Droozy’s mother was a very proud and generous woman. She always gave to the needy whatever she could spare. She shared the delicious cheesecakes that she baked with children who came to play and grown-ups who happened to stop into the Abner’s humble home. She never turned down a stranger who was hungry and who came to the door. She was truly a religious woman, which was expressed through her good deeds. She babysat children for a poor woman who couldn’t afford to pay; she even fed the woman's children. She baked honey cakes for a family for a Bar Mitzvah celebration because the mom of that family was sick and could not manage to soften the hardened honey that had been standing in the people’s cupboard for years. What Mama couldn’t do because of lack of time she would ask Droozy to do.

The Mervis’ were a fairly wealthy family who had invited the Abners for some cake and coffee when they first arrived in Weirton, West Virginia. While the Abners were enjoying their conversation Mrs. Mervis complained that her venetian blinds needed washing. Mrs. Abner readily offered Droozy’s help and the Mervis’ happily accepted the kind offer.

With bucket in hand Droozy came to the Mervis home and began the arduous task of cleaning the blinds. The venetians were made up of many staves - slats that needed to be washed one by one. Each blind was made up of what seemed like fifty of these flat pieces of plastic like materials. As she washed one the dirty water dripped unto the next slat and smeared. She carefully and meticulously washed one board after another but whoa, nothing seemed to go right. The more she worked the dirtier they seemed to be. She changed the water often and carried the heavy bucket back and forth down the steep steps of the basement. It took an hour for each blind and there seemed to be dozens more awaiting Droozy’s help.

Hours later Droozy had only finished half of the blinds in that huge old house. She knew she had to return yet another day to complete this unwelcome task. The next day she again returned and repeated to do the work on those dirty window coverings. That evening at last she felt she had completed the job. Droozy’s fingers were sore and swollen and her finger tips were bleeding.

         She sat down on the floor and admired her work. The blinds had taken on a different color. They were pure white, not a greyish beige.

         Mrs. Mervis looked at the now clean blinds, thanked Droozy and gave her a handful of hard candy. As she exhaustedly walked home Droozy hoped that her mother would never again offer her services. Most of all she never wanted to see a venetian blind in her whole life, especially not a dirty one.

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