THE KAMARINSKAYA COMES TO THE SIlOP
45
The violin began and the workers caught up fragments of the Inter–
nationale. Arke-Levy stumbled on the lines. . He could not regain his
footing beyond
tradition's chains,
repea~ing
the phrase which he carried
into the next song.
The musician finished with a triumphant shake of his head. "And
now something gay
I
The Kamarinskaya
I"
he announced.
The boss
wa~
mumbling to himself. His anger was gathering. "Make
it short, mister, stop bothering my operators
I"
At the Kamarinskaya the operators heaved in their seats. Under
the pretext of going to the toilet, Sammy, the joiner, cut a few lusty
capers through the scattered coat heaps with:
He-e-e-ey, hey, hey, hey, hey!
Eeh, tararam, tararam, tarara7ll-tam!
The turner beat the table with his tapering stick:
Pupu, rupu-dupa-dup!
The girls clapped their hands. The operators used their lips with
terrific forcf for tambcurines:
Tprutza, tprutza, tprlltza-tza!
Tprutza, tprutza, tprutza-tza!
The shoulder presser with his drooping moustache whacked with his
old-fashioned iron, always missing the not>::hes in the dance. Arke-Levy's
machine lagged far bchind. He inlaid the Kamarioskaya with
Nu
more
tradition's chams!
He-e-e-ey, hey, hey, hey, hey!
Tprutza, tprutza, tprutza-tza!
Hyech, tararam, tararam, tara
"Stop your 'tararaIl"
I"
the boss cut the revelry as if with all axc.
"And you, old beggar, get out of here, and do it fast
I"
"But I didn't collect the pennies!"
"Yes, let him! Let him collect
I"
the operators demanckd. "Let him
collect! Give the
maI~
a break
I"
The old [;)u.,iuan was pressing forward . The boss stuppcd him
ut
the door and began
te,
wrest the vio!·11 cut of his hands.
The dd
man
shuddered, there was ten·cr in
Ill,
cyts. "Oh, my violin!" hl: crIed in
despair. "The
p(;glfJm~;chick
will brc'J.k my violin!"
All the eight cperaLOrs stood up. Like lightning Arke-Lev} jumped
up from the rear and clamped his arm around the boss' neck. The violin
was released.
With tearful eyes the musician grabbed his instrument and his
caracul cap and stumbled out of the shop
