Gutke's version of the famous tale was unlike any I have since read, but it was essentially the story of Aladdin, so that I was able to identify it later when I found it in a book.

Names, incidents, and "local color" were slightly Hebraized, but the supernatural wonders of treasure caves, jewelled gardens, genii, princesses, and all, were not in the least marred or diminished.

Gutke would spin the story out for a long afternoon, and we all listened entranced, even at the hundredth rehearsal.

We had a few other fairy stories,--I later identified them with stories of Grimm's or of Andersen's,--but for the most part the tales we told were sombre and unimaginative; tales our nurses used to tell to frighten us into good behavior.
Sometimes we spent a whole afternoon in dancing.

We made our own music, singing as we danced, or somebody blew on a comb with a bit of paper over its teeth; and comb music is not to be despised when there is no other sort.