On the Sabbath on the Landauer Estate all was peaceful. After a delicious breakfast with the freshly baked challah, spread with butter and strawberry jam, Papa would put on his prayer shawl, while Mama opened her prayer book and said her morning prayers.

             After a cold lunch Fanny would leave with a book in her hand and spend many hours reading in her room or in the garden. Droozy and her parents would take a long walk through the magnificent Landauer garden. The path led through a long stretch of gooseberry bushes, the green grape-shaped fruit tasting tart and oh, so delicious! There were the full clusters of small red currants that would make Droozy’s mouth pucker; there were large patches of small forest strawberries that tasted divine. Roses, poppies, violets, pansies, forget-me-nots and other flowers gave off a heavenly odor.

              Droozy would hold tight to her father’s hand until they reached the tree house. This was not the usual tree house. Large trees came together at the top to form a roof.   Underneath this sheltered haven there were comfortable chairs and a bench-table where Droozy and her parents would stop to rest a while.

Sometimes Ruth Landauer, the pretty young daughter of the Landauers, with long blond braids, would join in the family walk. Although Droozy liked Ruth very much she had a difficult time sharing her dad with her. When Ruth tried to hold Papa’s hand, Droozy in her sheepish voice would insist: “That is my Papa!” Her dad would laugh and scold her a bit, but he was also glad that his daughter loved him so much.

On weekdays when the fruit was ripe the girls were allowed to pick the berries. Droozy would go to the gooseberry and strawberry patches and fill her bowl. She would pick one for the dish and one for the mouth. What fun it was; the berries tasted so good! Young Droozy could never get her fill of that wonderful fruit. She would pick and eat until her stomach was so full it felt like it was bursting and until the bowl almost overflowed. Then she would joyfully go into the house to present the harvest to her mother.

That garden was the most beautiful that Droozy had ever seen, and the most useful also, since it abounded not only with glorious flowers but also with the most delicious fruit imaginable!

Up
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