the purchasers were childr

e brazenly letting all the worl

, some in old newspapers, other

ht along a la

ad right away. She sat on a b

ter. Four old men dozed on the

ere made to run errands and min

rg. They waited as long as the

ng bread, and the sun coming in

hile the hours passed and felt

n life for a little while and, al

n. She played her favorite game

dirty gray as the stubble stand

is mouth. He yawned. He had no

mouth, drew his lips inward unt

t his nose. She studied his ol

s legs were sprawled wide in he

grease-caked pants opening.

e toes. One shoe was laced wit

y twine. She saw two thick dirty

ughts r

venty. He was born about the t

president. Williamsburg must h

l living in Flatbush. That was s

He must have been sweet and c

thundered at night she came to

stn't be afraid, that mother wa

and said that he was her own s

n and out of the house and sla

nking that maybe he'll be pres

hen he walked down the street,

maybe he winked at the prett

hey thought he was the most wo

hem toys for Christmas. Now his

en and nobody wants the old ma

t to die. He wants to keep on li

g to be happy

er sun streamed in and made d

green fly buzzed in and out o

, the place was empty. The chi

r high screaming voices se

heart was beating fast. She wa

pulled out full for a rich note

... closing. ... A terrible pani

e sweet babies in the world wer

o get out of that place or it wo

th toothless gums and fe

oors behind the counter were

behind the counter. The truck d

ounter. The kids in the street

around Francie who had al

out. A big girl gave her a stro

d! Never mind!" Francie told he

hed," she sc

e counter man shoved six loave

her two dimes. She pushed her

e picking up as there was

tting the bread and the pie int

baby was waving his feet in th

sque thing in a big, worn-out sh

n all the

ressed and gone off with Aunt

put the bread and pie away and

e tiny, windowless bedroom that

aiting for the waves of pani

rawled under his cot and pulle

going?" s

ll in th

come

o.

treet. Three of his gang were

had nothing but wore a pair of

reenpoint. Neeley saw Francie f

nudged him

sister's fo

The boy turned around

se your

country," Fra

peated to the boy. They took no

d nothing to do until two o'cloc

d up

The boys stopped to look for tin

save and smoke in the cellar on

e Jew boy on his way to the temp

The boy waited, smiling humbl

ctions as to his course of c

uss on Devoe Stree

oys were disappointed. They h

from his pocket and drew a

man

ven step ove

had offended them by giving in t

a

one foot in the

spit in the gutt

sighed in preten

nspiration. "And keep away from

aving him star

ling his big brown Jewish eyes.

thinking about <9/?ygirl, Gent

aying golVee o

king slyly at the big boy who

would lead off into a dirty talk

ie heard her

Jew." Neeley had heard papa spe

lik

thing as a white Jew

as a white Jew," said Neeley wi

to his own opinions, which made

hite Jew," said the big b

Jew." Neeley w

ght around and killed him

theology, they saw another litt

a basket on his arm. The bas

om one corner of the basket, and,

eley's gang gave a command and

tood his ground, opened his

en and a woman clutching a cr

breasts, y

get off this block,

ears so that at confession she w

ood and listene

said Neeley with that ingratia

moth

t while I'm around." Then without

, you. I'll learn you to bother

upstairs and th

e big boy jerked his he

he others

ough," offered

s?" inquired the b

ng," apologized

ough," said Neeley.

w and then to breathe, deeply

w tormented way a few

ks," commented

y sounded dee

t stink in the world,"

ea

agreement. She was proud of th

rty though it was, joined a rive

ggested far-sailing ships and

the s

ot in which there was a ragged

weeds. With man's instinct to c

e chase, throwing their ragged

looked at it briefly, quickly los

ll game of thei

, sweating and punching each o

nt, they clowned and showed of

ts roaming the streets of a S

layers. And there wasn't a Bro

team than be presiden

of watching them. She knew tha

ift home for supper. It was two

easant anticipation, Francie wa

I

bby place. Francie thought it wa

eling she had about church. Sh

ll of worn leather bindings, l

she liked the smell of bur