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Show 95 "I've eaten mine, but this is yours." Gast had heard her. He turned on me with such a look of fury that I yelled in fear- Hilde, unaware of what was happening, had placed the sweet in my hand just as Gast reached out to swing a blow against the side of my head. I saw the blow coming and leapt backward, but his fist struck my arm with such force that the bun flew across the square and landed in a gutter. A small yellow dog ran to where it fell, picked it up in his teeth and raced away. "Catch that animal!" Gast bellowed to the children nearby. They began to chase after the dog, yelling in glee because they believed it was another game, but the dog was too fast for them and after a while they came back, laughing. "We couldn't catch him, Gast," they cried. "I saw that dog catch a rat once, Gast," Ulrich shouted, "so he deserves a reward, too," and they screeched in merriment. It had all happened so fast that I didn't react immediately, but then the realization broke over me. Gast had struck me! I was used to blows from Master Hermann, but Gast! He was supposed to be my friend! Yet he had hit me while the twins and every other boy and girl in Hamelin stood watching. I turned and ran to the space behind the Meinersing house where I threw myself onto the ground and fought to keep from crying. |