THE BEAR-HUNT 
 AND OTHER STORIES 
 
 Perko TOLLS TOY 
 
 
 
 [eee eS AU ER LY Be RA RY 
 CORPORATION NEW YORE 
 

 
CONTENTS 
 
 MPO ETUGNT A se 8 ee ee 
 WHat MeEn LIVE By Ue ak. be lesathre Meee 
 CAEP yet eg inte ele ae tk 
 
 : y A q 
 EN WILLMAN 
 
 CITY, IND: 
 
 H. BOW 
 B23 SOUT! 
 
 HARTFORD 
 

 
THE BEAR-HUNT 
 

 
THE BEAR-HUNT 
 
 _‘ [The adventure here narrated is one that 
 happened to Tolstoy himself in 1858. More 
 than twenty years later he gave up hunting, 
 on humanitarian grounds.] 
 
 WE were out on a bear-hunting expedition. 
 My comrade had shot at a bear, but only 
 gave him a flesh-wound. There were traces 
 of blood on the snow, but the bear had got 
 away. ; 
 
 We all collected in a group in the forest, 
 ‘to decide whether we ought to go after the 
 bear at once, or wait two or three days till 
 -he should settle down again. We asked the 
 peasant bear-drivers whether it would be pos- 
 sible to get round the bear that day. 
 
 “No. It’s impossible,’ said an old bear- 
 driver. “You must let the bear quiet down. 
 In five days’ time it will be possible to sur- 
 round him; but if you followed him now, you 
 would only frighten him away, and he would 
 not settle down.” 
 
8 THE BEAR-HUNT 
 
 But a young bear-driver began disputing 
 with the old man, saying that it was quite pos- 
 sible to get round the bear now. 
 
 “On such snow as this,” said he, “he won’t 
 go far, for he is a fat bear. He will settle 
 down before evening; or, if not, I can over- 
 take him on snow-shoes.” 
 
 The comrade I was with was against follow- 
 ing up the bear, and advised waiting. But I 
 said: 
 
 “We need not argue. You do as you like, 
 but I will follow up the track with Damian. 
 If we get round the bear, all right. If not, 
 we lose nothing. It is still early, and there is 
 nothing else for us to do to-day.” 
 
 So it was arranged. 
 
 The others went back to the sledges, and 
 returned to the village. Damian and I took 
 some bread, and remained behind in the 
 forest. 
 
 When they had all left us, Damian and I 
 examined our guns, and after tucking the 
 skirts of our warm coats into our belts, we 
 started off, following the bear’s tracks. 
 
 The weather was fine, frosty and calm; but 
 it was hard work snow-shoeing. ‘The snow 
 was deep and soft: it had not caked together 
 
 \ 
 
THE BEAR-HUNT 9 
 
 at all in the forest; and fresh snow had 
 fallen the day before, so that our snow-shoes 
 sank six inches deep in the snow, and somes 
 times more. 
 
 The bear’s tracks were visible from a dis- 
 tance, and we could see how he had been 
 going; sometimes sinking in up to his belly 
 and ploughing up the snow as he went. At 
 first, while under large trees, we kept in 
 sight of his track; but when it turned into 
 a thicket of small firs, Damian stopped. 
 
 “We must leave the trail now,” said he. 
 “He has probably settled somewhere here. 
 You can see by the snow that he has been 
 squatting down. Let us leave the track 
 and go round; but we must go quietly. Don’t 
 shout or cough, or we shall frighten him 
 away.” 
 
 Leaving the track, therefore, we turned off 
 to the left. But when we had gone about 
 five hundred yards, there were the bear’s 
 traces again right before us. We followed 
 them, and they brought us out on to the 
 road. There we stopped, examining the road 
 to see which way the bear had gone. Here 
 and there in the snow were prints of the 
 bear’s paw, claws and all, and here and there 
 
10 THE BEAR-HUNT 
 
 the marks of a peasant’s bark shoes, The 
 bear had evidently gone towards the village. 
 ~ As we followed the road, Damian said: 
 
 “It’s no use watching the road now. We 
 shall see where he has turned off, to right 
 or left, by the marks in the soft snow at 
 the side. He must have turned off some- 
 where; for he won't have gone on to the 
 village.” 
 
 We went along the road for nearly a mile, 
 and then saw, ahead of us, the bear’s track 
 turning off the road. We examined it. How 
 strange! It was a bear’s track right enough 
 only not going from the road into the forest 
 but from the forest on to the road! The 
 toes were pointing towards the road. 
 
 “This must be another bear,” I said. 
 
 Damian looked at it, and considered 4 
 while. 
 
 “No,” said he. “It’s the same one. He’: 
 been playing tricks, and walked backward: 
 when he left the road.” 
 
 We followed the track, and found it really 
 was so! The bear had gone some ten step‘ 
 backwards, and then, behind a fir tree, hac 
 turned round and gone straight ahead 
 Damian stopped and said: 
 
THE BEAR-HUNT 11 
 
 “Now, we are sure to get-round him. There 
 is a marsh ahead of us, and he must have 
 settled down there. Let us go round it.” 
 
 We began to make our way round, through 
 a fir thicket. I was tired out by this time, 
 and it had become still more difficult to get 
 along. Now I glided on to juniper bushes 
 and caught my snow-shoes in them, now a 
 tiny fir tree appeared between my feet, or, 
 from want of practise, my snow-shoes slipped 
 off; and now I came upon a stump or a 
 log hidden by the snow. I was getting very 
 ‘tired, and was drenched with perspiration; 
 and I took off my fur cloak. And there was 
 Damian all the time, gliding along as if in 
 a boat, his snow-shoes moving as if of their 
 own accord, never catching against anything, 
 nor slipping off.. He even took my fur and 
 slung it over his shoulder, and still kept urg- 
 ‘ing me on. 
 
 We went on for two more miles, and came 
 out on the other side of the marsh. I was 
 lagging behind. My shoe-shoes kept slipping 
 off, and my feet stumbled. Suddenly Damian, 
 ‘who was ahead of me, stopped and waved 
 his arm. When I came up to him, he bent 
 
12 THE BEAR-HUNT 
 
 down, pointing with his hand, and whis- 
 pered: 
 
 “Do you see the magpie chattering above 
 that undergrowth? It scents the bear from 
 afar. That is where he must be.” 
 
 We turned off and went on for more than 
 another half-mile, and presently we came on 
 to the old track again. We had, therefore, 
 been right round the bear, who was now 
 within the track we had left. We stopped, 
 and I took off my cap and loosened all my 
 clothes. I was as hot as in a steam bath, 
 and as wet as a drowned rat. Damian too 
 was flushed, and wiped his face with his 
 sleeve. 
 
 “Well, sir,” he said, “we have done our 
 job, and now we must have a rest.” 
 
 The evening glow already showed red 
 through the forest. We took off our snow- 
 shoes and sat down on them, and got some 
 bread and salt out of our bags. First I ate 
 some snow, and then some bread; and the 
 bread tasted so good, that I thought I had 
 never in my life had any like it before. We 
 sat there resting until it began to grow dusk, 
 and then I asked Damian if it was far to 
 the village. 
 
THE BEAR-HUNT 13 
 
 “Yes,” he said. “It must be about eight 
 
 miles. We will go on there to-night, but now 
 we must rest. Put on your fur coat, sir, 
 or you'll be catching cold.” 
 Damian flattened down the snow, and 
 breaking off some fir branches made a bed 
 of them. We lay down side by side, rest- 
 ing our heads on our arms. I do not re- 
 member how I fell asleep. Two hours later 
 I woke up, hearing something crack. 
 
 I had slept so soundly that I did not know 
 where I was. I looked around me. How 
 wonderful! I was in some sort of a hall, 
 all glittering and white with gleaming pil- 
 lars, and when I looked up I saw, through 
 delicate white tracery, a vault, raven black 
 and studded with coloured lights. After a 
 good look, I remembered that we were in the 
 forest, and that what I took for a hall and 
 pillars, were trees covered with snow and 
 hoar-frost, and the coloured lights were stars 
 twinkling between the branches. 
 
