Alba Singh (USA)

Menacher is an orphan. He lives with his uncle Mendel. Mendel is a poor glass worker. He can't even provide food and clothes for his children. Menacher has finished primary school, and after the autumn break, he will be an apprentice in a book-ordering workshop.

Menacher has always been an eccentric child. Soon after he spoke, he began to ask questions: How high is the sky? How thick is the ground? Where was Tianya in the past? Why are people born? Why do people die again?

It's a hot and humid summer day. There is a golden fog over the village. The sun is as small as the moon and as yellow as copper. The dog walked lazily with its tail between its legs. Pigeons stop in the middle of the market. The goat hid under the eaves of the hut, thoughtfully, shaking his beard.

Menacher quarreled with his mother dvorak and left home without lunch. He is about twelve years old, with a long face, black eyes and sunken cheeks. He is wearing a shabby coat and barefoot. All he has is a broken story book, which he has read ten times. This book is called Loneliness in the Forest. The village where he lives is in a forest. The forest encircles the village like a belt, and it is said to extend all the way to lublin. This is the season when Vaccinium bracteatum bears blue berries. Wild strawberries can be seen everywhere. Menacher walked all the way through pastures and wheat fields. He was hungry, so he broke off a bunch of wheat ears and chewed wheat grains. Cows lie on the grass, so hot that they don't even want to use their tails to drive away flies. Two horses are standing, one of them is close to the other's hip, both of them are immersed in thinking. In a buckwheat field, the child was surprised to see a crow squatting on the scarecrow's broken hat.

Menacher felt much cooler as soon as he entered the forest. Pine trees stand upright like pillars, with gold necklaces hanging from brown bark, and the sun shines through pine needles. You can hear the cuckoo and the woodpecker, and an invisible bird keeps repeating the frightening shrill cry.

Menasci walked carefully on the moss pile. He walked through a shallow stream, which flowed happily through pebbles and boulders. The forest is quiet, but full of sounds and echoes.

He walked farther and farther in the forest. As usual, he always left some marks where he walked, but today he didn't. He is lonely, has a headache and his legs are weak. Am I sick? He thought. Maybe I'm dying. Then I will be with my parents soon. When he came to a Vaccinium bracteatum tree, he sat down, picked one berry after another and threw it into his mouth one after another. But they didn't stop his hunger. There are intoxicating flowers and trees among the black rice trees. Menazzi unconsciously straightened himself on the ground in the forest. He fell asleep, but he kept walking in his dream.

Trees get taller and smell stronger, and big birds fly from branch to branch. The sun is setting. The trees in the forest gradually became sparse, and he soon came to a flat land outside, where he could see a large twilight sky. A castle suddenly appeared in the twilight. Menacher has never seen such a beautiful building. Its roof is silver and a crystal tower rises from the ground. Many of its long windows are almost as high as the house. Menazzi went to the window and looked inside. On the wall opposite him, he saw his portrait hanging. He is wearing gorgeous clothes that he has never had before. The big room is empty.

Why is this castle empty, he thought. Why is my portrait hanging on the wall? The child in the picture seems to be still alive, anxiously waiting for someone to come. Then several doors appeared where there was nothing. The door opened and men and women came into the room. They are wearing white satin, and the women are wearing jewels and holding holiday prayer books, with embossed patterns on the gold cover. Menazzi looked at it in surprise. He recognized his father, his mother, his grandfather and grandfather, grandmother and grandmother, and other relatives. He tried to jump on them, hug and kiss them, but the window pane blocked them. He burst into tears. His grandfather, Tobiya, the secretary, came out of the crowd and went to the window. The old man's beard is as white as his robe. He looks old and young. "Why are you crying?" He asked. Despite the glass, Menacher could hear clearly.

"Are you my grandfather tobias?"

"Yes, my child. I am your grandfather. "

"Who owns this castle?"

"It belongs to all of us."

"Mine, too?"

"Of course it belongs to the whole family."

"Grandpa, let me in," Menacher shouted. "I want to talk to my parents."

His grandfather looked at him affectionately and said, "One day you will live here with us, but not yet."

"How long do I have to wait?"

"That's a secret. It won't take many, many years. "

"Grandpa, I don't want to wait so long. I'm thirsty and hungry, and I'm tired. Please let me in. I miss my parents, I miss you and grandma. I don't want to be an orphan. "

"My dear child. We know everything. We have been thinking about you, and we love you. We are all waiting for our reunion, but you must be patient. There is still a long way to go to settle here. "

"Thank you, just let me in for a few minutes."

Grandpa tobias left the window to discuss with other family members. He came back and said, "You can come in, but only for a short time. We will show you the castle and some of our treasures, and then you must leave. "

A door opened and Menasci went in. As soon as he crossed the threshold, hunger and fatigue disappeared. He hugged his parents, and they kissed him and hugged him tightly. But they were silent. He felt strangely relaxed. He flew all the way and his family flew with him. His grandfather opened door after door, and Menaher was more surprised every time he entered.

