Helen Telmanik was Droozy’s first best friend when she came to America. She was known as the Deaf One by her fifth grade classmates. Although she could not hear, Helen was a very clever girl who read lips. She was an expert with jacks – a game that Droozy and she would play for hours at a time. Helen would throw the ball in the air and pick up one two and three of those silver colored metal pieces called jacks from the floor. If you picked up all ten at the end without dropping any of them and without bouncing a little ball more than once you would win. The two girls were keen competitors and enjoyed each other’s skill and ability to be the two best players in their fifth grade class.  

       Droozy would get very angry when she heard her classmates speak of her friend as “The Deaf One”. The children would often laugh at Helen when she mispronounced a name or spoke too loudly or not loudly enough to be heard. Droozy was determined to get even with those who ridiculed her friend. She organized jacks tournaments and invited her classmates to participate. One by one the girls played against Helen and one by one they lost to her. Through these experiences Helen’s opponents learned to respect her. The Deaf One became the heroine of the game of jacks and was renamed TIlE QUEEN OF JACKS.

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Introduction
Pork Dumplings
Please Don't Eat the Goldfish
Pretty Shoes
Blueberry Cake
Sukkot
The Garden
Maxel
The Red Rabbit
Passover
The Lost Bathing Tickets
What Shall I Do?  The Double Message
Pieces of Gold
Aromas of the Sabbath
The Birth of a Brother
Green Apples
Herr Kübler
The Broken Leg
Boarding School
The American Calendar
Suse Puppe
Shirley Temple Eyes
Kristallnacht Nov. 9, 10, 11
Aunt (Tante) Mathilde
Ice Skates
The Cologne Cathedral
The Escape
A Belgian Holiday
Gas Balloons and the S. S. Washington
Papa
The Statue
A Bad Dream
A Pencil Thief
The West Virginia Hills
Thanksgiving
Ice Cream, Grieben and Baked Spaghetti
The Gypsy’s Song
Venetian Blinds
The Deaf One
Dimmed Lights
Marryyayo
Friendship
Norma Mae
The Spelling Bee
Run, Thief, Run!
Chances
The Candy Store
The Birthday Party
Deep, Shallow Waters
Red Riding Hood
Small Mama
Droozy In Love
Eskimo Pies
Apple Picking Time
Working Days
Easter Baskets
Valedictorian
Farewell
Blind Joe
Lessons Learned From Parents
About the Author