University of Virginia Library

LEO TOLSTOI.
IVAN THE FOOL.

1. CHAPTER I

Copyright, 1891, by
CHAS. L. WEBSTER & CO.

IN a certain kingdom there lived a rich peas-
ant, who had three sons—Simeon (a soldier),

Tarras-Briukhan (fat man), and Ivan (a fool)—
and one daughter, Milania, born dumb. Sim-
eon went to war, to serve the Czar; Tarras went
to a city and became a merchant; and Ivan,
with his sister, remained at home to work on
the farm.

For his valiant service in the army, Simeon
received an estate with high rank, and mar-
ried a noble's daughter. Besides his large pay,
he was in receipt of a handsome income from
his estate; yet he was unable to make ends
meet. What the husband saved, the wife wasted

in extravagance. One day Simeon went to the
estate to collect his income, when the steward
informed him that there was no income, say-
ing:

"We have neither horses, cows, fishing-nets,
nor implements; it is necessary first to buy
everything, and then to look for income."

Simeon thereupon went to his father and
said:

"You are rich,
batiushka
[little father], but
you have given nothing to me. Give me one-
third of what you possess as my share, and I
will transfer it to my estate."

The old man replied: "You did not help to
bring prosperity to our household. For what
reason, then, should you now demand the third
part of everything? It would be unjust to Ivan
and his sister."

"Yes," said Simeon; "but he is a fool, and
she was born dumb. What need have they of
anything?"

"See what Ivan will say."

Ivan's reply was: "Well, let him take his
share."

Simeon took the portion allotted to him, and
went again to serve in the army.

Tarras also met with success. He became
rich and married a merchant's daughter, but
even this failed to satisfy his desires, and he
also went to his father and said, "Give me my
share."

The old man, however, refused to comply
with his request, saying: "You had no hand in
the accumulation of our property, and what our
household contains is the result of Ivan's hard
work. It would be unjust," he repeated, "to
Ivan and his sister."

Tarras replied: "But he does not need it.

He is a fool, and cannot marry, for no one will
have him; and sister does not require anything,
for she was born dumb." Turning then to Ivan
he continued: "Give me half the grain you
have, and I will not touch the implements or
fishing-nets; and from the cattle I will take

only the dark mare, as she is not fit to
plow."

Ivan laughed and said: "Well, I will go and
arrange matters so that Tarras may have his
share," whereupon Tarras took the brown mare
with the grain to town, leaving Ivan with one
old horse to work on as before and support his
father, mother, and sister.

2.
CHAPTER II.

IT was disappointing to the
Stary Tchert
(Old
Devil) that the brothers did not quarrel over
the division of the property, and that they
separated peacefully; and he cried out, calling
his three small devils (
Tchertionki
).

"See here," said he, "there are living three
brothers—Simeon the soldier, Tarras-Briuk-
han, and Ivan the Fool. It is necessary that
they should quarrel. Now they live peacefully,
and enjoy each other's hospitality. The Fool
spoiled all my plans. Now you three go and
work with them in such a manner that they will
be ready to tear each other's eyes out. Can you
do this?"

"We can," they replied.

"How will you accomplish it?"

"In this way: We will first ruin them to such
an extent that they will have nothing to eat,
and we will then gather them together in
one place where we are sure that they will
fight."

"Very well; I see you understand your busi-
ness. Go, and do not return to me until you
have created a feud between the three brothers
—or I will skin you alive."

The three small devils went to a swamp to
consult as to the best means of accomplishing
their mission. They disputed for a long time—
each one wanting the easiest part of the work—
and not being able to agree, concluded to draw
lots; by which it was decided that the one who
was first finished had to come and help the
others. This agreement being entered into,
they appointed a time when they were again to
meet in the swamp—to find out who was through
and who needed assistance.

The time having arrived, the young devils
met in the swamp as agreed, when each related

his experience. The first, who went to Simeon,
said: "I have succeeded in my undertaking,
and to-morrow Simeon returns to his father."

His comrades, eager for particulars, inquired
how he had done it.

"Well," he began, "the first thing I did was
to blow some courage into his veins, and, on
the strength of it, Simeon went to the Czar and
offered to conquer the whole world for him.

The Emperor made him commander-in-chief
of the forces, and sent him with an army to fight
the Viceroy of India. Having started on their
mission of conquest, they were unaware that I,
following in their wake, had wet all their pow-
der. I also went to the Indian ruler and
showed him how I could create numberless sol-
diers from straw. Simeon's army, seeing that
they were surrounded by such a vast number of
Indian warriors of my creation, became fright-
ened, and Simeon commanded to fire from can-
nons and rifles, which of course they were
unable to do. The soldiers, discouraged, re-

treated in great disorder. Thus Simeon brought
upon himself the terrible disgrace of defeat.

His estate was confiscated, and to-morrow he is
to be executed. All that remains for me to do,
therefore," concluded the young devil, "is to
release him to-morrow morning. Now, then,
who wants my assistance?"

The second small devil (from Tarras) then
related his story.

"I do not need any help," he began. "My
business is also all right. My work with Tar-
ras will be finished in one week. In the first
place I made him grow thin. He afterward
became so covetous that he wanted to possess
everything he saw, and he spent all the money
he had in the purchase of immense quantities
of goods. When his capital was gone he still
continued to buy with borrowed money, and
has become involved in such difficulties that he
cannot free himself. At the end of one week
the date for the payment of his notes will have
expired, and, his goods being seized upon, he

will become a bankrupt; and he also will
return to his father."

At the conclusion of this narrative they in-
quired of the third devil how things had fared
between him and Ivan.

"Well," said he, "my report is not so en-
couraging. The first thing I did was to spit into
his jug of
quass
[a sour drink made from rye],
which made him sick at his stomach. He af-
terward went to plow his summer-fallow, but I
made the soil so hard that the plow could
scarcely penetrate it. I thought the Fool would
not succeed, but he started to work neverthe-
less. Moaning with pain, he still continued to
labor. I broke one plow, but he replaced it
with another, fixing it securely, and resumed
work. Going beneath the surface of the ground
I took hold of the plowshares, but did not suc-
ceed in stopping Ivan. He pressed so hard,
and the colter was so sharp, that my hands were
cut; and despite my utmost efforts, he went
over all but a small portion of the field."

He concluded with: "Come, brothers, and
help me, for if we do not conquer him our
whole enterprise will be a failure. If the Fool
is permitted successfully to conduct his farming,
they will have no need, for he will support his
brothers."

3.
CHAPTER III.

IVAN having succeeded in plowing all but a
small portion of his land, he returned the next
day to finish it. The pain in his stomach con-
tinued, but he felt that he must go on with his
work. He tried to start his plow, but it would
not move; it seemed to have struck a hard root.

It was the small devil in the ground who had
wound his feet around the plowshares and held
them.

"This is strange," thought Ivan. "There
were never any roots here before, and this is
surely one."

Ivan put his hand in the ground, and, feeling
something soft, grasped and pulled it out. It
was like a root in appearance, but seemed to
possess life. Holding it up he saw that it was
a little devil. Disgusted, he exclaimed, "See

the nasty thing," and he proceeded to strike it
a blow, intending to kill it, when the young
devil cried out:

"Do not kill me, and I will grant your every
wish."

"What can you do for me?"

"Tell me what it is you most wish for," the
little devil replied.

Ivan, peasant-fashion, scratched the back of
his head as he thought, and finally he said:

"I am dreadfully sick at my stomach Can
you cure me?"

"I can," the little devil said.

"Then do so."

The little devil bent toward the earth and
began searching for roots, and when he found
them he gave them to Ivan, saying: "If you
will swallow some of these you will be imme-
diately cured of whatsoever disease you are
afflicted with."

Ivan did as directed, and obtained instant
relief.

"I beg of you to let me go now," the little
devil pleaded; "I will pass into the earth, never
to return."

"Very well; you may go, and God bless you;"
and as Ivan pronounced the name of God, the
small devil disappeared into the earth like a
flash, and only a slight opening in the ground
remained.

Ivan placed in his hat what roots he had left,
and proceeded to plow. Soon finishing his
work, he turned his plow over and returned
home.

When he reached the house he found his
brother Simeon and his wife seated at the
supper-table. His estate had been confiscated,
and he himself had barely escaped execution
by making his way out of prison, and having
nothing to live upon had come back to his
father for support.

Turning to Ivan he said: "I came to ask you
to care for us until I can find something to
do."

"Very well," Ivan replied; "you may re-
main with us."

Just as Ivan was about to sit down to the
table Simeon's wife made a wry face, indicat-
ing that she did not like the smell of Ivan's
sheep-skin coat; and turning to her husband she
said, "I shall not sit at the table with a moujik
[peasant] who smells like that."

Simeon the soldier turned to his brother and
said: "My lady objects to the smell of your
clothes. You may eat in the porch."

Ivan said: "Very well, it is all the same to
me. I will soon have to go and feed my horse
any way."

Ivan took some bread in one hand, and his

kaftan
(coat) in the other, and left the room.

4.
CHAPTER IV.

THE small devil finished with Simeon that
night, and according to agreement went to
the assistance of his comrade who had charge
of Ivan, that he might help to conquer the
Fool. He went to the field and searched every-
where, but could find nothing but the hole
through which the small devil had disappeared.

"Well, this is strange," he said; "something
must have happened to my companion, and I
will have to take his place and continue the
work he began. The Fool is through with his
plowing, so I must look about me for some
other means of compassing his destruction. I
must overflow his meadow and prevent him
from cutting the grass."

The little devil accordingly overflowed the
meadow with muddy water, and, when Ivan

went at dawn next morning with his scythe set
and sharpened and tried to mow the grass, he
found that it resisted all his efforts and would
not yield to the implement as usual.

Many times Ivan tried to cut the grass, but
always without success. At last, becoming
weary of the effort, he decided to return home
and have his scythe again sharpened, and also
to procure a quantity of bread, saying: "I will
come back here and will not leave until I have
mown all the meadow, even if it should take a
whole week."

Hearing this, the little devil became thought-
ful, saying: "That Ivan is a
koolak
[hard case],
and I must think of some other way of conquer-
ing him."

Ivan soon returned with his sharpened scythe
and started to mow.

The small devil hid himself in the grass, and
as the point of the scythe came down he buried
it in the earth and made it almost impossible
for Ivan to move the implement. He, how-

ever, succeeded in mowing all but one small
spot in the swamp, where again the small devil
hid himself, saying: "Even if he should cut
my hands I will prevent him from accomplish-
ing his work."