 Hoar-frost had settled in the night; all the 
 twigs were thick with it, Damian was cov- 
 ered with it, it was on my fur coat, and it 
 dropped down from the trees. I woke 
 Damian; and we put on our snow-shoes and 
 
14 THE BEAR-HUNT 
 
 started. It was very quiet in the forest. 
 No sound was heard but that of our snow- 
 shoes pushing through the soft snow; except 
 when now and then a tree, cracked by the 
 frost, made the forest resound, Only once 
 we heard the sound of a living creature. 
 Something rustled close to us, and then rushed 
 away. I felt sure it was the bear, but when 
 we went to the spot whence the sound had 
 come, we found the footmarks of hares, and 
 saw several young aspen trees with their bark 
 gnawed. We had startled some hares while 
 they were feeding. 
 
 We came out on the road, and followed it, 
 dragging our snow-shoes behind us. It was 
 easy walking now. Our snow-shoes clat- 
 tered as they slid behind us from side to 
 side of the hard-trodden road. The snow 
 creaked under our boots, and the cold hoar- 
 frost settled on our faces like down. Seen 
 through the branches, the stars seemed to be 
 running to meet us, now twinkling, now van- 
 ishing, as if the whole sky were on the 
 move, 
 
 I found my comrade sleeping, but woke him 
 up, and related how we had got round the 
 bear. After telling our peasant host to col- 
 
THE BEAR-HUNT 15 
 
 lect beaters for the morning, we had supper 
 and lay down to sleep. 
 
 I was so tired that I could have slept on 
 till midday, if my comrade had not roused 
 me. I jumped up, and saw that he was al- 
 ready dressed, and busy doing something to 
 _ his gun. 
 
 “Where is Damian?” said I. 
 
 “In the forest, long ago. He has already 
 been over the tracks you made, and been back 
 here, and now he has gone to look after the 
 beaters.” 
 
 I washed and dressed, and loaded my guns; 
 and then we got into a sledge, and started. 
 
 The sharp frost still continued. It was 
 quiet, and the sun could not be seen. There 
 was a thick mist above us, and hoar-frost 
 still covered everything. 
 
 After driving about two miles along the 
 road, as we came near the forest, we saw a 
 cloud of smoke rising from a hollow, and 
 presently reached a group of peasants, both 
 men and women, armed with cudgels. 
 
 We got out and went up to them. The 
 men sat roasting potatoes, and laughing and 
 talking with the women. 
 
 Damian was there too; and when we arrived 
 
16 THE BEAR-HUNT 
 
 the people got up, and Damian led them away © 
 to place them in the circle we had made the 
 day before. They went along in single file, 
 men and women, thirty in all. The snow 
 was so deep that we could only see them 
 from their waists upwards. They turned 
 into the forest, and my friend and I followed 
 in their track. 
 
 Though they had trodden a path, walking 
 was difficult; but, on the other hand, it was 
 impossible to fall: it was like walking be- 
 tween two walls of snow. 
 
 We went on in this way for nearly half a 
 mile, when all at once we saw Damian com- 
 ing from another direction—running towards. 
 us on his snow-shoes, and beckoning us to 
 join him. We went towards him, and he 
 showed us where to stand. I took my place, 
 and looked round me. 
 
 To my left were tall fir trees, between the - 
 trunks of which I could see a good way, and, 
 like a black patch just visible behind the 
 trees, I could see a beater. In front of me 
 was a thicket of young firs, about as high — 
 as a man, their branches weighed down and — 
 stuck together with snow. Through this 
 copse ran a path thickly covered with snow, 
 
THE BEAR-HUNTI 17 
 
 and leading straight up to where I stood. 
 The thicket stretched away to the right of 
 me, and ended in a small glade, where I 
 could see Damian placing my comrade. 
 
 I examined both my guns, and considered 
 ‘where I had better stand. Three steps be- 
 hind me was a tall fir. 
 
 “That's where I'll stand,” thought I, “and 
 then I can lean my second gun against the 
 tree”; and I moved towards the tree, sink- 
 ing up to my knees in the snow at each step. 
 I trod the snow down, and made a clearance 
 about a yard square, to stand on. One gun 
 I kept in my hand; the other, ready cocked, 
 I placed leaning up against the tree. Then 
 I unsheathed and replaced my dagger, to 
 make sure that I could draw it easily in 
 case of need. 
 
 Just as I had finished these preparations, 
 I heard Damian shouting in the forest: 
 
 “He’s up! He’s up!” 
 
 And as soon as Damian shouted, the peas- 
 ants round the circie all replied in their dif- 
 ferent voices. 
 
 “Up, up, up! Ou! Ou! Ou!” shouted 
 the mens 
 
18 THE BEAR-HUNT 
 
 “Ay! Ay! Ay!’ screamed the women 
 in high-pitched tones. 
 
 The bear was inside the circle, and as 
 Damian drove him on, the people all round 
 kept shouting. Only my friend and I stood 
 silent and motionless, waiting for the bear 
 to come towards us. As I stood gazing and 
 fistening, my heart beat violently. I trem- 
 bled, holding my gun fast. 
 
 “Now, now,” I thought. “He will come 
 suddenly. I shall aim, fire, and he will 
 drop 5 
 
 Suddenly, to my left, but at a distance, 
 I heard something falling on the snow. I 
 looked between the tall fir trees, and, some 
 fifty paces off, behind the trunks, saw some- 
 thing big and black. I took aim and waited, 
 thinking: 
 
 “Won’t he come any nearer?” 
 
 As I waited I saw him move his ears, turn, 
 and go back; and then I caught a glimpse of 
 the whole of him in profile. He was an im- 
 mense brute. In my excitement, I fired, and 
 heard my bullet go “flop” against a tree. 
 Peering through the smoke, I saw my bear 
 scampering back into the circle, and disap- 
 pearing among the trees, 
 
 eo 
 
 
 
THE BEAR-HUNT 19 
 
 “Well,” thought I. “My chance is lost. He 
 won’t come back to me. Either my comrade 
 will shoot him, or he will escape through 
 the line of beaters. In any case he won't 
 give me another chance.” . 
 
 I reloaded my gun, however, and again 
 stood listening. The peasants were shouting 
 all round, but to the right, not far from 
 where my comrade stood, I heard a woman 
 screaming in a frenzied voice: 
 
 “Here he is! Here he is! Come here, 
 come here! Oh! Oh! Ay! Ay!” 
 
 Evidently she could see the bear. I had 
 given up expecting him, and was looking to 
 the right at my comrade. All at once I saw 
 Damian with a stick in his hand, and with- 
 out his snow-shoes, running along a footpath 
 towards my friend. He crouched down be- 
 side him, pointing his stick as if aiming at 
 something, and then I saw my friend raise 
 his gun and aim in the same direction. 
 Crack! He fired. 
 
 “There,” thought I. “He has killed him.” 
 
 But I saw that my comrade did not run 
 towards the bear. Evidently he had missed 
 him, or the shot had not taken full effect. 
 
 “The bear will get away,” I thought. “He 
 
20 «4 THE BEAR-HUNT 
 
 will go back, but he won’t come a second time 
 towards me.—But what is that?” 
 
 Something was coming towards me like a 
 whirlwind, snorting as it came; and I saw the 
 snow flying up quite near me. I glanced 
 straight before me, and there was the bear, 
 rushing along the path through the thicket 
 right at me, evidently beside himself with 
 fear. He was hardly half a dozen paces off, 
 and I could see the whole of him—his black 
 chest and enormous head with a reddish 
 patch. There he was, blundering straight 
 at me, and scattering the snow about as he 
 came. I could see by his eyes that he did 
 not see me, but, mad with fear, was rushing 
 blindly along; and his path led him straight 
 at the tree under which I was standing. I 
 raised my gun and fired. He was almost 
 upon me now, and I saw that I had missed. 
 My bullet had gone past him, and he did not 
 even hear me fire, but still came headlong 
 towards me. I lowered my gun, and fired 
 again, almost touching his head. Crack! I 
 had hit, but not killed him! 
 
 He rafsed his head, and laying his ears 
 back, came at me, showing his teeth. 
 
 I snatched at my other gun, but almost 
 
THE BEAR-HUNT 21 
 
 before I had touched it, he had flown at me 
 and, knocking me over into the snow, had 
 passed right over me. 
 
