Peter leaped from his chair and ran out of the room, his face flush with anger. Still dripping wet from his fall in the pond, he whipped his cloak around him and ran to Jan’s house. He pounded on the door until the poritz threw it open, a surprised expression on his face.

“Why are you sopping wet?”

“Never mind why I’m wet, you need to understand something. I kidnapped the child, but after only having spent a few minutes with him, he is driving me mad. The faith of these Jewish children is simply too great! When he tells me he will never convert to our religion, I actually believe him! He is as stubborn as a mule!”

“You fool!” Jan snarled. “It’s not the boy we’re after, it’s his father! And the rest of those annoying old men sitting and studying. Do you realize it truly doesn’t make a difference whether the boy converts or not? As long as his father suffers and thinks his precious child is ensnared in our church, that is all that counts. As far as the father will know, his son is a convert to Christianity, and we will tell him his son is as happy as can be and will never again return to the Jewish faith.”

“But the son! How will we save his soul if he does not truly convert?”

“You’re not hearing me, Peter!” Jan slammed a fist into the doorway. “I don’t care about that little cretin! Just follow orders and keep quiet! You will see, the old Jew will come running to give me my money, and I will crush his spirit and the spirit of all of his friends. Now go!”

It did not take long for Tzvi to hear the horrifying turn of events. He hurried to the church and began banging on the front door. The priest opened the window from the second story of the building.

“Begone Jew! The child has agreed to become a Christian, and there is nothing you can do to get him back!”

“I don’t believe you!”

“It’s true, he came of his own volition.”

“Lies! Tell me who put you up to this!”

“All I will say is, if you want your son back, go to Jan.”

The priest slammed the window shut.

Tzvi raced through the streets until he arrived at Jan’s house. The poritz was standing outside, looking smug.

“I was expecting you to come here. Where’s my money?”

“I told you I would get it to you! Just give me back my son!”

“Have the money paid to me in full by sundown, and then I’ll let him go.”

“It will take me at least a few days to collect so much money!”

“The more’s the pity. I’ll have to keep your boy forever.”

“Fine! Fine! I’ll do it!”

Tzvi did not know how to pay back the poritz. He paced around his house as his wife stood to the side wailing. After some time, he decided to visit his best friend and receive his counsel. He went to Yankel’s house and sat down at Yankel’s table and told his tale of horror.

“Wait here…” Yankel’s face was white.

He went into the other room and told his wife what had occurred to Tzvi.

Yankel’s wife knew just what to say.

“You know we have been saving up money for the past 32 years, hoping one day Hashem would bless us with children, and we would be able to afford to give them the best Torah education, which you never had and would have money for their weddings… Although we have grown old, we still have not given up hope. But with all that said, right now Tzvi needs the money. We will show Hashem that we believe He is in charge and that no bad will come from doing a mitzvah. Give him everything, every last coin, that we have saved so carefully over so many years.”

Yankel collected the sum and gave it to an overjoyed and immensely grateful Tzvi. Tzvi blessed him effusively that he should merit to have a child of his own very soon. Then, he hurried to Jan’s house, thinking that at last his troubles were over and that his son would be immediately released.

How wrong he was….

to be continued…

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 888)