When Ivan came to the swamp he found that
the grass was not very thick. Still, the scythe
would not work, which made him so angry that
he worked with all his might, and one blow more
powerful than the others cut off a portion of the
small devil's tail, who had hidden himself there.

Despite the little devil's efforts he succeeded
in finishing his work, when he returned home
and ordered his sister to gather up the grass
while he went to another field to cut rye. But
the devil preceded him there, and fixed the rye
in such a manner that it was almost impossible
for Ivan to cut it; however, after continuous
hard labor he succeeded, and when he was
through with the rye he said to himself: "Now
I will start to mow oats."

On hearing this, the little devil thought to

himself: "I could not prevent him from mow-
ing the rye, but I will surely stop him from
mowing the oats when the morning comes."

Early next day, when the devil came to the
field, he found that the oats had been already
mowed. Ivan did it during the night, so as to
avoid the loss that might have resulted from
the grain being too ripe and dry. Seeing that
Ivan again had escaped him, the little devil
became greatly enraged, saying:

"He cut me all over and made me tired, that
fool. I did not meet such misfortune even on the
battle-field. He does not even sleep;" and
the devil began to swear. "I cannot follow
him," he continued. "I will go now to the
heaps and make everything rotten."

Accordingly he went to a heap of the new-
mown grain and began his fiendish work. After
wetting it he built a fire and warmed himself,
and soon was fast asleep.

Ivan harnessed his horse, and, with his sis-
ter, went to bring the rye home from the field.

After lifting a couple of sheaves from the first
heap his pitchfork came into contact with the
little devil's back, which caused the latter to
howl with pain and to jump around in every
direction. Ivan exclaimed:

"See here! What nastiness! You again
here?"

"I am another one!" said the little devil.

"That was my brother. I am the one who was
sent to your brother Simeon."

"Well," said Ivan, "it matters not who you
are. I will fix you all the same."

As Ivan was about to strike the first blow
the devil pleaded: "Let me go and I will do
you no more harm. I will do whatever you
wish."

"What can you do for me?" asked Ivan.

"I can make soldiers from almost anything."

"And what will they be good for?"

"Oh, they will do everything for you!"

"Can they sing?"

"They can."

"Well, make them."

"Take a bunch of straw and scatter it on
the ground, and see if each straw will not turn
into a soldier."

Ivan shook the straws on the ground, and, as
he expected, each straw turned into a soldier,
and they began marching with a band at their
head.

"
Ishty
[look you], that was well done! How
it will delight the village maidens!" he ex-
claimed.

The small devil now said: "Let me go; you
do not need me any longer."

But Ivan said: "No, I will not let you go
just yet. You have converted the straw into
soldiers, and now I want you to turn them again
into straw, as I cannot afford to lose it, but I
want it with the grain on."

The devil replied: "Say: 'So many soldiers,
so much straw.'"

Ivan did as directed, and got back his rye
with the straw.

The small devil again begged for his release.

Ivan, taking him from the pitchfork, said:

"With God's blessing you may depart"; and, as
before at the mention of God's name, the little
devil was hurled into the earth like a flash, and
nothing was left but the hole to show where he
had gone.

Soon afterward Ivan returned home, to find
his brother Tarras and his wife there. Tarras-
Briukhan could not pay his debts, and was
forced to flee from his creditors and seek refuge
under his father's roof. Seeing Ivan, he said:

"Well, Ivan, may we remain here until I start
in some new business?"

Ivan replied as he had before to Simeon:

"Yes, you are perfectly welcome to remain
here as long as it suits you."

With that announcement he removed his coat
and seated himself at the supper-table with the
others. But Tarras-Briukhan's wife objected
to the smell of his clothes, saying: "I cannot
eat with a fool; neither can I stand the smell."

Then Tarras-Briukhan said: "Ivan, from
your clothes there comes a bad smell; go and
eat by yourself in the porch."

"Very well," said Ivan; and he took some
bread and went out as ordered, saying, "It is
time for me to feed my mare."

5.
CHAPTER V.

THE small devil who had charge of Tarras
finished with him that night, and according to
agreement proceeded to the assistance of the
other two to help them conquer Ivan. Arriv-
ing at the plowed field he looked around for his
comrades, but found only the hole through
which one had disappeared; and on going to
the meadow he discovered the severed tail of
the other, and in the rye-field he found yet
another hole.

"Well," he thought, "it is quite clear that my
comrades have met with some great misfortune,
and that I will have to take their places and
arrange the feud between the brothers."

The small devil then went in search of Ivan.

But he, having finished with the field, was no-
where to be found. He had gone to the forest

to cut logs to build homes for his brothers, as
they found it inconvenient for so many to live
under the same roof.

The small devil at last discovered his where-
abouts, and going to the forest climbed into the
branches of the trees and began to interfere
with Ivan's work. Ivan cut down a tree, which
failed, however, to fall to the ground, becoming
entangled in the branches of other trees; yet he
succeeded in getting it down after a hard strug-
gle. In chopping down the next tree he met
with the same difficulties, and also with the
third. Ivan had supposed he could cut down
fifty trees in a day, but he succeeded in chop-
ping but ten before darkness put an end to his
labors for a time. He was now exhausted, and,
perspiring profusely, he sat down alone in the
woods to rest. He soon after resumed his
work, cutting down one more tree; but the
effort gave him a pain in his back, and he was
obliged to rest again. Seeing this, the small
devil was full of joy.

"Well," he thought, "now he is exhausted
and will stop work, and I will rest also." He
then seated himself on some branches and re-
joiced.

Ivan again arose, however, and, taking his
axe, gave the tree a terrific blow from the op-
posite side, which felled it instantly to the
ground, carrying the little devil with it; and
Ivan, proceeding to cut the branches, found the
devil alive. Very much astonished, Ivan ex-
claimed:

"Look you! Such nastiness! Are you again
here?"

"I am another one," replied the devil. "I
was with your brother Tarras."

"Well," said Ivan, "that makes no differ-
ence; I will fix you." And he was about to
strike him a blow with the axe when the devil
pleaded:

"Do not kill me, and whatever you wish you
shall have."

Ivan asked, "What can you do?"

"I can make for you all the money you wish."

Ivan then told the devil he might proceed,
whereupon the latter began to explain to him
how he might become rich.

"Take," said he to Ivan, "the leaves of this
oak tree and rub them in your hands, and the
gold will fall to the ground."

Ivan did as he was directed, and immediately
the gold began to drop about his feet; and he
remarked:

"This will be a fine trick to amuse the vil-
lage boys with."

"Can I now take my departure?" asked the
devil, to which Ivan replied, "With God's bless-
ing you may go."

At the mention of the name of God, the devil
disappeared into the earth.

6.
CHAPTER VI.

THE brothers, having finished their houses,
moved into them and lived apart from their
father and brother. Ivan, when he had com-
pleted his plowing, made a great feast, to which
he invited his brothers, telling them that he had
plenty of beer for them to drink. The broth-
ers, however, declined Ivan's hospitality, say-
ing, "We have seen the beer moujiks drink,
and want none of it."

Ivan then gathered around him all the peas-
ants in the village and with them drank beer
until he became intoxicated, when he joined the

Khorovody
(a street gathering of the village boys
and girls, who sing songs), and told them
they must sing his praises, saying that in return
he would show them such sights as they had

never before seen in their lives. The little
girls laughed and began to sing songs praising
Ivan, and when they had finished they said:
'Very well; now give us what you said you
would."

Ivan replied, "I will soon show you," and,
taking an empty bag in his hand, he started for
the woods. The little girls laughed as they
said, "What a fool he is!" and resuming their
play they forgot all about him.

Some time after Ivan suddenly appeared
among them carrying in his hand the bag,
which was now filled.

"Shall I divide this with you?" he said.

"Yes; divide!" they sang in chorus.

So Ivan put his hand into the bag and drew
it out full of gold coins, which he scattered
among them.

"Batiushka," they cried as they ran to gather
up the precious pieces.

The moujiks then appeared on the scene and
began to fight among themselves for the pos-

session of the yellow objects. In the mêlée
one old woman was nearly crushed to death.

Ivan laughed and was greatly amused at the
sight of so many persons quarrelling over a few
pieces of gold.

"Oh! you duratchki" (little fools), he said,
"why did you almost crush the life out of the
old grandmother? Be more gentle. I have
plenty more, and I will give them to you;"
whereupon he began throwing about more of
the coins.

The people gathered around him, and Ivan
continued throwing until he emptied his bag.

They clamored for more, but Ivan replied:

"The gold is all gone. Another time I will
give you more. Now we will rsum our
singing and dancing."

The little children sang, but Ivan said to
them, "Your songs are no good."

The children said, "Then show us how to
sing better."

To this Ivan replied, "I will show you peo-

ple who can sing better than you." With that
remark Ivan went to the barn and, securing a
bundle of straw, did as the little devil had di-
rected him; and presently a regiment of sol-
diers appeared in the village street, and he
ordered them to sing and dance.

The people were astonished and could not
understand how Ivan had produced the stran-
gers.

The soldiers sang for some time, to the great
delight of the villagers; and when Ivan com-
manded them to stop they instantly ceased.

Ivan then ordered them off to the barn, tell-
ing the astonished and mystified moujiks that
they must not follow him. Reaching the barn,
he turned the soldiers again into straw and went
home to sleep off the effects of his debauch.

7.
CHAPTER VII.

THE next morning Ivan's exploits were the
talk of the village, and news of the wonderful
things he had done reached the ears of his
brother Simeon, who immediately went to Ivan
to learn all about it.

"Explain to me," he said; "from whence did
you bring the soldiers, and where did you take
them?''

"And what do you wish to know for?" asked
Ivan.

"Why, with soldiers we can do almost any-
thing we wish—whole kingdoms can be con-
quered," replied Simeon.

This information greatly surprised Ivan, who
said: "Well, why did you not tell me about
this before? I can make as many as you want."

Ivan then took his brother to the barn, but

he said: "While I am willing to create the sol-
diers, you must take them away from here; for if
it should become necessary to feed them, all the
food in the village would last them only one day."

Simeon promised to do as Ivan wished, where-
upon Ivan proceeded to convert the straw into
soldiers. Out of one bundle of straw he made
an entire regiment; in fact, so many soldiers
appeared as if by magic that there was not a
vacant spot in the field.

Turning to Simeon Ivan said, "Well, is there
a sufficient number?"