A room is full of boys' clothes-pants, coats, shirts and coats. Menacher recognized that these clothes were worn by him a long time ago. He also recognized his shoes, socks, hat and pajamas.

When the second door opened, he saw all the toys he had played with: the little tin soldier bought by his father, the jumping clown, clapper and harmonica brought to him by his mother when she came back from the lublin Expo, the stuffed bear given to him by his grandfather on Purim Festival, and the wooden horse given to him by his grandmother springer on his 60th birthday. His writing book, pencil and Bible are on the desk. The Bible is opened on the title page, and there is an etched picture on it, showing Moses holding the holy card and Aaron wearing the priest's robe, both of whom are surrounded by Seraphim. He saw his name written in a place where his name was written.

Menacher was surprised when the third door opened. This room is full of soap bubbles. They don't burst like ordinary soap bubbles, but float peacefully, reflecting the seven colors of the rainbow. Some of them reflect castles, gardens, rivers, windmills and many other landscapes. Menacher knew that he had been blowing bubbles with his beloved bubble blowing tube. Now they seem to have their own lives.

The fourth door opened. Menazzi walked into an empty room; However, it is full of cheerful conversation, singing and laughter. Menacher heard his own voice and the songs he often listened to when he lived at home with his parents. He heard the voices of his former playmates, some of whom he had already forgotten.

Inside the fifth door is a hall. It is full of characters in stories his parents told him when he was about to sleep, including the hero and heroine of a man in the forest. They are all here: Samurai David; Ethiopian princess rescued by David from captivity; Durek, an outlaw who robs the rich and helps the poor; Willekan, the giant of Cyclops, has a stick in his right hand and a python in his left. Piceles, a short man with a beard hanging to the ground, is the court clown of the terrible king Melodache; A two-headed witch who lures innocent girls to Sodom and Gomorrah deserts by witchcraft.

Before Menacher could see all this clearly, the sixth door opened. Everything here is constantly changing. Several walls became lanterns. One thing after another passed. A golden horse turned into a blue butterfly, a rose as bright as the sun turned into a wine glass, from which flew a terrible grasshopper, a purple faun and a silver bat. King Solomon sits on a glorious throne five steps from the ground and looks a bit like Menacher. He wore a crown and knelt at his feet with the Queen of Sheba. A peacock opens its screen and speaks to King Solomon in Hebrew. The Levites are playing the piano. Some giants waved their swords in the air, and some Ethiopian slaves riding lions brought glasses of wine and plates of pomegranate. Menacher didn't understand what this meant for a long time. Then he knew he was watching his dream.

Behind the seventh door, Menacher saw some men, women, animals and many things he was completely unfamiliar with. These images are not as clear as those in other rooms. They are transparent and shrouded in fog. There is a girl standing at the door, about the age of Menacher. She has long blond braids. Although Menacher couldn't see her clearly, he fell in love with her at once. He turned to his grandfather for help for the first time. "What is all this?" He asked. His grandfather replied, "These are people and things in your future."

"Where am I?" Menazzi asked again.

"You are in a castle, which has many names. We like to call it a place where nothing will be lost. There are many miracles here, but now you should go. "

Menasci wants to stay in this strange place forever, with his parents and grandparents. He looked at grandpa inquiringly, but grandpa shook his head. Menacher's parents seem to want him to stay and leave as soon as possible. They still don't talk, just watching, Menazzi immediately understand that he is in extreme danger. This must be a restricted area. His parents said goodbye to him silently, and his face was wet and hot for them. At that moment, everything disappeared-the castle, his parents, his grandparents, the girl.

Menasci woke up shivering. It's night in the forest. First frost. Above the pine hat, the moon shines high and the stars shine. Menazzi saw a girl's face, and she was bending down towards him. She was barefoot and wearing a patched skirt. Her long braids sparkled with gold in the moonlight. She pushed him and said, "Get up, get up. It's getting late, you can't stay in this forest. "

Menazzi sat up. "Who are you?"

"I'm looking for berries and found you here. I've always wanted to wake you up. "

"What's your name?"

"Hannah. We moved to this village last week. "

She looks familiar, but he doesn't remember seeing her before. Suddenly he knew. She is the girl he saw in the seventh room before he woke up.

"You lie there as if you were dead. I was really scared when I saw you. Are you dreaming? Your face is so pale and your lips are moving. "

"Yes, I did have a dream."

"What did you dream about?"

"A castle."

"What kind of castle?"

Menacher didn't answer and the girl didn't ask. She held out her hand to him and helped him stand up. They started walking home together. The moon never seems so bright, and the stars never seem so close. They walked all the way, and the shadow followed them all the way. Numerous crickets are chirping. The frog's voice is croaking.