 _ “Thank goodness, he has left me,” 
 ‘thought I. 
 
 I tried to rise, but something pressed me 
 down, and prevented my getting up. The 
 bear’s rush had carried him past me, but 
 he had turned back, and had fallen on me 
 with the whole weight of his body. I felt 
 something heavy weighing me down, and 
 something warm above my face, and I re- 
 alized that he was drawing my whole face 
 into his mouth. My nose was already in it, 
 and I felt the heat of it, and smelt his blood. 
 He was pressing my shoulders down with 
 his paws so that I could not move: all I 
 could do was to draw my head down towards 
 my chest away from his mouth, trying to 
 free my nose and eyes, while he tried to get 
 his teeth into them. Then I felt that he 
 had seized my forehead just under the hair 
 with the teeth of his lower jaw, and the flesh 
 below my eyes with his upper jaw, and was 
 closing his teeth. It was as if my face were 
 being cut with knives. I struggled to get 
 away, while he made haste to close his jaws 
 
22 THE BEAR-HUNT 
 
 like a dog gnawing. I managed to twist 
 my face away, but he began drawing it 
 again into his mouth. 
 
 “Now,” thought I, “my end has come!” 
 
 Then I felt the weight lifted, and looking 
 up, I saw that he was no longer there. He 
 _had jumped off me and run away. 
 
 When my comrade and Damian had seen 
 the bear knock me down and begin worry- 
 ing me, they rushed to the rescue. My com- 
 rade, in his haste, blundered, and instead of 
 following the trodden path, ran into the 
 deep snow and fell down. While he was 
 struggling out of the snow, the bear was 
 gnawing at me. But Damian just as he was, 
 without a gun, and with only a stick in his 
 hand, rushed along the path shouting: 
 
 “He’s eating the master! He’s eating the 
 master !” 
 
 And, as he ran, he called to the bear: 
 
 _ “Oh, you idiot! What are you doing? 
 Leave off! Leave off!” 
 
 The bear obeyed him, and leaving me ran 
 away. “When I rose, there was as much 
 blood on the snow as if a sheep had been 
 killed, and the flesh hung in rags above my 
 eyes, though in my excitement I felt no pain, 
 
THE BEAR-HUNT 23 
 
 My comrade had come up by this time, and 
 the other people collected round: they looked 
 at my wound, and put snow on it. But I, 
 forgetting about my wounds, only asked: 
 
 “Where’s the bear? Which way has he 
 gone?” 
 
 Suddenly I heard: "a 
 
 “Here he is! Here he is!” 
 
 And we saw the bear again running at us. 
 We seized our guns, but before any one had 
 time to fire, he had run past. He had grown 
 ferocious, and wanted to gnaw me again, but 
 seeing so many people he took fright. We 
 saw by his track that his head was bleeding, 
 and we wanted to follow him up; but, as my 
 wounds had become very painful, we went, 
 instead, to the town to find a doctor. 
 
 The doctor stitched up my wounds with 
 silk, and they soon began to heal. . 
 
 A month later we went to hunt that bear 
 again, but I did not get a chance of finishing 
 him. He would not come out of the circle, 
 but went round and round, growling in a 
 terrible voice. 
 
 Damian killed him. The bear’s lower jaw 
 had been broken, and one of his teeth 
 knocked out by my bullet. 
 
24 THE BEAR-HUNT 
 
 He was a huge creature, and had splendid 
 black fur. 
 
 I had him stuffed, and he now lies in my 
 room. The wounds on my forehead healed 
 up so that the scars can scarcely be seen. 
 
 (Written about 1872.) 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 

 
 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 “We know that we have passed out of 
 death into life, because we love the breth- 
 ren. He that loveth not abideth in death.”— 
 1 Epistle St. John iii. 14. 
 
 “Whoso hath the world’s goods, and _ be- 
 holdeth his brother in need, and shutteth 
 up his compassion from him, how doth the 
 love of God abide in him? My little chil- 
 dren, let us not love in word, neither with 
 the tongue; but in deed and_ truth.”— 
 iii. 17-18. 
 
 “Love is of God; and every one that loveth 
 
 is begotten of God, and knoweth God. He 
 that loveth not knoweth not God; for God 
 is love.”—iv. 7-8. 
 _ “No man hath beheld God at any time; 
 if we love one another, God abideth in us.”— 
 iv. 12. & 
 _. “God is love; and he that abideth in love 
 abideth in God, and God abideth in him.”— 
 iv. 16, © 
 
28 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his 
 brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not 
 his brother whom he hath seen, how can he 
 love God whom he hath not seen?”—iv. 20. 
 
 I 
 
 A SHOEMAKER named Simon, who had 
 nelther house nor land of his own, lived 
 with his wife and children in a peasant’s 
 hut, and earned his living by his work. 
 Work was cheap but bread was dear, and 
 what he earned he spent for food. The man 
 and his wife had but one sheepskin coat be- 
 tween them for winter wear, and even that 
 was worn to tatters, and this was the sec- 
 ond year he had been wanting to buy sheep- 
 skins for a new coat. Before winter Simon 
 saved up a little money: a three-rouble note 
 lay hidden in his wife’s box, and five roubles 
 and twenty kopeks* were owed him by cus- 
 tomers in the village. 
 
 So one morning he prepared to go to the 
 village to buy the sheep-skins. He put on 
 
 1QOne hundred kopeks make a rouble. The 
 kopek is worth about a farthing. 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 29 
 
 over his shirt his wife’s wadded nankeen 
 jacket, and over that he put his own cloth 
 coat. He took the three-rouble note in his 
 pocket, cut himself a stick to serve as a 
 staff, and started off after breakfast. “I Ul 
 Collect the’ five ‘roubles that are’ due to me,” 
 thought he, “add the three I have got, and 
 that will be enough to buy sheep-skins for 
 the winter coat.” 
 
 He came to the village and called at a 
 _peasant’s hut, but the man was not at home. 
 The peasant’s wife promised that the money 
 should be paid next week, but she would not . 
 pay it herself. Then Simon called on an- 
 other peasant, but this one swore he had no 
 money, and would only pay twenty kopeks 
 which he owed for a pair of boots Simon had 
 mended. Simon then tried to buy the sheep- 
 skins on credit, but the dealer would not 
 trust him. 
 
 “Bring your money,” said he, “then you 
 may have your pick of the skins. , We know 
 what debt-collecting is like.” 
 
 So all the business the tatuies did was 
 to get the twenty kopeks for boots he had 
 mended, and to take a pair of felt boots a 
 peasant gave him to sole with leather, 
 
30 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 Simon felt downhearted. He spent the 
 twenty kopeks on védka, and started home- 
 wards without having bought any skins. In 
 the morning he had felt the frost; but now, 
 after drinking the vodka, he felt warm even , 
 without a skeep-skin coat. He trudged along, 
 striking his stick on the frozen earth with 
 one hand, swinging the felt boots with the 
 other, and talking to himself. 
 
 “I’m quite warm,” said he, “though I have 
 no sheep-skin coat. I’ve had a drop, and 
 it runs through all my veins. I need no 
 sheep-skins. JI go along and don’t worry 
 about anything. That’s the sort of man I 
 am! What do J care? I can live without 
 sheep-skins. I don’t need them. My wife 
 will fret, to be sure. And, true enough, 
 it is a shame; one works all day long, and 
 then does not get paid. Stop a bit! If you 
 don’t bring that money along, sure enough 
 Ill skin you, blessed if I don’t. How’s 
 that? He pays~twenty kopeks at a time! 
 What can I do with twenty kopeks? Drink 
 it—that’s all one can do! Hard up, he 
 says he is! So he may be—but what about 
 me? You have house, and cattle, and every- 
 thing; I’ve only what I stand up in! You 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 31 
 
 have corn of your own growing; I have 
 to buy every grain. Do what I will, I must 
 spend three roubles every week for bread 
 alone.- I come home and find the bread all 
 used up, and I have to fork out another 
 rouble and a half. So just you pay up what 
 you owe, and no nonsense about it!” 
 