Beaming with joy, Simeon replied: "Enough!
enough! Thank you, Ivan!"

"Glad you are satisfied," said Ivan, "and if
you wish more I will make them for you. I
have plenty of straw now."

Simeon divided his soldiers into battalions
and regiments, and after having drilled them he
went forth to fight and to conquer.

Simeon had just gotten safely out of the vil-
lage with his soldiers when Tarras, the other

brother, appeared before Ivan—he also having
heard of the previous day's performance and
wanting to learn the secret of his power. He
sought Ivan, saying: "Tell me the secret of
your supply of gold, for if I had plenty of
money I could with its assistance gather in all
the wealth in the world."

Ivan was greatly surprised on hearing this
statement, and said: "You might have told me
this before, for I can obtain for you as much
money as you wish."

Tarras was delighted, and he said, "You
might get me about three bushels."

"Well," said Ivan, "we will go to the woods,
or, better still, we will harness the horse, as we
could not possibly carry so much money our-
selves."

The brothers went to the woods and Ivan
proceeded to gather the oak leaves, which he
rubbed between his hands, the dust falling to
the ground and turning into gold pieces as
quickly as it fell.

When quite a pile had accumulated Ivan
turned to Tarras and asked if he had rubbed
enough leaves into money, whereupon Tarras
replied: "Thank you, Ivan; that will be suffi-
cient for this time."

Ivan then said: "If you wish more, come to
me and I will rub as much as you want, for
there are plenty of leaves."

Tarras, with his
tarantas
(wagon) filled with
gold, rode away to the city to engage in trade
and increase his wealth; and thus both brothers
went their way, Simeon to fight and Tarras to
trade.

Simeon's soldiers conquered a kingdom for
him and Tarras-Briukhan made plenty of
money.

Some time afterward the two brothers met
and confessed to each other the source from
whence sprang their prosperity, but they were
not yet satisfied.

Simeon said: "I have conquered a kingdom
and enjoy a very pleasant life, but I have not

sufficient money to procure food for my sol-
diers;" while Tarras confessed that he was the
possessor of enormous wealth, but the care of
it caused him much uneasiness.

"Let us go again to our brother," said Sim-
eon; "I will order him to make more soldiers
and will give them to you, and you may then
tell him that he must make more money so
that we can buy food for them."

They went again to Ivan, and Simeon said:

"I have not sufficient soldiers; I want you to
make me at least two divisions more." But
Ivan shook his head as he said: "I will not
create soldiers for nothing; you must pay me
for doing it."

"Well, but you promised," said Simeon.

"I know I did," replied Ivan; "but I have
changed my mind since that time."

"But, fool, why will you not do as you prom-
ised?"

"For the reason that your soldiers kill men,
and I will not make any more for such a cruel

purpose." With this reply Ivan remained stub-
born and would not create any more soldiers.

Tarras-Briukhan next approached Ivan and
ordered him to make more money; but, as in
the case of Tarras, Ivan only shook his head,
as he said: "I will not make you any money
unless you pay me for doing it. I cannot work
without pay."

Tarras then reminded him of his promise.

"I know I promised," replied Ivan; "but still
I must refuse to do as you wish."

"But why, fool, will you not fulfill your
promise?" asked Tarras.

"For the reason that your gold was the
means of depriving Mikhailovna of her cow."

"But how did that happen?" inquired Tar-
ras.

"It happened in this way," said Ivan. "Mik-
hailovna always kept a cow, and her children
had plenty of milk to drink; but some time
ago one of her boys came to me to beg for some
milk, and I asked, 'Where is your cow?' when

he replied, 'A clerk of Tarras-Briukhan came
to our home and offered three gold pieces for
her. Our mother could not resist the tempta-
tion, and now we have no milk to drink. I
gave you the gold pieces for your pleasure, and
you put them to such poor use that I will not
give you any more.'"

The brothers, on hearing this, took their de-
parture to discuss as to the best plan to pursue
in regard to a settlement of their troubles.

Simeon said: "Let us arrange it in this way:

I will give you the half of my kingdom, and
soldiers to keep guard over your wealth; and
you give me money to feed the soldiers in my
half of the kingdom."

To this arrangement Tarras agreed, and both
the brothers became rulers and very happy.

8.
CHAPTER VIII.

IVAN remained on the farm and worked to
support his father, mother, and dumb sister.

Once it happened that the old dog, which had
grown up on the farm, was taken sick, when
Ivan thought he was dying, and, taking pity
on the animal, placed some bread in his hat
and carried it to him. It happened that when
he turned out the bread the root which the
little devil had given him fell out also. The old
dog swallowed it with the bread and was almost
instantly cured, when he jumped up and began
to wag his tail as an expression of joy. Ivan's
father and mother, seeing the dog cured so
quickly, asked by what means he had per-
formed such a miracle.

Ivan replied: "I had some roots which would

cure any disease, and the dog swallowed one of
them."

It happened about that time that the Czar's
daughter became ill, and her father had it
announced in every city, town, and village that
whosoever would cure her would be richly re-
warded; and if the lucky person should prove
to be a single man he would give her in mar-
riage to him.

This announcement, of course, appeared in
Ivan's village.

Ivan's father and mother called him and said:

"If you have any of those wonderful roots, go
and cure the Czar's daughter. You will be
much happier for having performed such a
kind act—indeed, you will be made happy for
all your after life."

"Very well," said Ivan; and he immediately
made ready for the journey. As he reached
the porch on his way out he saw a poor woman
standing directly in his path and holding a
broken arm. The woman accosted him, saying:

"I was told that you could cure me, and will
you not please do so, as I am powerless to do
anything for myself?"

Ivan replied: "Very well, my poor woman;
I will relieve you if I can."

He produced a root which he handed to the
poor woman and told her to swallow it.

She did as Ivan told her and was instantly
cured, and went away rejoicing that she had
recovered the use of her arm.

Ivan's father and mother came out to wish
him good luck on his journey, and to them he
told the story of the poor woman, saying that
he had given her his last root. On hearing this
his parents were much distressed, as they now
believed him to be without the means of curing
the Czar's daughter, and began to scold him.

"You had pity for a beggar and gave no
thought to the Czar's daughter," they said.

"I have pity for the Czar's daughter also,"
replied Ivan, after which he harnessed his
horse to his wagon and took his seat ready for

his departure; whereupon his parents said:

"Where are you going, you fool—to cure the
Czar's daughter, and without anything to do it
with?"

"Very well," replied Ivan, as he drove away.

In due time he arrived at the palace, and the
moment he appeared on the balcony the Czar's
daughter was cured. The Czar was overjoyed
and ordered Ivan to be brought into his pres-
ence. He dressed him in the richest robes and
addressed him as his son-in-law. Ivan was
married to the Czarevna, and, the Czar dying
soon after, Ivan became ruler. Thus the three
brothers became rulers in different kingdoms.

9.
CHAPTER IX.

THE brothers lived and reigned. Simeon,
the eldest brother, with his straw soldiers took
captive the genuine soldiers and trained all
alike. He was feared by every one.

Tarras-Briukhan, the other brother, did not
squander the gold he obtained from Ivan, but
instead greatly increased his wealth, and at the
same time lived well. He kept his money in
large trunks, and, while having more than he
knew what to do with, still continued to collect
money from his subjects. The people had to
work for the money to pay the taxes which Tarras
levied on them, and life was made burdensome
to them.

Ivan the Fool did not enjoy his wealth and
power to the same extent as did his brothers.

As soon as his father-in-law, the late Czar, was

buried, he discarded the Imperial robes which
had fallen to him and told his wife to put them
away, as he had no further use for them. Hav-
ing cast aside the insignia of his rank, he once
more donned his peasant garb and started to
work as of old.

"I felt lonesome," he said, "and began to
grow enormously stout, and yet I had no appetite,
and neither could I sleep."

Ivan sent for his father, mother, and dumb
sister, and brought them to live with him, and
they worked with him at whatever he chose
to do.

The people soon learned that Ivan was a
fool. His wife one day said to him, "The
people say you are a fool, Ivan."

"Well, let them think so if they wish," he
replied.

His wife pondered this reply for some time,
and at last decided that if Ivan was a fool she
also was one, and that it would be useless to go
contrary to her husband, thinking affectionately

of the old proverb that "where the needle goes
there goes the thread also." She therefore cast
aside her magnificent robes, and, putting them
into the trunk with Ivan's, dressed herself in
cheap clothing and joined her dumb sister-in-
law, with the intention of learning to work.

She succeeded so well that she soon became a
great help to Ivan.

Seeing that Ivan was a fool, all the wise men
left the kingdom and only the fools remained.

They had no money, their wealth consisting
only of the products of their labor. But they
lived peacefully together, supported themselves
in comfort, and had plenty to spare for the
needy and afflicted.

10.
CHAPTER X.

THE old devil grew tired of waiting for the
good news which he expected the little devils
to bring him. He waited in vain to hear of the
ruin of the brothers, so he went in search of
the emissaries which he had sent to perform
that work for him. After looking around for
some time, and seeing nothing but the three
holes in the ground, he decided that they had
not succeeded in their work and that he would
have to do it himself.

The old devil next went in search of the
brothers, but he could learn nothing of their
whereabouts. After some time he found them
in their different kingdoms, contented and
happy. This greatly incensed the old devil,
and he said, "I will now have to accomplish
their mission myself."

He first visited Simeon the soldier, and ap-
peared before him as a
voyevoda
(general), say-
ing: "You, Simeon, are a great warrior, and I
also have had considerable experience in war-
fare, and am desirous of serving you."

Simeon questioned the disguised devil, and
seeing that he was an intelligent man took him
into his service.

The new General taught Simeon how to
strengthen his army until it became very pow-
erful. New implements of warfare were intro-
duced. Cannons capable of throwing one
hundred balls a minute were also constructed,
and these, it was expected, would be of deadly
effect in battle.

Simeon, on the advice of his new General,
ordered all young men above a certain age to
report for drill. On the same advice Simeon
established gun-shops, where immense numbers
of cannons and rifles were made.

The next move of the new General was to
have Simeon declare war against the neighbor-

ing kingdom. This he did, and with his im-
mense army marched into the adjoining terri-
tory, which he pillaged and burned, destroying
more than half the enemy's soldiers. This so
frightened the ruler of that country that he
willingly gave up half of his kingdom to save
the other half.

Simeon, overjoyed at his success, declared
his intention of marching into Indian territory
and subduing the Viceroy of that country.

