["YOU WILL TELL ME WHERE IS CONRAD?">[
"You will tell me where is Conrad?" said an old man, bent and gray,
While the flames were wildly dancing, and the walls were giving way.
"I haf heard some ones was buried—underneath the ruins fell;
He was in de topmost story—ach, mein Gott! I luf him well!
"I will tell you how you knew him: he had full and laughing eye,
And his face was smooth and smiling—and he was too young to die.
"Hair he had like clouds at sunset when anodher day is done,
And I luf him—how I luf him! and he is mein only son.
"Say, Policeman, tell me truly that this young man you did see,
And I all the money gif you, such as I could bring with me.
"Tell me that he anxious acted—that he hunted far and long,
Like as children would be calling for their fadher in a throng;
"Or he wounded was, pray tell me—in the hospital to lie?—
I will just now hasten to him, and I not will let him die!
"Tell me—oh, you must not told me—dead you haf my Conrad see?
Yet if so is I can stand that—I did long a soldier be.
"Only—Death, we do not fear him when we hear the bullets sing,
But to haf my boy killed this way is a rather different thing.