 By this time he had nearly reached the 
 shrine at the bend of the road. Looking 
 up, he saw something whitish behind the 
 shrine. The daylight was fading, and the 
 Shoemaker peered at the thing without being 
 able to make out what it was. “There was 
 no white stone here before. Can it be an 
 ox? It’s not like an ox. It has a head like 
 a man, but it’s too white; and what could 
 aman be doing there?” 
 
 He came closer, so that it was clearly visi- 
 ble. To his surprise it really was a man, 
 alive or dead, sitting naked, leaning mo-. 
 tionless against the shrine. Terror seized 
 the shoemaker, and he thought, “Some one 
 has killed him, stripped him, and left him 
 here. If I» meddle I shall surely get into 
 trouble.” 
 
 So the shoemaker went on. He passed in 
 front of the shrine so that h ;? could not see 
 
 ee 
 pis: aie 
 
32 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 the man. When he had gone some way, he 
 _ looked back, and saw that the man was no 
 
 longer leaning against the shrine, but was 
 moving as if looking towards him. The shoe- 
 maker felt more frightened than before, and 
 thought, “Shall I go back to him, or shall 
 I go on? If I go near him something dread- 
 ful may happen. Who knows who the fellow 
 is? He has not come here for any good. If 
 I go near him he may jump up and throttle 
 me, and there will be no getting away. Or if 
 not, he’d still be a burden on one’s hands. 
 What could I do with a naked man? I[ 
 couldn’t give him my last clothes. Heaven 
 only help me to get away!” 
 
 So the shoemaker hurried on, leaving the 
 shrine behind him—when suddenly his con- 
 science smote him, and he stopped in the 
 road. 
 
 “What are you doing, Simon?” said he to 
 himself. “The man may be dying. of want, 
 and you slip past afraid. Have you grown 
 so rich as to be afraid of robbers? Ah, 
 Simon, shame on you!” : 
 
 So ke turned back and went up to the 
 man. 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 33 
 
 It 
 
 Simon approached the stranger, looked at 
 him, and saw that he was a young man, fit, 
 with no bruises on his body, only evidently 
 freezing and frightened, and he sat there 
 leaning back without looking up at Simon, 
 as if too faint to lift his eyes. Simon went 
 close to him, and then the man seemed to 
 wake up. Turning his head, he opened his 
 eyes and looked into Simon’s face. That one 
 look was enough to make Simon fond of the 
 man. He threw the felt boots on the ground, 
 undid his sash, laid it on the boots, and took 
 off his cloth coat. 
 
 “It’s not a time for talking,’ said he. 
 “Come, put this coat on at once!’ And 
 Simon took the man by the elbows and helped 
 him to rise. As he stood there, Simon saw 
 that his body was clean and in good condi- 
 tion, his hands and feet shapely, and his 
 face good and kind. He threw his coat over 
 the man’s shoulders, but the latter could not 
 find the sleeves. Simon guided his arms into 
 them, and drawing the coat well on, wrapped 
 
34 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 it closely about him, tying the sash round 
 the man’s waist. 
 
 Simon even took off his torn cap to put it 
 on the man’s head, but then his own 
 head felt cold, and he thought: “I’m 
 quite bald, while he has long curly hair.” 
 So he put his cap on his own head again. 
 “It will be better to give him something for 
 his feet,” thought he; and he made the man 
 sit down, and helped him to put on the felt 
 boots, saying, “There, friend, now move about 
 and warm yourself. Other matters can be 
 settled later on. Can you walk?” 
 
 The man stood up and looked kindly at 
 Simon, but could not say a word. 
 
 “Why don’t you speak?” said Simon. “It’s 
 too cold to stay here, we must be getting 
 home. There now, take my stick, and if 
 you're feeling weak, lean on that. Now step 
 out!” 
 
 The man started walking, and moved eas- 
 ily, not lagging behind. 
 
 As they went along, Simon asked him, 
 “And where do you belong to?” 
 
 “Ym not from these parts.” 
 
 “I thought as much. I know the folks 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 35 
 
 hereabouts. But how did you come to be 
 there by the shrine?” 
 
 “T cannot tell.” 
 
 “Flas some one been ill-treating you?” 
 
 “No one has ill-treated me. God has pun- 
 ished me.” 
 
 “Of course God rules all. Still, you’ll have 
 to find food and shelter somewhere. Where 
 do you want to go to?” 
 
 “Tt is all the same to me.” 
 
 Simon was amazed. The man did not look 
 ‘like a rogue, and he spoke gently, but yet 
 he gave no account of himself. Still Simon 
 thought, “Who. knows what may have hap- 
 pened?” And he said to the stranger: “Well 
 then, come home with me, and at least warm 
 yourself awhile.” 
 ~ So Simon walked towards his home, and 
 the stranger kept up with him, walking at 
 his side. The wind had risen and Simon felt 
 it cold under his shirt. He was getting over 
 his tipsiness by now, and began to feel the 
 frost. He went along sniffing and wrapping 
 his wife’s coat round him, and he thought to 
 himself; “There now—talk about sheepskins! 
 I went out for sheepskins and come home 
 
36 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 without even a coat to my back, and what 
 is more, I’m bringing a naked man along 
 with me. Matryéna won’t be pleased!” And 
 when he thought of his wife he felt sad; but 
 when he looked at the stranger and remem- 
 bered how he had looked up at him at the 
 shrine, his heart was glad. 
 
 Wit 
 
 Simon’s wife had everything ready early 
 that day. She had cut wood, brought water, 
 fed the children, eaten her own meal, and 
 now she sat thinking. She wondered when 
 she ought to make bread: now or to-morrow? 
 There was still a large piece left. 
 
 “If Simon has had some dinner in town,” 
 thought she, “and does not eat much for 
 supper, the bread will last out another day.” 
 
 She weighed the piece of bread in her hand 
 again and again, and thought: “I won’t make 
 any more to-day. We have only enough flour 
 left to bake one batch. We can manage to 
 make this last out till Friday.” 
 
 So Matryéna put away the bread, and sat 
 down at the table to patch her hushand’s 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 87 
 
 shirt. While she worked she thought how 
 her husband was buying skins for a winter 
 coat. 
 
 “Tf only the dealer does not cheat him. 
 ‘My good man is much too simple; he cheats 
 nobody, but any child can take him in. Hight 
 roubles is a lot of money—he should get a 
 good coat at that price. Not tanned skins, 
 but still a proper winter coat. How diffi- 
 cult it was last winter to get on without 
 a warm coat. I could neither get down to 
 the river, nor go out anywhere. When he 
 went out he put on all we had, and there 
 was nothing left for me. He did not start 
 very early to-day, but still it’s time he was 
 back. I only hope he has not gone on the 
 spree!” 
 
 Hardly had Matryéna thought this, when 
 steps were heard on the threshold, and some 
 one entered. Matryéna stuck her needle into 
 her work and went out into the passage. 
 There she saw two men: Simon, and with 
 him a man without a hat, and wearing felt 
 boots. 
 
 Matryéna noticed at once that her hus- 
 band smelt of spirits. “There now, he has 
 been drinking,” thought she. And when she 
 
38 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 saw that he was coatless, had only her jacket 
 on, brought no parcel, stood there silent, 
 and seemed ashamed, her heart was ready to 
 break with disappointment. “He has drunk 
 the money,” thought she, “and has been on 
 the spree with some good-for-nothing fellow 
 whom he has brought home with him.” 
 
 Matryéna let them pass into the hut, fol- 
 lowed them in, and saw that the stranger 
 was a young, slight man, wearing her hus- 
 band’s coat. There was no shirt to be seen 
 under it, and he had no hat. Having entered, 
 he stood neither moving, nor raising his eyes, 
 and Matryéna thought: “He must be a bad 
 man—he’s afraid.” 
 
 Matryéna frowned, and stood beside the 
 oven looking to see what they would do. 
 
 Simon took off his cap and sat down on 
 the bench as if things were all right. 
 
 “Come, Matryéna; if supper is ready, let 
 us have some.” 
 
 Matryéna muttered something to herself 
 and did not move, but stayed where she was, 
 by the oven. She looked first at the one 
 and then at the other of them, and only 
 shook her head. Simon saw that his wife 
 was annoyed, but tried to pass it off. Pre- 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 39 
 
 tending not to notice anything, he took the 
 stranger by the arm. 3 
 
 “Sit down, friend,” said he, “and let us 
 have some supper.” 
 