But Simeon's intentions reached the ears of
the Indian ruler, who prepared to do battle
with him. In addition to having secured all
the latest implements of warfare, he added still
others of his own invention. He ordered all
boys over fourteen and all single women to be
drafted into the army, until its proportions be-
came much larger than Simeon's. His cannons
and rifles were of the same pattern as Sim-
eon's, and he invented a flying-machine from
which bombs could be thrown into the enemy's
camp.

Simeon went forth to conquer the Viceroy
with full confidence in his own powers to suc-
ceed. This time luck forsook him, and instead
of being the conqueror he was himself con-
quered.

The Indian ruler had so arranged his army
that Simeon could not even get within shooting
distance, while the bombs from the flying-
machine carried destruction and terror in their
path, completely routing his army, so that Sim-
eon was left alone.

The Viceroy took possession of his kingdom
and Simeon had to fly for his life.

Having finished with Simeon, the old devil
next approached Tarras. He appeared before
him disguised as one of the merchants of his
kingdom, and established factories and began
to make money. The "merchant" paid the
highest price for everything he purchased, and
the people ran after him to sell their goods.

Through this "merchant" they were enabled to
make plenty of money, paying up all their ar-

rears of taxes as well as the others when they
came due.

Tarras was overjoyed at this condition of af-
fairs and said: "Thanks to this merchant, now
I will have more money than before, and life
will be much pleasanter for me."

He wished to erect new buildings, and ad-
vertised for workmen, offering the highest
prices for all kinds of labor. Tarras thought
the people would be as anxious to work as for-
merly, but instead he was much surprised to
learn that they were working for the "mer-
chant." Thinking to induce them to leave the
"merchant," he increased his offers, but the
former, equal to the emergency, also raised the
wages of his workmen. Tarras, having plenty
of money, increased the offers still more; but
the "merchant" raised them still higher and
got the better of him. Thus, defeated at every
point, Tarras was compelled to abandon the
idea of building.

Tarras next announced that he intended lay-

ing out gardens and erecting fountains, and the
work was to be commenced in the fall, but no
one came to offer his services, and again he was
obliged to forego his intentions. Winter set
in, and Tarras wanted some sable fur with
which to line his great-coat, and he sent his
man to procure it for him; but the servant
returned without it, saying: "There are no
sables to be had. The 'merchant' has bought
them all, paying a very high price for them."

Tarras needed horses and sent a messenger
to purchase them, but he returned with the
same story as on former occasions—that none
were to be found, the "merchant" having bought
them all to carry water for an artificial pond he
was constructing. Tarras was at last com-
pelled to suspend business, as he could not find
any one willing to work for him. They had
all gone over to the "merchant's" side. The
only dealings the people had with Tarras were
when they went to pay their taxes. His money
accumulated so fast that he could not find a

place to put it, and his life became miserable.

He abandoned all idea of entering upon the
new venture, and only thought of how to exist
peaceably. This he found it difficult to do, for,
turn which way he would, fresh obstacles con-
fronted him. Even his cooks, coachmen, and
all his other servants forsook him and joined
the "merchant." With all his wealth he had
nothing to eat, and when he went to market he
found the "merchant" had been there before
him and had bought up all the provisions.

Still, the people continued to bring him money.

Tarras at last became so indignant that he
ordered the "merchant" out of his kingdom.

He left, but settled just outside the boundary
line, and continued his business with the same
result as before, and Tarras was frequently
forced to go without food for days. It was
rumored that the "merchant" wanted to buy
even Tarras himself. On hearing this the lat-
ter became very much alarmed and could not
decide as to the best course to pursue.

About this time his brother Simeon arrived
in the kingdom, and said: "Help me, for I
have been defeated and ruined by the Indian
Viceroy."

Tarras replied: "How can I help you, when
I have had no food myself for two days?"

11. CHAPTER XI.

THE old devil, having finished with the sec-
ond brother, went to Ivan the Fool. This time
he disguised himself as a General, the same as
in the case of Simeon, and, appearing before
Ivan, said: "Get an army together. It is dis-
graceful for the ruler of a kingdom to be without
an army. You call your people to assemble,
and I will form them into a fine large army."

Ivan took the supposed General's advice, and
said: "Well, you may form my people into an
army, but you must also teach them to sing the
songs I like."

The old devil then went through Ivan's
kingdom to secure recruits for the army, saying:

"Come, shave your heads [the heads of recruits
are always shaved in Russia] and I will give

each of you a red hat and plenty of vodki"
(whiskey).

At this the fools only laughed, and said:

"We can have all the vodki we want, for we dis-
till it ourselves; and of hats, our little girls
make all we want, of any color we please, and
with handsome fringes."

Thus was the devil foiled in securing recruits
for his army; so he returned to Ivan and said:

"Your fools will not volunteer to be soldiers.

It will therefore be necessary to force them."

"Very well," replied Ivan, "you may use
force if you want to."

The old devil then announced that all the
fools must become soldiers, and those who re-
fused, Ivan would punish with death.

The fools went to the General; and said:

"You tell us that Ivan will punish with death
all those who refuse to become soldiers, but you
have omitted to state what will be done with
us soldiers. We have been told that we are
only to be killed."

"Yes, that is true," was the reply.

The fools on hearing this became stubborn
and refused to go.

"Better kill us now if we cannot avoid death,
but we will not become soldiers," they declared.

"Oh! you fools," said the old devil, "soldiers
may and may not be killed; but if you disobey
Ivan's orders you will find certain death at his
hands."

The fools remained absorbed in thought for
some time and finally went to Ivan to question
him in regard to the matter.

On arriving at his house they said: "A Gen-
eral came to us with an order from you that we
were all to become soldiers, and if we refused
you were to punish us with death. Is it true?"

Ivan began to laugh heartily on hearing this,
and said: "Well, how I alone can punish you
with death is something I cannot understand.

If I was not a fool myself I would be able to
explain it to you, but as it is I cannot."

"Well, then, we will not go," they said.

"Very well," replied Ivan, "you need not
become soldiers unless you wish to."

The old devil, seeing his schemes about to
prove failures, went to the ruler of Tarakania
and became his friend, saying: "Let us go and
conquer Ivan's kingdom. He has no money,
but he has plenty of cattle, provisions, and
various other things that would be useful to
us."

The Tarakanian ruler gathered his large
army together, and equipping it with cannons
and rifles, crossed the boundary line into Ivan's
kingdom. The people went to Ivan and said:

"The ruler of Tarakania is here with a large
army to fight us."

"Let them come," replied Ivan.

The Tarakanian ruler, after crossing the line
into Ivan's kingdom, looked in vain for sol-
diers to fight against; and waiting some time
and none appearing, he sent his own warriors
to attack the villages.

They soon reached the first village, which

they began to plunder. The fools of both sexes
looked calmly on, offering not the least resist-
ance when their cattle and provisions were
being taken from them. On the contrary, they
invited the soldiers to come and live with them,
saying: "If you, dear friends, find it is difficult
to earn a living in your own land, come and
live with us, where everything is plentiful."

The soldiers decided to remain, finding the
people happy and prosperous, with enough sur-
plus food to supply many of their neighbors.

They were surprised at the cordial greetings
which they everywhere received, and, return-
ing to the ruler of Tarakania, they said: "We
cannot fight with these people—take us to
another place. We would much prefer the
dangers of actual warfare to this unsoldierly
method of subduing the village."

The Tarakanian ruler, becoming enraged,
ordered the soldiers to destroy the whole king-
dom, plunder the villages, burn the houses and
provisions, and slaughter the cattle.

"Should you disobey my orders," said he, "I
will have every one of you executed.''

The soldiers, becoming frightened, started to
do as they were ordered, but the fools wept
bitterly, offering no resistance, men, women,
and children all joining in the general lamen-
tation.

"Why do you treat us so cruelly?" they cried
to the invading soldiers. "Why do you wish to
destroy everything we have? If you have more
need of these things than we have, why not
take them with you and leave us in peace?"

The soldiers, becoming saddened with re-
morse, refused further to pursue their path of
destruction—the entire army scattering in many
directions.

12. CHAPTER XII.

THE old devil, failing to ruin Ivan's king-
dom with soldiers, transformed himself into a
nobleman, dressed exquisitely, and became one
of Ivan's subjects, with the intention of com-
passing the downfall of his kingdom—as he had
done with that of Tarras.

The "nobleman" said to Ivan: "I desire to
teach you wisdom and to render you other ser-
vice. I will build you a palace and factories."

"Very well," said Ivan; "you may live with
us."

The next day the "nobleman" appeared on
the Square with a sack of gold in his hand and
a plan for building a house, saying to the peo-
ple: "You are living like pigs, and I am going
to teach you how to live decently. You are to
build a house for me according to this plan. I

will superintend the work myself, and will pay
you for your services in gold," showing them at
the same time the contents of his sack.

The fools were amused. They had never
before seen any money. Their business was
conducted entirely by exchange of farm prod-
ucts or by hiring themselves out to work by the
day in return for whatever they most needed.

They therefore glanced at the gold pieces with
amazement, and said, "What nice toys they
would be to play with!" In return for the gold
they gave their services and brought the "noble-
man" the produce of their farms.

The old devil was overjoyed as he thought,
"Now my enterprise is on a fair road and I
will be able to ruin the Fool—as I did his
brothers."

The fools obtained sufficient gold to distrib-
ute among the entire community, the women
and young girls of the village wearing much
of it as ornaments, while to the children they
gave some pieces to play with on the streets.

When they had secured all they wanted they
stopped working and the "noblemen" did not
get his house more than half finished. He
had neither provisions nor cattle for the year,
and ordered the people to bring him both.

He directed them also to go on with the build-
ing of the palace and factories. He promised
to pay them liberally in gold for everything
they did. No one responded to his call—only
once in awhile a little boy or girl would call
to exchange eggs for his gold.

Thus was the "nobleman" deserted, and,
having nothing to eat, he went to the village to
procure some provisions for his dinner. He
went to one house and offered gold in return for
a chicken, but was refused, the owner saying:

"We have enough of that already and do not
want any more."

He next went to a fish-woman to buy some
herring, when she, too, refused to accept his
gold in return for fish, saying: "I do not wish
it, my dear man; I have no children to whom

I can give it to play with. I have three pieces
which I keep as curiosities only."

