Page "The Pianist (memoir)" Paragraph 36

After his work on the wall Szpilman survived another selection in the ghetto and was sent to work on many different tasks, such as cleaning out the yard of the Jewish council building.

Eventually, Szpilman was posted to a steady job as “ storeroom manager .” In this position, Szpilman organised the stores at the SS accommodation, which his group was preparing.

At around this time, the Germans in charge of Szpilman ’ s group decided to allow each man five kilograms of potatoes and a loaf of bread every day, to make them feel more secure under the Germans ; fears of deportation had been running at especially high levels since the last selection.

To get this food, the men were allowed to choose a representative to go into the city with a cart everyday and buy it for all of them.

To do this they chose a young man known to Szpilman as “ Majorek ” ( Little Major ).

Majorek acted not only to collect food, but as a link between the Jewish resistance in the ghetto and similar organisations outside.

Hidden inside his bags of food every day, Majorek would bring weapons and ammunition into the ghetto to be passed on to the resistance by Szpilman and the other workers.

But also, Majorek was a link to Szpilman ’ s Polish friends and acquaintances on the outside.

Through Majorek, Szpilman managed to arrange his escape from the ghetto.