 The stranger sat down on the bench. 
 
 “Haven't you cooked anything for us?” 
 said Simon. 
 
 Matryéna’s anger boiled over. “I’ve cooked, 
 but not for you. It seems to me you have 
 drunk your wits away. You went to buy a 
 _sheep-skin coat, but come home without so 
 much as the coat you had on, and bring a 
 naked vagabond home with you. I have no 
 supper for drunkards like you.” 
 
 “That’s enough, Matryéna. Don’t wag your 
 tongue without reason! You had better ask 
 what sort of man 3 
 
 “And you tell me what you’ve done with 
 the money?” 
 
 Simon found the pocket of the jacket, drew 
 out the three-rouble note, and unfolded it. 
 
 “Here is the money. ‘Trifonof did not 
 pay, but promises to pay soon.” 
 
 Matryéna got still more angry; he had 
 bought no sheep-skins, but had put his only 
 coat on some naked fellow and had even 
 brought him to their house. 
 
 
 
40 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 She snatched up the note from the table, 
 took it to put away in safety, and said: “I 
 have no supper for you. We can’t feed all 
 the naked drunkards in the world.” 
 
 “There now, Matryéna, hold your tongue 
 a bit. First hear. what a man has to 
 say i; 
 
 “Much wisdom I shall hear from a drunken 
 fool. I was right in not wanting to marry 
 you—a drunkard. The linen my mother gave 
 me you drank; and now you’ve been to buy 
 a coat—and have drunk it too!” 
 
 Simon tried to explain to his wife that he 
 had only spent twenty kopeks; tried to tell 
 how he had found the man—but Matryéna 
 would not let him get a word in. She talked 
 nineteen to the dozen, and dragged in things 
 that had happened ten years before. 
 
 Matryéna talked and talked, and at last 
 She flew at Simon and seized him by the 
 sleeve. 
 
 “Give me my jacket. It is the only one I - 
 have, and you must needs take it from me 
 and wear it yourself. Give it here, you 
 mangy dog, and may the devil take you.” 
 
 Simon began to pull off the jacket, and 
 turned a sleeve of it inside out; Matryéna 
 
 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY Al 
 
 seized the jacket and it burst its seams. She 
 snatched it up, threw it over her head and 
 went to the door. She meant to go out, but 
 stopped undecided—she wanted to work off 
 her anger, but she also wanted to learn what 
 sort of a man the stranger was. 
 
 IV 
 
 Matryéna stopped and said: “If he were 
 a good man he would not be naked. Why, 
 he hasn’t even a shirt on him. If he were 
 all right, you would say where you came 
 across the fellow.” 
 
 “That’s just what I am trying to tell 
 you,’ said Simon. “As I came to the shrine 
 I saw him sitting all naked and frozen. It 
 isn’t quite the weather to sit about naked! 
 God sent me to him, or he would have per- 
 ished. What was I to do? How do we know 
 what may have happened to him? So I took 
 him, clothed him, and brought him along. 
 Don’t be so angry, Matryéna. It is a sin. 
 Remember, we all must die one day.” 
 
 Angry words rese to Matryéna’s lips,. but 
 she looked at the stranger and was silent. 
 He sat on the edge of the bench, motionless, 
 
42 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 his hands folded on his knees, his head 
 drooping on his breast, his eyes closed, and 
 his brows knit as if in pain. Matryéna was 
 silent, and Simon said: “‘Matryéna, have you 
 no love of God?” 
 
 Matryéna heard these words, and as she 
 looked at the stranger, suddenly her heart 
 softened towards him. She came back from 
 the door, and going to the oven she got out 
 the supper. Setting a cup on the table, she 
 poured out some kvas.1. Then she brought 
 out the last piece of bread, and set out a 
 knife and spoons. 
 
 “Eat, if you want to,” said she. 
 
 Simon drew the stranger to the table. 
 
 “Take your place, young man,” said he. 
 
 Simon cut the bread, crumbled it into the 
 broth, and they began to eat. Matryéna sat 
 at the corner of the table, resting her head 
 on her hand and looking at the stranger. 
 
 And Matryéna was touched with pity for 
 the stranger, and began to feel fond of him. 
 And at once the stranger’s face lit up; his 
 brows were no longer bent, he raised his 
 eyes and. smiled at Matryéna. 
 
 1A non-intoxicating drink usually made from 
 rye-malt and rye-flour. 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 43 
 
 -When they had finished supper, the woman 
 cleared away the things and began question- 
 ing the stranger. “Where are you from?” 
 said she. 
 
 “TJ am not from these parts.” 
 
 “But how did you come to be on the 
 road?” 
 
 “T may not tell.” 
 
 “Did some one rob you?” 
 
 “God punished me.” 
 
 “And you were lying there naked?” 
 
 “Yes, naked and freezing. Simon saw me 
 and had pity on me. He took off his coat, 
 put it on me and brought me here. And you 
 have fed me, given me drink, and shown 
 pity on me. God will reward you!” 
 
 Matryéna rose, took from the window 
 Simon’s old shirt she had been patching, and 
 gave it to the. stranger. She also brought 
 out a pair of trousers for him. 
 
 “There,” said she, “I see you have no 
 shirt. Put this on, and lie down where you 
 please, in the loft or on the oven’.” 
 
 1The brick oven in a Russian peasant’s hut 
 is usually built so as to leave a flat top, large 
 enough to lie on, for those who want to sleep 
 in a warm place, , 
 
44 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 The stranger took off the coat, put on the 
 shirt, and lay down in the loft. Matryéna 
 put out the candle, took the coat, and climbed 
 to where her husband lay. 
 
 Matryéna drew the skirts of the coat over 
 her and lay down, but could not sleep; she 
 could not get the stranger out of her mind. 
 
 When she remembered that he had eaten 
 their last piece of bread and that there 
 was none for to-morrow, and thought of 
 the shirt and trousers she had given away, 
 she felt grieved; but when she remembered 
 how he had smiled, her heart was glad. 
 
 Long did Matryéna lie awake, and she 
 noticed that Simon also was awake—he drew 
 the coat towards him. 
 
 “Simon !” 
 
 “Well?” 
 
 “You have had the last of the bread, and 
 I have not put any to rise. I don’t know 
 what we shall do to-morrow. Perhaps I can 
 borrow some of neighbour Martha.” 
 
 “If we’re alive we shall find something 
 to eat.” 
 
 The woman lay still awhile, and then said, 
 “He seems a good man, but why does he not 
 tell us who he is?” 
 
 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 45 
 
 “T suppose he has his reasons.” 
 
 “Simon !” 
 
 “Well?” 
 
 “We give; but why does nobody give us 
 anything?” 
 
 Simon did not know what to say; so he 
 only said, “Let us stop talking,” and turned 
 over and went to sleep. 
 
 v 
 
 In the morning Simon awoke. The chil- 
 dren were still asleep; his wife had gone to 
 the neighbour’s, to borrow some bread. The 
 stranger alone was sitting on the bench, 
 dressed in the old shirt and trousers, and 
 looking upwards. His face was brighter than 
 it had been the day before. 
 
 Simon said to him, “Well, friend; the belly 
 wants bread, and the naked body clothes. 
 One has to work for a living. What work 
 do you know?” 
 
 “Tt do not know any.” 
 
 This surprised Simon, but he said, “Men 
 who want to learn can learn anything.” 
 
 “Men work, and I will work also.’ 
 
46 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 “What is your name?” 
 
 ‘*Michael.” 
 
 “Well, Michael, if you don’t wish to talk 
 about yourself, that is your own affair; but 
 you'll have to earn a living for yourself. If 
 you will work as I tell you, I will give you 
 food and shelter.” 
 
 “May God reward you! I will learn. 
 Show me what to do.” 
 
 Simon took yarn, put it round his thumb 
 and began to twist it. 
 
 “It is easy enough—see!” 
 
 Michael watched him, put some yarn round 
 his own thumb in the same way, caught the 
 knack, and twisted the yarn also. 
 
 Then Simon showed him how to wax the 
 thread. This also Michael mastered. Next 
 Simon showed him how to twist the bristle 
 in, and how to sew, and this, too, Michael 
 learned at once. 
 