He then went to a peasant to buy bread, but
he also refused to accept the gold. "I have no
use for it," said he, "unless you wish to give it
for Christ's sake; then it will be a different
matter, and I will tell my
baba
[old woman] to
cut a piece of bread for you."

The old devil was so angry that he ran away
from the peasant, spitting and cursing as he
went.

Not only did the offer to accept in the name
of Christ anger him, but the very mention of
the name was like the thrust of a knife in his
throat.

The old devil did not succeed in getting
any bread, and in his efforts to secure other
articles of food he met with the same failure.

The people had all the gold they wanted and
what pieces they had they regarded as curiosi-
ties. They said to the old devil: "If you
bring us something else in exchange for food,

or come to ask for Christ's sake, we will give
you all you want."

But the old devil had nothing but gold, and
was too lazy to work; and being unable to
accept anything for Christ's sake, he was
greatly enraged.

"What else do you want?" he said. "I will
give you gold with which you can buy every-
thing you want, and you need labor no longer."

But the fools would not accept his gold, nor
listen to him. Thus the old devil was obliged
to go to sleep hungry.

Tidings of this condition of affairs soon
reached the ears of Ivan. The people went to
him and said: "What shell we do? This no-
bleman appeared among us; he is well dressed;
he wishes to eat and drink of the best, but is
unwilling to work, and does not beg for food
for Christ's sake. He only offers every one
gold pieces. At first we gave him everything
he wanted, taking the gold pieces in exchange
just as curiosities; but now we have enough of

them and refuse to accept any more from him.

What shall we do with him? he may die of
hunger!"

Ivan heard all they had to say, and told them
to employ him as a shepherd, taking turns in
doing so.

The old devil saw no other way out of the
difficulty and was obliged to submit.

It soon came the old devil's turn to go to
Ivan's house. He went there to dinner and
found Ivan's dumb sister preparing the meal.

She was often cheated by the lazy people,
who while they did not work, yet ate up all
the gruel. But she learned to know the lazy
people from the condition of their hands.

Those with great welts on their hands she in-
vited first to the table, and those having smooth
white hands had to take what was left.

The old devil took a seat at the table, but the
dumb girl, taking his hands, looked at them,
and seeing them white and clean, and with long
nails, swore at him and put him from the table.

Ivan's wife said to the old devil: "You must
excuse my sister-in-law; she will not allow any
one to sit at the table whose hands have not
been hardened by toil, so you will have to wait
until the dinner is over and then you can
have what is left. With it you must be satis-
fied."

The old devil was very much offended that
he was made to eat with "pigs," as he ex-
pressed it, and complained to Ivan, saying:

"The foolish law you have in your kingdom,
that all persons must work, is surely the in-
vention of fools. People who work for a living
are not always forced to labor with their hands.

Do you think wise men labor so?"

Ivan replied: "Well, what do fools know
about it? We all work with our hands."

"And for that reason you are fools," replied
the devil. "I can teach you how to use your
brains, and you will find such labor more bene-
ficial."

Ivan was surprised at hearing this, and said:

"Well, it is perhaps not without good reason
that we are called fools."

"It is not so easy to work with the brain,"
the old devil said.

"You will not give me anything to eat be-
cause my hands have not the appearance of
being toil-hardened, but you must understand
that it is much harder to do brain-work, and
sometimes the head feels like bursting with the
effort it is forced to make."

"Then why do you not select some light work
that you can perform with your hands?" Ivan
asked.

The devil said: "I torment myself with
brain-work because I have pity for you fools,
for, if I did not torture myself, people like you
would remain fools for all eternity. I have ex-
ercised my brain a great deal during my life,
and now I am able to teach you."

Ivan was greatly surprised and said: "Very
well; teach us, so that when our hands are tired
we can use our heads to replace them."

The devil promised to instruct the people,
and Ivan announced the fact throughout his
kingdom.

The devil was willing to teach all those who
came to him how to use the head instead of the
hands, so as to produce more with the former
than with the latter.

In Ivan's kingdom there was a high tower,
which was reached by a long, narrow lad-
der leading up to the balcony, and Ivan told
the old devil that from the top of the tower
every one could see him. So the old devil
went up to the balcony and addressed the
people.

The fools came in great crowds to hear what
the old devil had to say, thinking that he really
meant to tell them how to work with the head.

But the old devil only told them in words what
to do, and did not give them any practical in-
struction. He said that men working only with
their hands could not make a living. The fools
did not understand what he said to them and

looked at him in amazement, and then departed
for their daily work.

The old devil addressed them for two days
from the balcony, and at the end of that time,
feeling hungry, he asked the people to bring
him some bread. But they only laughed at
him and told him if he could work better with
his head than with his hands he could also find
bread for himself. He addressed the people
for yet another day, and they went to hear him
from curiosity, but soon left him to return to
their work.

Ivan asked, "Well, did the nobleman work
with his head?"

"Not yet," they said; "so far he has only
talked."

One day, while the old devil was standing on
the balcony, he became weak, and, falling
down, hurt his head against a pole.

Seeing this, one of the fools ran to Ivan's
wife and said, "The gentleman has at last
commenced to work with his head."

She ran to the field to tell Ivan, who was
much surprised, and said, "Let us go and see
him."

He turned his horses' heads in the direction
of the tower, where the old devil remained
weak from hunger and was still suspended
from the pole, with his body swaying back and
forth and his head striking the lower part of the
pole each time it came in contact with it.

While Ivan was looking, the old devil started
down the steps head-first—as they supposed, to
count them.

"Well," said Ivan, "he told the truth after
all—that sometimes from this kind of work the
head bursts. This is far worse than welts on
the hands."

The old devil fell to the ground head-fore-
most. Ivan approached him, but at that instant
the ground opened and the devil disappeared,
leaving only a hole to show where he had
gone.

Ivan scratched his head and said: "See here;

such nastiness! This is yet another devil. He
looks like the father of the little ones."

Ivan still lives, and people flock to his king-
dom. His brothers come to him and he feeds
them.

To every one who comes to him and says,
"Give us food," he replies: "Very well; you
are welcome. We have plenty of everything."

There is only one unchangeable custom ob-
served in Ivan's kingdom: The man with toil-
hardened hands is always given a seat at the
table, while the possessor of soft white hands
must be contented with what is left.

13. A LOST OPPORTUNITY.

—

"Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?"
. . . . "So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you,
if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their
trespasses."—ST. MATTHEW xviii., 21-35.

IN a certain village there lived a peasant by
the name of Ivan Scherbakoff. He was pros-
perous, strong, and vigorous, and was consid-
ered the hardest worker in the whole village.

He had three sons, who supported themselves
by their own labor. The eldest was married,
the second about to be married, and the young-
est took care of the horses and occasionally at-
tended to the plowing.

The peasant's wife, Ivanovna, was intelli-
gent and industrious, while her daughter-in-
law was a simple, quiet soul, but a hard worker.

There was only one idle person in the house-
hold, and that was Ivan's father, a very old
man who for seven years had suffered from
asthma, and who spent the greater part of his
time lying on the brick oven.

Ivan had plenty of everything—three horses,
with one colt, a cow with calf, and fifteen
sheep. The women made the men's clothes,
and in addition to performing all the necessary
household labor, also worked in the field; while
the men's industry was confined altogether to
the farm.

What was left of the previous year's supply
of provisions was ample for their needs, and
they sold a quantity of oats sufficient to pay
their taxes and other expenses.

Thus life went smoothly for Ivan.

The peasant's next-door neighbor was a son
of Gordey Ivanoff, called "Gavryl the Lame."

It once happened that Ivan had a quarrel with
him; but while old man Gordey was yet alive,
and Ivan's father was the head of the house-

hold, the two peasants lived as good neighbors
should. If the women of one house required
the use of a sieve or pail, they borrowed it
from the inmates of the other house. The
same condition of affairs existed between the
men. They lived more like one family, the one
dividing his possessions with the other, and per-
fect harmony reigned between the two families.

If a stray calf or cow invaded the garden of
one of the farmers, the other willingly drove
it away, saying: "Be careful, neighbor, that
your stock does not again stray into my garden;
we should put a fence up." In the same way
they had no secrets from each other. The
doors of their houses and barns had neither
bolts nor locks, so sure were they of each other's
honesty. Not a shadow of suspicion darkened
their daily intercourse.

Thus lived the old people.

In time the younger members of the two
households started farming. It soon became
apparent that they would not get along as

peacefully as the old people had done, for they
began quarrelling without the slightest provo-
cation.

A hen belonging to Ivan's daughter-in-law
commenced laying eggs, which the young
woman collected each morning, intending to
keep them for the Easter holidays. She made
daily visits to the barn, where, under an old
wagon, she was sure to find the precious egg.

One day the children frightened the hen and
she flew over their neighbor's fence and laid
her egg in their garden.

Ivan's daughter-in-law heard the hen cack-
ling, but said: "I am very busy just at present,
for this is the eve of a holy day, and I must
clean and arrange this room. I will go for the
egg later on."

When evening came, and she had finished
her task, she went to the barn, and as usual
looked under the old wagon, expecting to find
an egg. But, alas! no egg was visible in the
accustomed place.

Greatly disappointed, she returned to the
house and inquired of her mother-in-law and the
other members of the family if they had taken
it. "No," they said, "we know nothing of it."

Taraska, the youngest brother-in-law, coming
in soon after, she also inquired of him if he
knew anything about the missing egg. "Yes,"
he replied; "your pretty, crested hen laid her
egg in our neighbors' garden, and after she had
finished cackling she flew back again over the
fence."

The young woman, greatly surprised on hear-
ing this, turned and looked long and seriously
at the hen, which was sitting with closed eyes
beside the rooster in the chimney-corner. She
asked the hen where it laid the egg. At the
sound of her voice it simply opened and closed
its eyes, but could make no answer.

She then went to the neighbors' house, where
she was met by an old woman, who said:

"What do you want, young woman?"

Ivan's daughter-in-law replied: "You see,

babushka
[grandmother], my hen flew into your
yard this morning. Did she not lay an egg
there?"

"We did not see any," the old woman replied;
"we have our own hens—God be praised!—and
they have been laying for this long time. We
hunt only for the eggs our own hens lay, and
have no use for the eggs other people's hens
lay. Another thing I want to tell you, young
woman: we do not go into other people's yards
to look for eggs."

Now this speech greatly angered the young
woman, and she replied in the same spirit in
which she had been spoken to, only using
much stronger language and speaking at greater
length.

