Milkweed

Misha’s resolve to obey Uri doesn’t last very long, because he sees the carousel horses. The carousel is in a park near the orphans’ home; Misha is enchanted by the colorfully decorated horses moving in a circle to cheery music. He’s never seen such a thing before. But when he starts moving toward the carousel, Uri stops him, saying, “It’s not for you.” Misha laughs—he thinks everything is for him. But then Uri squeezes Misha’s neck until he can’t breathe, showing that he means what he says.

Misha can’t resist visiting the carousel whenever he’s alone. One day, he jumps onto a black horse with golden tassels and golden hooves. But he doesn’t have a ticket, so the attendant throws him into the snow. But even when the other children kick him and throw snow at him for being a “dirty Gypsy,” that doesn’t stop Misha from sneaking back the next day to watch from a distance. He visits the carousel again and again. Once, he asks Doctor Korczak why the orphans don’t ride the carousel—is it because they’re Jews? Doctor Korczak has been watching the orphans with a fatherly smile. Now he turns to Misha in surprise, saying, “They’re children.”

One night, Misha sneaks out of the stable, thinking he hears the carousel music. Sure enough, the city’s intermittent electricity came on in the middle of the night, and the empty carousel is running. Misha spends hours riding horse after horse, laughing the whole time. Then, dizzy, he stumbles to the orphans’ home and tells Doctor Korczak to bring the children. Doctor Korczak shakes Misha, calling him “foolish, good-hearted boy.” He puts Misha to bed.

The next morning, Uri comes to take Misha home. Misha expects Uri to smack him or call him stupid, but he does nothing. His silence makes Misha lose the desire to ride the horses, though not the desire to look out at the carousel.