 Whatever Simon showed him he understood 
 at once, and after three days he worked as 
 if he had sewn boots all his life. He worked 
 without stopping, and ate little. When work 
 was over he sat silently, looking upwards. 
 He hardly went into the street, spoke only 
 when necessary, and neither joked nor 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 47 
 
 laughed. They never saw him smile, except 
 that first evening when Matryona gave them 
 supper. 
 
 vi 
 
 Day by day and week by week the year 
 went round. Michael lived and worked with 
 Simon. His fame spread till people said 
 that no one sewed boots so neatly and 
 strongly as Simon’s workman, Michael; and 
 from all the district round people came to 
 Simon for their boots, and he began to be 
 well off. 
 
 One winter day, as Simon and Michael sat 
 working, a carriage on sledge-runners, with 
 three horses and with bells, drove up to the 
 hut. ‘They looked out of the window; the 
 carriage stopped at their door, a fine serv- 
 ant jumped down from the box and opened 
 the door. A gentleman in a fur coat got out 
 and walked up to Simon’s hut. Up jumped 
 Matryéna and opened the door wide. The 
 gentleman stooped to enter the hut, and when 
 he drew himself up again his head nearly 
 reached the ceiling, ana he seemed quite to 
 fill his end of the room. 
 
48 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 Simon rose, bowed, and looked at the gen- 
 tleman with astonishment. He had never. 
 seen any one like him. Simon himself was - 
 lean, Michael was thin, and Matryéna was 
 dry as a bone, but this man was like some 
 one from another world: red-faced, burly, 
 with a neck like a bull’s, and looking alto- 
 gether as if he were cast “in iron. 
 
 The gentleman puffed, threw off his fur 
 coat, sat down on the bench, and said, “Which 
 of you is the master bootmaker?” 
 
 “J am, your Excellency,” said Simon, com- 
 ing forward. 
 
 Then the gentleman shouted to his lad, 
 “Hey, Fédka, bring the leather!” 
 
 The servant ran in, bringing a parcel. The 
 gentleman took the parcel and put it on the 
 table. 
 
 “Untie it,” said he. The lad untied it. 
 
 The gentleman pointed to the leather. 
 
 “Look here, shoemaker,” said he, “do you 
 see this leather?” 
 
 “Yes, your honour.” 
 
 “But do you know what sort of leather 
 it is?” 
 
 Simon felt the leather and said, “It is good 
 leather.” 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 49 
 
 “Good, indeed! Why, you fool, you never 
 saw such leather before in your life. It’s 
 - German, and cost twenty roubles.” 
 
 _ Simon was frightened, and said, “Where 
 should I ever see leather like that?” 
 
 “Just so! Now, can you make it into 
 boots for me?” 
 
 “Yes, your Excellency, I can.” 
 
 Then the gentleman shouted at him: “You 
 can, can you? Well, remember whom you 
 are to make them for, and what the leather 
 is. You must make me boots that will wear 
 for a year, neither losing shape nor coming 
 unsewn. If you can do it, take the leather 
 and cut it up; but if you can’t, say so. I 
 warn you now, if your boots come unsewn 
 or lose shape within a year, I will have you 
 put in prison. If they don’t burst or lose 
 shape for a year, I will pay you ten roubles 
 for your work.” 
 
 Simon was frightened, and did not know 
 what to say. He glanced at Michael and 
 nudging him with his elbow, whispered: “Shall 
 I take the work?” 
 
 Michael nodded his head as if to say, “Yes, 
 - take it.” 
 
 Simon did as Michael advised, and under- 
 
50 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 took to make boots that would not lose shape 
 or split for a whole year. 
 
 Calling his servant, the gentleman told him 
 to pull the boot off his left leg, which he 
 stretched out. 
 
 “Take my measure!” said he. 
 
 Simon stitched a paper measure seventeen 
 inches long, smoothed it out, knelt down, 
 wiped his hands well on his apron so as not 
 to soil the gentleman’s sock, and began to 
 measure. He measured the sole, and round 
 the instep, and began to measure the calf 
 of the leg, but the paper was too short. The 
 calf of the leg was as thick as a beam. 
 
 “Mind you don’t make it too tight in 
 the leg.” 
 
 Simon stitched on another strip of paper. 
 The gentleman twitched his toes about in his 
 sock, looking round at those in the hut, and 
 as he did so he noticed Michael. 
 
 “Whom have you there?” asked he. 
 
 “That is my workman. He will sew the 
 boots.” 
 
 “Mind,” said the gentleman to Michael, 
 “remember to make them so that they will 
 last me a year.” 
 
 Simon also looked at Michael, and saw 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY ey 
 
 that Michael was not looking at the gentle- 
 man, but was gazing into the corner behind 
 the gentleman, as if he saw some one there. 
 Michael looked and looked, and suddenly. he 
 smiled, and his face became brighter. 
 
 “What are you grinning at, you ivol?” 
 ' thundered the gentleman. “You had better 
 look to it that the boots are ready in time.” 
 
 “They shall be ready in good time,” said 
 Michael. 
 
 “Mind it is so,” said the gentleman, and 
 he put on his boots and his fur coat, wrapped 
 the latter round him, and went to the door. 
 But he forgot to stoop, and struck his head 
 against the lintel. 
 
 He swore and rubbed his head. Then he 
 took his seat in the carriage and drove away. 
 
 When he had gone, Simon said: “There’s 
 a figure of a man for you! You could not 
 kill him with a mallet. He almost knocked 
 out the lintel, but little harm it did him.” 
 
 And Matryona said: “Living as he does, 
 how shoyld he not grow strong? Death it- 
 self can’t touch such a rock as that.” 
 
52 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 Vit 
 
 Then Simon said to Michael: “Well, we 
 have taken the work, but we must see we 
 don’t get into trouble over it. The leather 
 is dear, and the gentleman hot-tempered. We - 
 must make no mistakes. Come, your eye 
 is truer and your hands have become nimbler 
 than mine, so you take this measure and cut 
 out the boots. I will finish off the sewing 
 of the vamps.” 
 
 Michael did as he was told. He took the 
 leather, spread it out on the table, folded it 
 in two, took a knife and began to cut out. 
 
 Matryéna came and watched him cutting, 
 and was surprised to see how he was doing 
 it. Matryéna was accustomed to seeing boots 
 made, and she looked and saw that Michael 
 was not cutting the leather for boots, but 
 was cutting it round. 
 
 She wished to say something, but she 
 thought to herself: “Perhaps I do not un- 
 derstand how gentlemen’s boots should be 
 made. I suppose Michael knows more about 
 it—and I won’t interfere.” 
 
 When Michael had cut up the leather, he 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 53 
 
 took a thread and began to sew not with 
 two ends, as boots are sewn, but with a sin- 
 gle end, as for soft slippers. 
 
 Again Matryéna wondered, but again she 
 did not interfere. Michael sewed on stead- 
 ily, till noon. Then Simon rose for dinner, 
 looked around, and saw that Michael had 
 made slippers out of the gentleman’s leather. 
 
 “Ah!” groaned Simon, and he _ thought, 
 “How is it that Michael, who has been with 
 me a whole year and never made a mistake 
 before, aout do such a dreadful thing? The 
 gentleman ordered high boots, welted, with 
 whole fronts, and Michael has made soft 
 slippers with single soles, and has wasted 
 the leather. What am I to say to the gen- 
 tleman? I can never replace leather such 
 as this.” 
 
 And he said to Michael, “What are you 
 doing, friend? You have ruined me! You 
 know the gentleman ordered high boots, but 
 see what you have made!” 
 
 Hardly had he begun to rebuke Michael, 
 when “rat-tat” went the iron ring that hung 
 at the door. Some one was knocking. They 
 looked out of the window; a man had come 
 on horseback, and was fastening his horse. 
 
54 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 They opened the door, and the servant who 
 had been with the gentleman came in. 
 
 “Good day,” said he. 
 
 “Good day,” replied Simon. “What can we 
 do for you?” 
 
 “My mistress has sent me about the boots.” 
 
 “What about the boots?” 
 
 “Why, my master no longer needs them. 
 He is dead.” 
 
