She was just one corner away from school now but a group of boys blocked her path, appearing out of nowhere. Dread washed over her as she saw them, g
rinning from ear to ear with sinister looks on their faces.

"Hey, little girlie. Where ya going?" the leader said, as he circled her like a hawk watching its prey.

"Leave me alone. I'm just going to school," she answered calmly.

"Well, well, well. To school huh? You'll get there but we're gonna have fun with you first. Fire, men!" At the sound of his order, immediately the other boys started throwing rocks and whatever projectiles they could find at her.

"Stop it!" Henny screamed. Streams of pellets and rocks still rushed toward her, making her wince at every throw. "They want me to cry," Henny thought to herself. "They want to see me cry and be miserable. I won't ever let that happen.” As soon as the throwing ceased, Henny glared at them with a deadly look. For a moment, they were all afraid. Then the leader came up to her again and said spitefully, "Don't act like a tough guy, girlie. Come on guys. Wertloser Jude! (Worthless Jew!)" They left, laughing like a bunch of hyenas. Henny stood in the same spot for a moment, thinking about the gang of Hitler Jugend (or Hitler Youth) that she just encountered. "Why would anyone want to be part of a group that only hurts people?" she wondered aloud.

Henny arrived at school, tired and bruised. The day went on smoothly enough. Once she saw a picture of Adolf Hitler and nearly laughed. It was hard to believe that this man with the funny mustache was the one responsible for the drastic changes in the lives of Jews.

Now recess was finished and each student was buddying up, as usual. She looked for a partner to walk back to class with since her Jewish friend was absent. "There's Georgina! I can walk back to class with her," Henny thought to herself cheerily. When she reached her though, Georgina just sneered at her. "I'm not going to touch your hand. You're just a dirty Jew!"

Henny was shocked and felt betrayed by her former friend's words. Without thinking, she slapped Georgina hard in the face, causing gasps and whispers from all the people around them. A fat, mean lady came and told her in a shrill voice, "Go home! No violence shall be tolerated in this school!"

She ran, as fast as her little legs could take her. Bang! The door opened loudly and in came little Henny with tears brimming in her eyes. She rushed to her mom for a hug, smelling the sweet delicate scent of jasmine that always seemed to linger around her mother.

"Henny, what's wrong, dear?" she asked, while wiping the remaining tears from her eyes.

"I-I hate school M-mommy. I never w-want to go back t-there ever again," Henny said, pausing between sobs. Her mother held her gently, noticing the cuts and bruises her child had. "Don't worry, dear. You won't have to go through that again. It's over, all over."