Menacher knows that his uncle will be angry when he comes home so late. His aunt will blame him for leaving home without lunch. But none of this matters. He saw a mysterious world in his dream. He found a friend. Hannah and he decided to pick fruit together the next day.

Between the bushes and wild mushrooms, there appeared dwarfs in red coats, golden hats and green boots. They dance in a circle and sing a song, which can only be heard by those who know that everything exists and nothing will be lost in the end. (Translated by Ren Rongrong)

I think about it every day and dream every night. People's dreams often highlight their deepest desires. The title of Manacher's Dream by Singer clearly reminds us that this is a work about dreams.

Menacher's dream was not introduced at the beginning of a fairy tale. For the grand birth of this strange dream, the works are arranged in an orderly way. The life experience of the protagonist Menacher is the center of gravity. The first sentence of the fairy tale is quite crucial: "Menacher is an orphan." This is a key for us to interpret Menacher's dream. With the deepening of the author's narrative, we know more about Menacher's life background: he lives with his aunt and uncle. Poor uncles and aunts couldn't even provide food and clothing for their children, so Menacher, who was 12 years old, had to end his schooling and become an apprentice. Menachi is an eccentric little boy. Soon after he spoke, he began to ask questions: How high is the sky? How thick is the ground? Where was Tianya in the past? The village where he lives is in a forest, which surrounds the village like a belt. He doesn't seem to be close to his uncle's house. That day, he just said a few words to his aunt, and left home for the big forest to dream without lunch.

The seemingly casual description of Menacher's life experience in the opening remarks is precisely the reason for Menacher's dream.

Because of loneliness, Menacher saw his closest relatives in his dream: grandfather, grandmother, grandfather, grandmother, father and mother; Because he asked why people died, Menacher dreamed of his beloved relatives and friends who died. Because of too much indifference in reality, Menacher will yearn for and look for the warmth of his family in his dreams; Because of the misfortune of reality, the teenager Menacher will rush to his happy childhood in his dream, and make self-compensation for his body and mind by recalling the joy and childlike interest that are gone forever. Even Menacher's favorite story book "The Man in the Forest"-his only property-became a scene in his dream.

This is a sad, warm, mysterious and colorful dream.

The castle appeared in the twilight. This is a crystal tower with a silver roof and long windows almost as high as the house.

There is a portrait of Menacher on the wall! The man in the portrait is still alive! He is waiting for someone to come.

Menacher's father, mother and many other relatives appeared one after another! Grandpa found Menazzi crying outside the window. He begged grandpa to let him in.

Next, after Menacher entered the castle, Grandpa opened seven doors for him to browse. The scenes presented by each door are very different, but they are all beautiful and warm. The scenes in the first six doors run through a red line-Menacher's childhood: the first door is the clothes he wore as a child; The second door is the toy he played with when he was a child; In the third door is the game he played when he was a child-the soap bubbles blown out by the bubble blowing pipe float peacefully; There was no one in the fourth door, but it was full of conversation, singing and laughter when he was with his parents when he was a child. Then the real scenes in the two doors are even more incredible, showing the author's extraordinary imagination: the fifth door is the characters in the story that Menacher's parents told him before he went to bed as a child-from samurai to princess, from cyclops to court clowns with drooping beards, and double-headed witches; The sixth door is Menasci's childhood dream after dream: a golden horse turned into a blue butterfly, a rose as bright as the sun turned into a wine glass, the giant's sword fluttered in the air, and Menasci himself was King Solomon in the dream. ...

In the lingering memory of his deceased relatives, Menacher linked his childhood with a grand dream. Touching childhood, from material to spiritual, from reality to fantasy, dreams are all dreams. Singer's imagination is magnificent, his pen is strange, his conception is exquisite and his language is beautiful, which is amazing.

The scene in The Seventh Door Grandpa Opened for Menacher is full of fog, giving people the aesthetic feeling of seeing flowers in the fog. It has left the category of Menacher's childhood memory and entered the future time and space! What Menasci saw in this door was a girl about his age with a long golden braid, and he fell in love with her at once. The little girl's appearance seems groundless. She may have intruded into Menacher's dream when she woke him up. When Menacher asked Grandpa "What's all this about", he got the answer: "These are people and things in your future." -Menacher's dream of looking back on childhood has quietly expanded into a vision of youth.

At the end of the dream, Grandpa called the castle "a place where nothing can be lost". When Menacher woke up and walked home from the forest with the girl, "the moon seems to have never been so bright and the stars seem to have never been so close", while the elves in the forest danced and sang a song that only those who knew that "nothing will be lost in the end" could hear. Singh repeatedly stressed here that "nothing will be lost in the end". The "thing" here should refer to the long-term memory of human childhood happiness, the warmth of family affection and the love of relatives. These things will not be lost, even if years pass, childhood passes and fate is bumpy.

Menacher used his dreams to find the lost "things".

(Dada)