“We’re far too nice, that’s the trouble,” said Yanky. “We can’t climb because we have to babysit Zvi”

T

he following afternoon, Camp Yeshivas Ohavei Torah set out on their rock-climbing expedition. It didn’t take them long to get the hang of it, and if it wasn’t for Zvi Leader dragging behind, Danny and Yanky would have finished the short, “easy” climb together, ready to tackle the next grade. But Zvi whined about every bump and scratch, and they had to wait so long each time he stopped to complain or “catch his breath,” as he called it, ,that they fell behind the rest of the group. The final straw came when Zvi said he didn’t think he could go on any longer, and Yanky, reaching down to help him, lost his balance and fell against a jagged piece of rock.

He let out an angry yell, and Zvi burst into tears. Yanky hadn’t broken anything; he was just sore. He picked himself up, ready to go on, but Zvi refused to budge.

“I give up,” said Yanky.

“Me too,” said Danny.

“We’re far too nice, that’s the trouble,” said Yanky. “We can’t climb because we have to babysit Zvi.”

“Shhhh,” said Danny. “He has ears, you know. Come on, let’s help him climb down.”

The three of them sat on a bench in silence, watching tourists line up for ice cream. Eventually, fed up from looking at Zvi’s legs swinging back and forth, Danny crossed the street to look at the sign advertising sightseeing tours of the Gibraltar caves. A tour of one of the largest caves in Gibraltar was on tomorrow’s itinerary, and he wasn’t going to let Zvi spoil it for him.