The neighbor replied in the same angry
manner, and finally the women began to abuse
each other and call vile names. It happened
that old Ivan's wife, on her way to the well for
water, heard the dispute, and joined the others,
taking her daughter-in-law's part.

Gavryl's housekeeper, hearing the noise,
could not resist the temptation to join the rest
and to make her voice heard. As soon as she
appeared on the scene, she, too, began to abuse
her neighbor, reminding her of many disagree-
able things which had happened (and many
which had not happened) between them. She
became so infuriated during her denunciations
that she lost all control of herself, and ran
around like some mad creature.

Then all the women began to shout at the
same time, each trying to say two words to an-
other's one, and using the vilest language in
the quarreller's vocabulary.

"You are such and such," shouted one of the
women. "You are a thief, a
schlukha
[a mean,
dirty, low creature]; your father-in-law is even
now starving, and you have no shame. You
beggar, you borrowed my sieve and broke it.

You made a large hole in it, and did not buy
me another."

"You have our scale-beam," cried another

woman, "and must give it back to me ;" where-
upon she seized the scale-beam and tried to
remove it from the shoulders of Ivan's wife.

In the mêlée which followed they upset the
pails of water. They tore the covering from
each other's head, and a general fight ensued.

Gavryl's wife had by this time joined in the
fracas, and he, crossing the field and seeing
the trouble, came to her rescue.

Ivan and his son, seeing that their women-
folk were being badly used, jumped into the
midst of the fray, and a fearful fight followed.

Ivan was the most powerful peasant in all the
country round, and it did not take him long to
disperse the crowd, for they flew in all direc-
tions. During the progress of the fight Ivan
tore out a large quantity of Gavryl's beard.

By this time a large crowd of peasants had
collected, and it was with the greatest diffi-
culty that they persuaded the two families to
stop quarrelling.

This was the beginning.

Gavryl took the portion of his beard which
Ivan had torn out, and, wrapping it in a paper,
went to the
volostnoye
(moujiks' court) and en-
tered a complaint against Ivan.

Holding up the hair, he said, "I did not
grow this for that bear Ivan to tear out!"

Gavryl's wife went round among the neigh-
bors, telling them that they must not repeat
what she told them, but that she and her hus-
band were going to get the best of Ivan, and
that he was to be sent to Siberia.

And so the quarrelling went on.

The poor old grandfather, sick with asthma
and lying on the brick oven all the time, tried
from the first to dissuade them from quarrel-
ling, and begged of them to live in peace; but
they would not listen to his good advice. He
said to them: "You children are making a great
fuss and much trouble about nothing. I beg of
you to stop and think of what a little thing has
caused all this trouble. It has arisen from only
one egg. If our neighbors' children picked it

up, it is all right. God bless them! One egg
is of but little value, and without it God will
supply sufficient for all our needs."

Ivan's daughter-in-law here interposed and
said, "But they called us vile names."

The old grandfather again spoke, saying:

"Well, even if they did call you bad names, it
would have been better to return good for evil,
and by your example show them how to speak
better. Such conduct on your part would have
been best for all concerned." He continued:

"Well, you had a fight, you wicked people.

Such things sometimes happen, but it would
be better if you went afterward and asked for-
giveness and buried your grievances out of
sight. Scatter them to the four winds of
heaven, for if you do not do so it will be the
worse for you in the end."

The younger members of the family, still
obstinate, refused to profit by the old man's ad-
vice, and declared he was not right, and that he
only liked to grumble in his old-fashioned way.

Ivan refused to go to his neighbor, as the
grandfather wished, saying: "I did not tear
out Gavryl's beard. He did it himself, and his
son tore my shirt and trousers into shreds."

Ivan entered suit against Gavryl. He first
went to the village justice, and not getting sat-
isfaction from him he carried his case to the
village court.

While the neighbors were wrangling over the
affair, each suing the other, it happened that
a perch-bolt from Gavryl's wagon was lost;
and the women of Gavryl's household accused
Ivan's son of stealing it.

They said: "We saw him in the night-time
pass by our window, on his way to where the
wagon was standing." "And my
kumushka

[sponsor]," said one of them, "told me that
Ivan's son had offered it for sale at the
kabak

[tavern]."

This accusation caused them again to go into
court for a settlement of their grievances.

While the heads of the families were trying

to have their troubles settled in court, their
home quarrels were constant, and frequently
resulted in hand-to-hand encounters. Even the
little children followed the example of their
elders and quarrelled incessantly.

The women, when they met on the river-
bank to do the family washing, instead of at-
tending to their work passed the time in abus-
ing each other, and not infrequently they came
to blows.

At first the male members of the families
were content with accusing each other of vari-
ous crimes, such as stealing and like mean-
nesses. But the trouble in this mild form did
not last long. They soon resorted to other
measures. They began to appropriate one an-
other's things without asking permission, while
various articles disappeared from both houses
and could not be found. This was done out of
revenge.

This example being set by the men, the
women and children also followed, and life

soon became a burden to all who took part in
the strife.

Ivan Scherbakoff and "Gavryl the Lame" at
last laid their trouble before the
mir
(village
meeting), in addition to having been in court
and calling on the justice of the peace. Both
of the latter had grown tired of them and their
incessant wrangling. One time Gavryl would
succeed in having Ivan fined, and if he was not
able to pay it he would be locked up in the
cold dreary prison for days. Then it would be
Ivan's turn to get Gavryl punished in like
manner, and the greater the injury the one
could do the other the more delight he took in it.

The success of either in having the other
punished only served to increase their rage
against each other, until they were like mad
dogs in their warfare.

If anything went wrong with one of them he
immediately accused his adversary of conspir-
ing to ruin him, and sought revenge without
stopping to inquire into the rights of the case.

When the peasants went into court, and had
each other fined and imprisoned, it did not
soften their hearts in the least. They would
only taunt one another on such occasions, say-
ing: "Never mind; I will repay you for all
this."

This state of affairs lasted for six years.

Ivan's father, the sick old man, constantly
repeated his good advice. He would try to
arouse their conscience by saying: "What are
you doing, my children? Can you not throw off
all these troubles, pay more attention to your
business, and suppress your anger against your
neighbors? There is no use in your continuing
to live in this way, for the more enraged you
become against each other the worse it is for
you."

Again was the wise advice of the old man
rejected.

At the beginning of the seventh year of the
existence of the feud it happened that a daughter-
in-law of Ivan's was present at a marriage. At

the wedding feast she openly accused Gavryl
of stealing a horse. Gavryl was intoxicated
at the time and was in no mood to stand the
insult, so in retaliation he struck the woman a
terrific blow, which confined her to her bed for
more than a week. The woman being in deli-
cate health, the worst results were feared.

Ivan, glad of a fresh opportunity to harass his
neighbor, lodged a formal complaint before the
district-attorney, hoping to rid himself forever
of Gavryl by having him sent to Siberia.

On examining the complaint the district-
attorney would not consider it, as by that time
the injured woman was walking about and as
well as ever.

Thus again Ivan was disappointed in obtain-
ing his revenge, and, not being satisfied with
the district-attorney's decision, had the case
transferred to the court, where he used all
possible means to push his suit. To secure
the favor of the
starshina
(village mayor) he made
him a present of half a gallon of sweet vodki;

and to the mayor's
pisar
(secretary) also he
gave presents. By this means he succeeded
in securing a verdict against Gavryl. The sen-
tence was that Gavryl was to receive twenty
lashes on his bare back, and the punishment
was to be administered in the yard which sur-
rounded the court-house.

When Ivan heard the sentence read he
looked triumphantly at Gavryl to see what
effect it would produce on him. Gavryl turned
very white on hearing that he was to be treated
with such indignity, and turning his back on the
assembly left the room without uttering a word.

Ivan followed him out, and as he reached his
horse he heard Gavryl saying: "Very well; my
spine will burn from the lashes, but something
will burn with greater fierceness in Ivan's
household before long."

Ivan, on hearing these words, instantly re-
turned to the court, and going up to the judges
said: "Oh! just judges, he threatens to burn
my house and all it contains."

A messenger was immediately sent in search
of Gavryl, who was soon found and again brought
into the presence of the judges.

"Is it true," they asked, "that you said you
would burn Ivan's house and all it contained?"

Gavryl replied: "I did not say anything of
the kind. You may give me as many lashes as
you please—that is, if you have the power to do
so. It seems to me that I alone have to suffer
for the truth, while he," pointing to Ivan, "is
allowed to do and say what he pleases." Gav-
ryl wished to say something more, but his lips
trembled, and the words refused to come; so
in silence he turned his face toward the wall.

The sight of so much suffering moved even
the judges to pity, and, becoming alarmed at
Gavryl's continued silence, they said, "He may
do both his neighbor and himself some fright-
ful injury."

"See here, my brothers," said one feeble old
judge, looking at Ivan and Gavryl as he spoke,
"I think you had better try to arrange this

matter peaceably. You, brother Gavryl, did
wrong to strike a woman who was in delicate
health. It was a lucky thing for you that God
had mercy on you and that the woman did not
die, for if she had I know not what dire misfor-
tune might have overtaken you! It will not do
either of you any good to go on living as you
are at present. Go, Gavryl, and make friends
with Ivan; I am sure he will forgive you, and
we will set aside the verdict just given."

The secretary on hearing this said: "It is
impossible to do this on the present case. Ac-
cording to Article 117 this matter has gone too
far to be settled peaceably now, as the verdict
has been rendered and must be enforced."

But the judges would not listen to the secre-
tary, saying to him: "You talk altogether too
much. You must remember that the first
thing is to fulfill God's command to 'Love thy
neighbor as thyself,' and all will be well with
you."

Thus with kind words the judges tried to

reconcile the two peasants. Their words fell
on stony ground, however, for Gavryl would not
listen to them.

"I am fifty years old," said Gavryl, "and have
a son married, and never from my birth has the
lash been applied to my back; but now this bear
Ivan has secured a verdict against me which
condemns me to receive twenty lashes, and I
am forced to bow to this decision and suffer
the shame of a public beating. Well, he will
have cause to remember this."

At this Gavryl's voice trembled and he
stopped speaking, and turning his back on the
judges took his departure.

It was about ten versts' distance from the
court to the homes of the neighbors, and this
Ivan travelled late. The women had already
gone out for the cattle. He unharnessed his
horse and put everything in its place, and then
went into the
izba
(room), but found no one
there.