 “Ts it possible?” 
 
 “He did not live to get home after leaving 
 you, but died in the carriage. _When we 
 reached home and the servants came to help 
 him alight, he rolled over like a sack. He 
 was dead already, and so stiff that he could 
 hardly be got out of the carriage. My 
 mistress sent me here, saying: “Tell the boot- 
 maker that the gentleman who ordered boots 
 of him and left the leather for them no 
 longer needs the boots, but that he must 
 quickly make soft slippers for the corpse. 
 Wait till they are ready, and bring them 
 back with you.’ That is why I have come.” 
 
 Michael gathered up the remnants of the 
 leather; rolled them up, took the soft slip- 
 pers he had made, slapped them together, 
 wiped them down with his apron, and handed 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 55 
 
 them and the roll of leather to the servant, 
 who took them and said: “Good-bye, masters, 
 and good day to you!” 
 
 VIII 
 
 Another year passed, and another, and 
 Michael was now living his sixth year with 
 Simon. He lived as before. He went no- 
 where, only spoke when necessary, and had 
 only smiled twice in all those years—once 
 when Matryéna gave him food, and a second 
 time when the gentleman was in their hut. 
 Simon was more than pleased with his work- 
 man. He never now asked him where he 
 came from, and only feared lest Michael, 
 should go away. 
 
 They were all at home one day. Matryéna 
 was putting iron pots in the oven; the chil- 
 dren were running along the benches and 
 looking out of the window; Simon was sew- 
 ing at one window, and Michael was fasten- 
 ing on a heel at the other. 
 
 One of the boys ran along the bench to 
 Michael, leant on his shoulder, and looked 
 out of the window. / 
 
56 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 “Look, Uncle Michael! There is a lady 
 with little girls! She seems to be coming 
 here. And one of the girls is lame.” 
 
 When the boy said that, Michael dropped 
 his work, turned to the window, and looked 
 out into the street. 
 
 Simon was surprised. Michael never used 
 to look out into the street, but now he pressed 
 against the window, staring at something. 
 Simon also looked out, and saw that a well- 
 dressed woman was really coming to his hut, 
 leading by the hand two little girls in fur 
 coats and woollen shawls. The girls could 
 hardly be told one from the other, except 
 that one of them was crippled in her left 
 leg and walked with a limp. 
 
 The woman stepped into the porch and en- 
 tered the passage. Feeling about for the 
 entrance she found the latch, which she lifted, 
 and opened the door. She let the two girls 
 go in first, and followed them into the hut. 
 
 “Good day, good folk!” 
 
 “Pray come in,” said Simon. “What can 
 we do for you?” 
 
 The woman sat down by the table. The 
 two little girls pressed close to her knees, 
 afraid of the people in the hut. 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY ery I 
 
 “I want leather shoes made for these two 
 little girls, for spring.” 
 
 “We can do that. We never have made 
 such small shoes, but we can make them; 
 either welted or turnover shoes, linen lined. 
 My man, Michael, is a master at the work.” 
 
 Simon glanced at Michael and saw that 
 _he had left his work and was sitting with 
 his eyes fixed on the little girls. Simon 
 was surprised. It was true the girls were 
 pretty, with black eyes, plump, and rosy- 
 cheeked, and they wore nice kerchiefs and 
 fur coats, but still Simon could not under- 
 stand why Michael should look at them like 
 that—just as if he had known them before. 
 He was puzzled, but went on talking with 
 the woman, and arranging the price. Hav- 
 ing fixed it, he prepared the measure. The 
 woman lifted the lame girl on to her lap and 
 said: “Take two measures from this little 
 ‘girl. Make one shoe for the lame foot and 
 three for the sound one. They both have 
 the same sized feet. They are twins.” 
 
 Simon took the measure and, speaking of 
 the lame girl, said: “How did it happen to 
 her? She is such a pretty girl. Was she 
 born so?” 
 
68 ~° WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 “No, her mother crushed her leg.” 
 
 Then Matryéna joined in. She wondered 
 who this woman was, and whose the children 
 were, so she said: “Are not you their mother, 
 then?” . 
 
 “No, my good woman; I am neither their 
 mother nor any relation to them. They were 
 quite strangers to me, but I adopted them.” 
 
 “They are not your children and yet you 
 are so fond of theni?” | 
 
 “How can I help being fond of them? I 
 fed them both at my own breasts. I had a 
 child of my own, but God took him. I was 
 not so fond of him as I now am of them.” 
 
 “Then whose children are they?” 
 
 Ix 
 
 The woman, having begun talking, told 
 them the whole story. 
 
 “It is about six years since their parents 
 died, both in one week: their father was 
 buried on the Tuesday, and their mother 
 died on the Friday. These orphans were 
 born three days after their father’s death, 
 and their mother did not live another day. 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 59 
 
 My husband and I were then living as peas- 
 ants in the village. We were neighbours of 
 _ theirs, our yard being next to theirs. Their 
 father was a lonely man; a wood-cutter in 
 the forest. When felling trees one day, 
 they let one fall on him. It fell across his 
 body and crushed his bowels out. They 
 hardly got him home before his soul went 
 to God; and that same week his wife gave 
 birth to twins—these little girls. She was 
 poor and alone; she had no one, young or 
 old, with her. Alone she gave them birth, 
 and alone she met her death. 
 
 “The next morning I went to see her, but 
 when I entered the hut, she, poor thing, was 
 already stark and cold. In dying she had 
 rolled on to this child and crushed her leg. 
 The village folk came to the hut, washed 
 the body, laid her out, made a coffin, and 
 buried her. They were good folk. The 
 babies were left alone. What was to be 
 done with them? I was the only woman there 
 who had a baby at the time.. I was nursing 
 my first-born—eight weeks old. So I took 
 them for a time. The peasants came to- 
 gether, and thought and thought what to 
 do with them; and at last they said to mes 
 
60 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 ‘For the present, Mary, you had better keep 
 the girls, and later on we will arrange what 
 to do for them.’ So I nursed the sound one 
 at my. breast, but at first I did not feed 
 this crippled one. I did, not suppose she 
 would live. But then I thought to myself, 
 why should the poor innocent suffer? I 
 pitied her, and began to feed her. And so 
 I fed my own boy and these two—the three 
 of them—at my own breast. I was young 
 and strong, and had good food, and God gave 
 me so much milk that at times it even over- 
 flowed. I used sometimes to feed two at a 
 time, while the third was waiting. When 
 one had had enough I nursed the third. And 
 God so ordered it that these grew up, while 
 my own was buried before he was two years 
 old. And I had no more children, though 
 we prospered. Now my husband is working 
 for the corn merchant at the mill. The pay 
 is good, and we are well off. But I have no 
 children of my own, and how lonely I should 
 be without these little girls! How can I 
 help loving them! ‘They are the joy of my 
 life!” 
 
 She pressed the lame little girl to her with 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 61 
 
 one hand, while with the other she wiped the 
 tears from her cheeks. 
 
 And Matryéna sighed, and said: “The 
 proverb is true that says, ‘One may live 
 without father or mother, but one cannot live 
 without God.’ ” 
 
 So they talked together, when suddenly 
 the whole hut was lighted up as though by 
 summer lightning from the corner where 
 Michael sat. They all looked towards him 
 and saw him sitting, his hands folded on 
 his knees, gazing upwards and smiling. 
 
 x 
 
 The woman went away with the girls. 
 Michael rose from the bench, put down his 
 work, and took off his apron. Then, bowing 
 low to Simon and his wife, he said: “Fare- 
 well, masters. God has forgiven me. I ask 
 your forgiveness, too, for anything done 
 amiss.” 
 
 And they saw that a light shone from 
 Michael. And Simon rose, bowed down to 
 Michael, and said: “I see, Michael, that you 
 
62 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 are no common man, and I can neither keep 
 you nor question you. ny tell me this: 
 how is it that when I found you and 
 brought you home, you were gloomy, and 
 » when my wife gave you food you smiled at 
 her and became brighter? ‘Then when the 
 gentleman came to order the boots, you 
 smiled again and became brighter still? And 
 now, when this woman brought the little 
 girls, you smiled a third time, and have 
 become as bright as day? ‘Tell me, Michael, 
 why does your face shine so, and why did 
 you smile those three times?” 
 
