The rainbow never sets

another village had tried to come in and cause trouble, but Vater made sure there were enough people at the gate to prevent anybody from disturbing the peace. We knew from other festivities in the village, that often these types of parties ended up with a bad fight, where knives and knuckle dusters were used, and once somebody even died as a result of it."

"Really? Didn't the police do anything about it?" "We have no police in our village. Vater had to see to it that law and order was kept."

"A big responsibility, especially, if you have some hot-heads among your people."

"That's why we always had guards at the gate for our vieniec. And, really, our harvest festivals were always beautiful." "I wish they had them again this year." "So do I. It's the war. Vater would not get a permit." "Pity."

Our conversation drifted on to some other subject, but the excitement of the wonderful harvest festivals in the past lingered on.

*

Hans wanted to know what other work was there to do on the farm before the winter set in. I explained that all the potatoes still had to be harvested, and the sugar beet and feeding beet, which was again quite hard work.

As we were walking towards the forest, Hans asked me: "Why are there those dog kennels made of straw alongside the road?"

"Hans!?" He sometimes liked to tease me. "They are for the guards of the apple and pear harvest. One of them actually is the contractor who buys the harvest of all those trees along this road and the other roads. When the various brands of apples, pears and plums begin to ripen, he estimates the crop, and offers Vater a price for the whole lot. When they agree on the price, it is his responsibility to guard it with his dogs and the other helpers."

"Don't tell me that he sleeps in these straw shelters." "He does, Hans, but I don't think he gets much sleep during the days when the fruit is nearly ripe."

"And who harvests them later?" "That's his job too. He then has to sell it. The best fruit he offers back to us and we buy from him what we need for the winter. The rest goes to the shops in Posen."

"But how come, I didn't see many apples or pears on these trees? They look pretty young to me."

"They are. Most of the old trees died in the severe winter of last year.

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