The men had not yet returned from their

work in the field and the women had gone to
look for the cattle, so that all about the place
was quiet. Going into the room, Ivan seated
himself on a wooden bench and soon became
lost in thought. He remembered how, when
Gavryl first heard the sentence which had been
passed upon him, he grew very pale, and turned
his face to the wall, all the while remaining
silent.

Ivan's heart ached when he thought of the
disgrace which he had been the means of bring-
ing upon Gavryl, and he wondered how he
would feel if the same sentence had been passed
upon him. His thoughts were interrupted by
the coughing of his father, who was lying on
the oven.

The old man, on seeing Ivan, came down off
the oven, and slowly approaching his son seated
himself on the bench beside him, looking at
him as though ashamed. He continued to
cough as he leaned on the table and said,
"Well, did they sentence him?"

"Yes, they sentenced him to receive twenty
lashes," replied Ivan.

On hearing this the old man sorrowfully
shook his head, and said: "This is very bad,
Ivan, and what is the meaning of it all? It is
indeed very bad, but not so bad for Gavryl as
for yourself. Well, suppose his sentence
is
car-
ried out, and he gets the twenty lashes, what
will it benefit you?"

"He will not again strike a woman," Ivan
replied.

"What is it he will not do? He does not do
anything worse than what you are constantly
doing!"

This conversation enraged Ivan, and he
shouted: "Well, what did he do? He beat a
woman nearly to death, and even now he
threatens to burn my house! Must I bow to
him for all this?"

The old man sighed deeply as he said: "You,
Ivan, are strong and free to go wherever you
please, while I have been lying for years on the

oven. You think that you know everything
and that I do not know anything. No! you are
still a child, and as such you cannot see that
a kind of madness controls your actions and
blinds your sight. The sins of others are ever
before you, while you resolutely keep your own
behind your back. I know that what Gavryl
did was wrong, but if he alone should do wrong
there would be no evil in the world. Do you
think that all the evil in the world is the work
of one man alone? No! it requires two persons
to work much evil in the world. You see only
the bad in Gavryl's character, but you are blind
to the evil that is in your own nature. If he
alone were bad and you good, then there would
be no wrong."

The old man, after a pause, continued: "Who
tore Gavryl's beard? Who destroyed his heaps
of rye? Who dragged him into court?—and yet
you try to put all the blame on his shoulders.

You are behaving very badly yourself, and for
that reason you are wrong. I did not act in

such a manner, and certainly I never taught
you to do so. I lived in peace with Gavryl's
father all the time we were neighbors. We
were always the best of friends. If he was
without flour his wife would come to me and
say, '
Diadia Frol
[Grandfather], we need flour.'

I would then say: 'My good woman, go to the
warehouse and take as much as you want.' If
he had no one to care for his horses I would say,
'Go,
Ivanushka
[diminutive of Ivan], and help
him to care for them.' If I required anything
I would go to him and say, 'Grandfather Gor-
dey, I need this or that,' and he would always
reply, 'Take just whatever you want.' By this
means we passed an easy and peaceful life.

But what is your life compared with it? As
the soldiers fought at Plevna, so are you and
Gavryl fighting all the time, only that your
battles are far more disgraceful than that fought
at Plevna."

The old man went on: "And you call this
living! and what a sin it all is! You are a

peasant, and the head of the house; therefore,
the responsibility of the trouble rests with you.

What an example you set your wife and chil-
dren by constantly quarrelling with your neigh-
bor! Only a short time since your little boy,
Taraska, was cursing his aunt Arina, and his
mother only laughed at it, saying, 'What a
bright child he is!' Is that right? You are to
blame for all this. You should think of the sal-
vation of your soul. Is that the way to do it?

You say one unkind word to me and I will reply
with two. You will give me one slap in the
face, and I will retaliate with two slaps. No,
my son; Christ did not teach us foolish people
to act in such a way. If any one should say an
unkind word to you it is better not to answer at
all; but if you do reply do it kindly, and his
conscience will accuse him, and he will regret
his unkindness to you. This is the way Christ
taught us to live. He tells us that if a person
smite us on the one cheek we should offer unto
him the other. That is Christ's command to us,

and we should follow it. You should therefore
subdue your pride. Am I not right?"

Ivan remained silent, but his father's words
had sunk deep into his heart.

The old man coughed and continued: "Do
you think Christ thought us wicked? Did he
not die that we might be saved? Now you
think only of this earthly life. Are you better
or worse for thinking alone of it? Are you
better or worse for having begun that Plevna
battle? Think of your expense at court and the
time lost in going back and forth, and what
have you gained? Your sons have reached
manhood, and are able now to work for you.

You are therefore at liberty to enjoy life and
be happy. With the assistance of your children
you could reach a high state of prosperity. But
now your property instead of increasing is grad-
ually growing less, and why? It is the result
of your pride. When it becomes necessary for
you and your boys to go to the field to work,
your enemy instead summons you to appear at

A lost Opportunity.

court or before some kind of judicial person.

If you do not plow at the proper time and sow
at the proper time mother earth will not yield
up her products, and you and your children will
be left destitute. Why did your oats fail this
year? When did you sow them? Were you not
quarrelling with your neighbor instead of at-
tending to your work? You have just now re-
turned from the town, where you have been the
means of having your neighbor humiliated.

You have succeeded in getting him sentenced,
but in the end the punishment will fall on your
own shoulders. Oh! my child, it would be bet-
ter for you to attend to your work on the farm
and train your boys to become good farmers
and honest men. If any one offend you forgive
him for Christ's sake, and then prosperity will
smile on your work and a light and happy feel-
ing will fill your heart."

Ivan still remained silent.

The old father in a pleading voice continued:

"Take an old man's advice. Go and harness

your horse, drive back to the court, and with-
draw all these complaints against your neigh-
bor. To-morrow go to him, offer to make peace
in Christ's name, and invite him to your house.

It will be a holy day (the birth of the Virgin
Mary). Get out the samovar and have some
vodki, and over both forgive and forget each
other's sins, promising not to transgress in the
future, and advise your women and children to
do the same."

Ivan heaved a deep sigh but felt easier in his
heart, as he thought: "The old man speaks the
truth;" yet he was in doubt as to how he would
put his father's advice into practice.

The old man, surmising his uncertainty, said
to Ivan: "Go, Ivanushka; do not delay. Ex-
tinguish the fire in the beginning, before it
grows large, for then it may be impossible."

Ivan's father wished to say more to him, but
was prevented by the arrival of the women, who
came into the room chattering like so many
magpies. They had already heard of Gavryl's

sentence, and of how he threatened to set fire to
Ivan's house. They found out all about it, and
in telling it to their neighbors added their own
versions of the story, with the usual exaggera-
tion. Meeting in the pasture-ground, they pro-
ceeded to quarrel with Gavryl's women. They
related how the latter's daughter-in-law had
threatened to secure the influence of the man-
ager of a certain noble's estate in behalf of his
friend Gavryl; also that the school-teacher was
writing a petition to the Czar himself against
Ivan, explaining in detail his theft of the perch-
bolt and partial destruction of Gavryl's garden
—declaring that half of Ivan's land was to be
given to them.

Ivan listened calmly to their stories, but his
anger was soon aroused once more, when he
abandoned his intention of making peace with
Gavryl.

As Ivan was always busy about the house-
hold, he did not stop to speak to the wrangling
women, but immediately left the room, direct-

ing his steps toward the barn. Before getting
through with his work the sun had set and the
boys had returned from their plowing. Ivan
met them and asked about their work, helping
them to put things in order and leaving the
broken horse-collar aside to be repaired. He
intended to perform some other duties, but it
became too dark and he was obliged to leave
them till the next day. He fed the cattle, how-
ever, and opened the gate that Taraska might
take his horses to pasture for the night, after
which he closed it again and went into the
house for his supper.

By this time he had forgotten all about Gav-
ryl and what his father had said to him. Yet,
just as he touched the door-knob, he heard
sounds of quarrelling proceeding from his
neighbor's house.

"What do I want with that devil?" shouted
Gavryl to some one. "He deserves to be
killed!"

Ivan stopped and listened for a moment,

when he shook his head threateningly and en-
tered the room. When he came in, the apart-
ment was already lighted. His daughter-in-law
was working with her loom, while the old
woman was preparing the supper. The eldest
son was twining strings for his
lapti
(peasant's
shoes made of strips of bark from the linden-
tree). The other son was sitting by the table
reading a book. The room presented a pleasant
appearance, everything being in order and the
inmates apparently gay and happy—the only
dark shadow being that cast over the household
by Ivan's trouble with his neighbor.

Ivan came in very cross, and, angrily throw-
ing aside a cat which lay sleeping on the bench,
cursed the women for having misplaced a pail.

He looked very sad and serious, and, seating
himself in a corner of the room, proceeded to
repair the horse-collar. He could not forget
Gavryl, however—the threatening words he had
used in the court-room and those which Ivan
had just heard.

Presently Taraska came in, and after having
his supper, put on his sheepskin coat, and, tak-
ing some bread with him, returned to watch
over his horses for the night. His eldest
brother wished to accompany him, but Ivan
himself arose and went with him as far as the
porch. The night was dark and cloudy and a
strong wind was blowing, which produced a
peculiar whistling sound that was most un-
pleasant to the ear. Ivan helped his son to
mount his horse, which, followed by a colt,
started off on a gallop.

Ivan stood for a few moments looking around
him and listening to the clatter of the horse's
hoofs as Taraska rode down the village street.

He heard him meet other boys on horseback,
who rode quite as well as Taraska, and soon all
were lost in the darkness.

Ivan remained standing by the gate in a
gloomy mood, as he was unable to banish from
his mind the harassing thoughts of Gavryl,
which the latter's menacing words had in-

spired: "Something will burn with greater
fierceness in Ivan's household before long."

"He is so desperate," thought Ivan, "that he
may set fire to my house regardless of the
danger to his own. At present everything is
dry, and as the wind is so high he may sneak
from the back of his own building, start a fire,
and get away unseen by any of us. He may
burn and steal without being found out, and
thus go unpunished. I wish I could catch
him."

This thought so worried Ivan that he decided
not to return to his house, but went out and
stood on the street-corner.

"I guess," thought Ivan to himself, "I will
take a walk around the premises and examine
everything carefully, for who knows what he
may be tempted to do?"

