CHAPTER IX
A SPINNING BEE
The evening before they left Niamtz, a crowd of Maritza's girl friends gathered at her home for a Spinning Bee.
They came with heads uncovered, for only married women in Roumania wear veils or kerchiefs. They were all dressed in holiday finery, with their hair beautifully waved.
At first a merry little maiden with very red cheeks, and very black eyebrows over sparkling eyes, and black hair twisted into a double plait, came in for a good deal of teasing for some reason or other. She didn't seem to mind it and her bright answers caused much laughter and good feeling. Finally she succeeded in drawing attention from herself by asking a riddle. This was followed by another and another until everybody in the room was guessing.
Then Maritza's mother, who had been busy getting refreshments ready, came in exclaiming, "Time for work, girls!"
At this there was a general cry of "Maritza!" "We want Maritza!" "Maritza must be our leader!"
Maritza stepped forward with some show of reluctance. "There are better spinners and better singers than I am," she said modestly. But the girls, rising quickly, formed a ring around her, singing in chorus, "It's you we want."