Portrait of the small town of Prague

Author: Yang. Neruda
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The match was struck several times, but each time it flickered with phosphorescent smoke and went out. Then, it struck again, and this time the matchstick broke. The person striking the match grumbled angrily, struck another one, and tried again. Finally, after much effort, a small flame was lit, casting a shadow of a figure in pajamas. The small flame blinked, but luckily, the gaunt, wrinkled old hand held it up to a glass cup filled with water and oil. Inside the cup floated a cork with a black, bare wick embedded in it. The wick lit up, and the light shone like a tiny star. The matchstick fell to the ground, and the small star gradually grew larger. The person in pajamas standing beside it—a middle-aged woman—yawned while rubbing her sleepy eyes. The old woman stood beside a small table. The table was close to a dark wooden partition wall that divided the room in half. The dim light did not reach the back of the wall, so only a part of the room was visible. Our sense of smell was not mistaken; this was the storeroom of a general store. Clearly, this unique room served as both a bedroom and a shop. The general store's stock was quite abundant, with large bundles of daily goods piled into heaps. On top of the heaps, entire baskets and crates of goods were stacked even higher. Strings and clusters of objects hung on the walls.