Ivan moved very cautiously round to the
back of his buildings, not making the slightest
noise, and scarcely daring to breathe. Just as
he reached a corner of the house he looked

toward the fence, and it seemed to him that he
saw something moving, and that it was slowly
creeping toward the corner of the house oppo-
site to where he was standing. He stepped
back quickly and hid himself in the shadow of
the building. Ivan stood and listened, but all
was quiet. Not a sound could be heard but the
moaning of the wind through the branches of
the trees, and the rustling of the leaves as it
caught them up and whirled them in all direc-
tions. So dense was the darkness that it was at
first impossible for Ivan to see more than a few
feet beyond where he stood.

After a time, however, his sight becoming
accustomed to the gloom, he was enabled to see
for a considerable distance. The plow and his
other farming implements stood just where he
had placed them. He could see also the oppo-
site corner of the house. He looked in every
direction, but no one was in sight, and he
thought to himself that his imagination must
have played him some trick, leading him to be-

lieve that some one was moving when there
really was no one there.

Still, Ivan was not satisfied, and decided to
make a further examination of the premises. As
on the previous occasion, he moved so very cau-
tiously that he could not hear even the sound of
his own footsteps. He had taken the precau-
tion to remove his shoes, that he might step the
more noiselessly. When he reached the corner
of the barn it again seemed to him that he saw
something moving, this time near the plow;
but it quickly disappeared. By this time Ivan's
heart was beating very fast, and he was stand-
ing in a listening attitude when a sudden flash
of light illumined the spot, and he could dis-
tinctly see the figure of a man seated on his
haunches with his back turned toward him, and
in the act of lighting a bunch of straw which he
held in his hand! Ivan's heart began to beat
yet faster, and he became terribly excited, walk-
ing up and down with rapid strides, but without
making a noise.

Ivan said: "Well, now, he cannot get away,
for he will be caught in the very act."

Ivan had taken a few more steps when sud-
denly a bright light flamed up, but not in the
same spot in which he had seen the figure of the
man sitting. Gavryl had lighted the straw,
and running to the barn held it under the edge
of the roof, which began to burn fiercely; and
by the light of the fire he could distinctly see
his neighbor standing.

As an eagle springs at a skylark, so sprang
Ivan at Gavryl, saying: "I will tear you into
pieces! You shall not get away from me this
time!"

But "Gavryl the Lame," hearing footsteps,
wrenched himself free from Ivan's grasp and
ran like a hare past the buildings.

Ivan, now terribly excited, shouted, "You
shall not escape me!" and started in pursuit;
but just as he reached him and was about to
grasp the collar of his coat, Gavryl succeeded in
jumping to one side, and Ivan's coat became

entangled in something and he was thrown vio-
lently to the ground. Jumping quickly to his
feet he shouted, "
Karaool! derji!
"(watch! catch!)

While Ivan was regaining his feet Gavryl
succeeded in reaching his house, but Ivan fol-
lowed so quickly that he caught up with him
before he could enter. Just as he was about to
grasp him he was struck on the head with
some hard substance. He had been hit on the
temple as with a stone. The blow was struck
by Gavryl, who had picked up an oaken stave,
and with it gave Ivan a terrible blow on the
head.

Ivan was stunned, and bright sparks danced
before his eyes, while he swayed from side to
side like a drunken man, until finally all be-
came dark and he sank to the ground uncon-
scious.

When he recovered his senses, Gavryl was
nowhere to be seen, but all around him was as
light as day. Strange sounds proceeded from
the direction of his house, and turning his face

that way he saw that his barns were on fire.

The rear parts of both were already destroyed,
and the flames were leaping toward the front.

Fire, smoke, and bits of burning straw were
being rapidly whirled by the high wind over to
where his house stood, and he expected every
moment to see it burst into flames.

"What is this, brother?" Ivan cried out, as
he beat his thighs with his hands. "I should
have stopped to snatch the bunch of burning
straw, and, throwing it on the ground, should
have extinguished it with my feet!"

Ivan tried to cry out and arouse his people,
but his lips refused to utter a word. He next
tried to run, but he could not move his feet,
and his legs seemed to twist themselves around
each other. After several attempts he suc-
ceeded in taking one or two steps, when he
again began to stagger and gasp for breath.

It was some moments before he made another
attempt to move, but after considerable exer-
tion he finally reached the barn, the rear of

which was by this time entirely consumed; and
the corner of his house had already caught fire.

Dense volumes of smoke began to pour out of
the room, which made it difficult to approach.

A crowd of peasants had by this time gath-
ered, but they found it impossible to save their
homes, so they carried everything which they
could to a place of safety. The cattle they
drove into neighboring pastures and left some
one to care for them.

The wind carried the sparks from Ivan's house
to Gavryl's, and it, too, took fire and was con-
sumed. The wind continued to increase with
great fury, and the flames spread to both sides
of the street, until in a very short time more
than half the village was burned.

The members of Ivan's household had great
difficulty in getting out of the burning building,
but the neighbors rescued the old man and car-
ried him to a place of safety, while the women
escaped in only their night-clothes. Everything
was burned, including the cattle and all the

farm implements. The women lost their trunks,
which were filled with quantities of clothing,
the accumulation of years. The storehouse
and all the provisions perished in the flames,
not even the chickens being saved.

Gavryl, however, more fortunate than Ivan,
saved his cattle and a few other things.

The village was burning all night.

Ivan stood near his home, gazing sadly at the
burning building, and he kept constantly re-
peating to himself: "I should have taken away
the bunch of burning straw, and have stamped
out the fire with my feet."

But when he saw his home fall in a smoul-
dering heap, in spite of the terrible heat he
sprang into the midst of it and carried out a
charred log. The women seeing him, and fear-
ing that he would lose his life, called to him to
come back, but he would not pay any attention
to them and went a second time to get a log.

Still weak from the terrible blow which Gavryl
had given him, he was overcome by the heat,

and fell into the midst of the burning mass.

Fortunately, his eldest son saw him fall, and
rushing into the fire succeeded in getting hold
of him and carrying him out of it. Ivan's hair,
beard, and clothing were burned entirely off.

His hands were also frightfully injured, but he
seemed indifferent to pain.

"Grief drove him crazy," the people said.

The fire was growing less, but Ivan still stood
where he could see it, and kept repeating to
himself, "I should have taken," etc.

The morning after the fire the
starosta
(village
elder) sent his son to Ivan to tell him that the old
man, his father, was dying, and wanted to see
him to bid him good-bye.

In his grief Ivan had forgotten all about
his father, and could not understand what was
being said to him. In a dazed way he asked:

"What father? Whom does he want?"

The elder's son again repeated his father's
message to Ivan. "Your aged parent is at our
house dying, and he wants to see you and bid

you good-bye. Won't you go now, uncle Ivan?"
the boy said.

Finally Ivan understood, and followed the
elder's son.

When Ivan's father was carried from the
oven, he was slightly injured by a big bunch of
burning straw falling on him just as he reached
the street. To insure his safety he was re-
moved to the elder's house, which stood a con-
siderable distance from his late home, and
where it was not likely that the fire would
reach it.

When Ivan arrived at the elder's home he
found only the latter's wife and children, who
were all seated on the brick oven. The old
man was lying on a bench holding a lighted
candle in his hand (a Russian custom when a
person is dying). Hearing a noise, he turned
his face toward the door, and when he saw it
was his son he tried to move. He motioned
for Ivan to come nearer, and when he did so he
whispered in a trembling voice: "Well, Ivan-

ushka, did I not tell you before what would be
the result of this sad affair? Who set the vil-
lage on fire?"

"He, he,
batiushka
[little father]; he did it.

I caught him. He placed the bunch of burning
straw to the barn in my presence. Instead of
running after him, I should have snatched the
bunch of burning straw and throwing it on the
ground have stamped it out with my feet; and
then there would have been no fire."

"Ivan," said the old man, "death is fast ap-
proaching me, and remember that you also will
have to die. Who did this dreadful thing?

Whose is the sin?"

Ivan gazed at the noble face of his dying
father and was silent. His heart was too full for
utterance.

"In the presence of God," the old man con-
tinued, "whose is the sin?"

It was only now that the truth began to
dawn upon Ivan's mind, and that he realized
how foolish he had acted. He sobbed bitterly,

and fell on his knees before his father, and,
crying like a child, said:

"My dear father, forgive me, for Christ's sake,
for I am guilty before God and before you!"

The old man transferred the lighted candle
from his right hand to the left, and, raising
the former to his forehead, tried to make the
sign of the cross, but owing to weakness was
unable to do so.

"Glory to Thee, O Lord! Glory to Thee!" he
exclaimed; and turning his dim eyes toward
his son, he said: "See here, Ivanushka! Ivan-
ushka, my dear son!"

"What, my dear father?" Ivan asked.

"What are you going to do," replied the old
man, "now that you have no home?"

Ivan cried and said: "I do not know how
we shall live now."

The old man closed his eyes and made a
movement with his lips, as if gathering his
feeble strength for a final effort. Slowly open-
ing his eyes, he whispered:

"Should you live according to God's com-
mands you will be happy and prosperous
again."

The old man was now silent for awhile and
then, smiling sadly, he continued:

"See here, Ivanushka, keep silent concerning
this trouble, and do not tell who set the village
on fire. Forgive one sin of your neighbor's,
and God will forgive two of yours."

Grasping the candle with both hands, Ivan's
father heaved a deep sigh, and, stretching him-
self out on his back, yielded up the ghost.

* * * * * * *

Ivan for once accepted his father's advice.

He did not betray Gavryl, and no one ever
learned the origin of the fire.

Ivan's heart became more kindly disposed
toward his old enemy, feeling that much of the
fault in connection with this sad affair rested
with himself.

Gavryl was greatly surprised that Ivan did

not denounce him before all the villagers, and
at first he stood in much fear of him, but he
soon afterward overcame this feeling.

The two peasants ceased to quarrel, and their
families followed their example. While they
were building new houses, both families lived
beneath the same roof, and when they moved
into their respective homes, Ivan and Gavryl
lived on as good terms as their fathers had done
before them.

Ivan remembered his dying father's com-
mand, and took deeply to heart the evident
warning of God that
a fire should be extinguished
in the beginning
. If any one wronged him he
did not seek revenge, but instead made
every effort to settle the matter peaceably.

If any one spoke to him unkindly, he did not
answer in the same way, but replied softly, and
tried to persuade the person not to speak evil.

He taught the women and children of his house-
hold to do the same.

Ivan Scherbakoff was now a reformed man.

He lived well and peacefully, and again be-
came prosperous.

Let us, therefore, have peace, live in broth-
erly love and kindness, and we will be happy.