The following joke is an old one in Jewish folklore, and appears in many guises, from the Babylonians here to Czarist Russia and onward. It illustrates, in a wry way, the long and terrible experience of anti-Semitism.

    The story goes that after Nebuchadnezzar had carried off the Jews to Babylon, a Jewish man had fallen into the Euphrates River. Two of Nebuchadnezzar's bodyguards saw this. The Jew called for help, but one guard said to the other, "Ah, it's just a Jew. Wonder how long he can tread water..." They did nothing.

    The two guards watched as the Jew began to sink. Then the Jew yelled out, "Nebuchadnezzar is a tyrant. Destroy all tyrants!"

   Immediately the two guards fished the Jew out and arrested him for treason!