Night by Elie Wiesel

give in. That day, Franek burst into savage laughter: “I knew it, I knew that I would win, kid. Better late than never. And because you made me wait, it will also cost you a ra- tion of bread. A ration of bread for one of my pals, a famous den- tist from Warsaw. To pay him for pulling out your crown.” “What? My ration of bread so that you can have my crown?” Franek smiled. “What would you like? That I break your teeth by smashing your face?” That evening, in the latrines, the dentist from Warsaw pulled my crown with the help of a rusty spoon. Franek became pleasant again. From time to time, he even gave me extra soup. But it didn't last long. Two weeks later, all the Poles were transferred to another camp. I had lost my crown for nothing. A FEW DAYS BEFORE the Poles left, I had a novel experience. It was on a Sunday morning. Our Kommando was not required to work that day. Only Idek would not hear of staying in the camp. We had to go to the depot. This sudden enthusiasm for work astonished us. At the depot, Idek entrusted us to Franek, saying, “Do what you like. But do something. Or else, you'll hear from me…” And he disappeared. We didn't know what to do. Tired of huddling on the ground, we each took turns strolling through the warehouse, in the hope of finding something, a piece of bread, perhaps, that a civilian might have forgotten there. When I reached the back of the building, I heard sounds com- ing from a small adjoining room. I moved closer and had a 56
glimpse of Idek and a young Polish girl, half naked, on a straw mat. Now I understood why Idek refused to leave us in the camp. He moved one hundred prisoners so that he could copulate with this girl! It struck me as terribly funny and I burst out laughing. Idek jumped, turned and saw me, while the girl tried to cover her breasts. I wanted to run away, but my feet were nailed to the floor. Idek grabbed me by the throat. Hissing at me, he threatened: “Just you wait, kid…You will see what it costs to leave your work…You'll pay for this later…And now go back to your place…” A HALF HOUR BEFORE the usual time to stop work, the Kapo as- sembled the entire Kommando. Roll call. Nobody understood what was going on. A roll call at this hour? Here? Only I knew. The Kapo made a short speech: “An ordinary inmate does not have the right to mix into other people's affairs. One of you does not seem to have understood this point. I shall therefore try to make him understand clearly, once and for all.” I felt the sweat running down my back. “A-7713!” I stepped forward. “A crate!” he ordered. They brought a crate. “Lie down on it! On your belly!” I obeyed. I no longer felt anything except the lashes of the whip. “One!…Two!…” he was counting. He took his time between lashes. Only the first really hurt. I heard him count: 57
“Ten…eleven!…” His voice was calm and reached me as through a thick wall. “Twenty-three…” Two more, I thought, half unconscious. The Kapo was waiting. “Twenty-four…twenty-five!” It was over. I had not realized it, but I had fainted. I came to when they doused me with cold water. I was still lying on the crate. In a blur, I could see the wet ground next to me. Then I heard someone yell. It had to be the Kapo. I began to distinguish what he was shouting: “Stand up!” I must have made some movement to get up, but I felt myself fall back on the crate. How I wanted to get up! “Stand up!” He was yelling even more loudly. If only I could answer him, if only I could tell him that I could not move. But my mouth would not open. At Idek's command, two inmates lifted me and led me to him. “Look me in the eye!” I looked at him without seeing him. I was thinking of my fa- ther. He would be suffering more than I. “Listen to me, you son of a swine!” said Idek coldly. “So much for your curiosity. You shall receive five times more if you dare tell anyone what you saw! Understood?” I nodded, once,