University of Virginia Library

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.