 And Michael answered: “Light shines from 
 me because I have been punished, but now 
 God has pardoned me. And I smiled three 
 times, because God sent me to learn three 
 truths, and I have learnt them. One I learnt 
 when your wife pitied me, and that is why 
 I smiled the first time. The second I learnt 
 when the rich man ordered the hoots, and 
 then I smiled again. And now, when I saw 
 those little girls, I learnt the third and last 
 truth, and I smiled the third time.” 
 
 And Simon said, “Tell me, Michael, what 
 did God punish you for? and what were the 
 three truths? that I, too, may know them,” 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE #Y 63 
 
 And Michael answered: “God punished 
 me for disobeying Him. I was an angel in 
 heaven and disobeyed God. God sent me to 
 fetch a woman’s soul. I flew to earth, and 
 saw a sick woman lying alone, who had just 
 given birth to twin girls. They moved feebly 
 at their mother’s side, but she could not lift 
 thern to her breast. When she saw me, she 
 understood that God had sent me for her 
 soul, and she wept and said: ‘Angel of 
 God! My husband has just been buried, 
 killed by a falling tree. I have neither sister, 
 nor aunt, nor mother: no one to care for my 
 orphans. Do not take my soul! Let me 
 nurse my babes, feed them, and set them on 
 their feet before I die. Children cannot live 
 without father or mother.” And I _ heark- 
 ened to her. I placed one child at her breast 
 and gave the other into her arms, and re- 
 turned to the Lord in heaven. I flew to the 
 Lord, and said: ‘I could not take the soul 
 of the mother. Her husband was killed by a 
 tree; the woman has twins, and prays that 
 her soul may not be taken. She says: “Let 
 me nurse and feed my children, and set 
 them on their feet. Children cannot live 
 without father or mother.” I have not taken 
 
64 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 her soul. And God said: ‘Go—take the 
 mother’s soul, and learn three truths: Learn 
 What dwells in man, What is not given to 
 man, and What men live by. When thou 
 hast learnt these things, thou shalt return to 
 heaven.’ So I flew again to earth and took 
 the mother’s soul. The babes dropped from 
 her breasts. Her body rolled over on the 
 bed and crushed one babe, twisting its leg. 
 I rose above the village, wishing to take her 
 soul to God; but a wind seized me, and my 
 wings drooped and dropped off. Her soul 
 ‘rose alone to God, while I fell to earth by 
 the roadside.” 
 
 xI 
 
 And Simon and Matryéna understood who 
 it was that had lived with them, and whom 
 ‘they had clothed and fed. And they wept 
 with awe and with joy. And the angel said: — 
 “I. was alone in the field, naked. I had 
 never known human needs, cold and hunger, 
 till I became a man. I was famished, frozen, 
 and did not know what to do. I saw, near 
 the field I was in, a shrine built for God, — 
 and I went to it Hoping to find shelter. But 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 65 
 
 the shrine was locked, and I could not enter. 
 So I sat down behind the shrine to shelter 
 myself at least from the wind. Evening drew 
 on. I was hungry, frozen, and in pain. Sud- 
 denly I heard a man coming along the road. 
 He carried a pair of boots, and was talking 
 to himself. For the first time since I be- 
 came a man I saw the mortal face of a man, 
 and his face seemed terrible to me and I 
 turned from it. And I heard the man talk- 
 ing to himself of how to cover his body from 
 the cold in winter, and how to feed wife and 
 children. And I thought: ‘I am perishing 
 of cold and hunger, and here is a man think- 
 ing only of how to clothe himself and _ his 
 wife, and how to get bread for themselves. 
 He cannot help me.’ When the man saw me 
 he frowned and became still more terrible, 
 and passed me by on the other side. I de- 
 spaired; but suddenly I heard him coming 
 back. I looked up, and did not recognize 
 the same man: before, I had seen death in 
 his face; but now he was alive, and I recog- 
 nized in him the presence of God. He came 
 up to me, clothed me, took .me with him, and 
 brought me to his home. I entered the house; 
 -@ woman came to meet us and began to 
 
66 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 speak. The woman was still more terrible 
 than the man had been; the spirit of death 
 came from her mouth; I could not breathe 
 for the stench of death that spread around 
 her. She wished to drive me out into the 
 cold, and I knew that if she did so she would 
 die. Suddenly her husband spoke to her of 
 God, and the woman changed at once. And 
 when she brought me food and looked at me, 
 I glanced at her and saw that death no 
 longer dwelt in her; she had become alive, 
 and in her too I saw God. 
 
 “Then I remembered the first lesson God 
 had set me: ‘Learn what dwells in man. 
 And I understood that in man dwells Love! 
 I was glad that God had already begun to 
 show me what He had promised, and I smiled 
 for the first time. But I had not yet learnt 
 all. I did not yet know What is not given 
 to man, and What men live by. 
 
 “TI lived with you, and a year passed. A 
 man came to order boots that should wear 
 for a year without losing shape or cracking. 
 I looked at him, and suddenly, behind his 
 shoulder, I saw my comrade—the angel of 
 death. None but me saw that angel; but I 
 knew him, and knew that before the sun set 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 67 
 
 he would take that rich man’s soul. And I 
 thought to myself, ‘The man is making 
 preparations for a year, and does not know 
 that he will die before evening.” And I re- 
 membered God’s second saying, ‘Learn what 
 is not given to man.’ 
 
 “What dwells in man I already knew. Now 
 I learnt what is not given him. It is not 
 given to man to know his own needs. And I 
 smiled for the second time. I was glad to 
 have seen my comrade angel—glad also that 
 God had revealed to me the second saying. 
 
 “But I still did not know all. I did not 
 know What men live by. And I lived on, 
 waiting till God should reveal to me the last 
 lesson. In the sixth year came the girl-twins 
 with the woman; and I recognized the girls, 
 and heard how they had been kept alive. 
 Having heard the story, I thought, ‘Their 
 mother besought me for the children’s sake, 
 and I believed her when she said that chil- 
 dren cannot live without father or mother; 
 but a stranger has nursed them, and_ has 
 brought them up.’ And when the woman 
 showed her love for the children that were 
 not her own, and wept over them, I saw in 
 her the living God, and understood -What 
 
68 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 
 
 men live by. And I knew that God had re- 
 vealed to me the last lesson, and had forgiven 
 my sin. And then I smiled for the third 
 time.” 
 
 XII 
 
 And the angel’s body was bared, and he 
 was clothed in light so that eye could not look, 
 on him; and his voice grew louder, as though 
 it came not from him but from heaven above. : 
 And the angel said: 
 
 “T have learnt that all men live not by care 
 for themselves, but by love. 
 
 “It was not given to the mother to know 
 what her children needed for their life. Nor 
 was it given to the rich man to know what 
 he himself needed. Nor is it given to any 
 man to know whether, when evening comes, 
 he will need boots for his body or slippers 
 for his corpse. 
 
 “T remained alive when I was a man, not 
 by care of myself, but because love was 
 present in a passer-by, and because he and 
 his wife pitied and loved me. The orphans 
 remained alive, not because of their mother’s 
 care, but because there was love in the heart 
 of a woman a stranger to them, who pitied 
 and loved them. And all men live not by the 
 
WHAT MEN LIVE BY 69 
 
 ought they spend on their own welfare, 
 it because love exists in man. 
 
 “I knew before that God gave life to men 
 id desires that they should live; now I 
 ‘derstood more than that. | 
 “I understood that God does not wish men 
 live apart, and therefore he does not re- 
 al to them what each one needs for himself ; 
 t he wishes them to live united, and there- 
 re reveals to each of them what is necessary 
 r all, 
 
 ‘IT have now understood that though it 
 ‘ms to men that they live by care for them- 
 ves, in truth it is love alone by which they 
 &. He who has love, is in God, and God is 
 him, for God is love.” 
 
 And the angel sang praise to God, so that 
 ' hut trembled at his voice. The roof 
 ned, and a column of fire rose from earth 
 heaven. Simon and his wife and children 
 [to the ground. Wings appeared upon the 
 sel’s shoulders, and he rose into the heay- 
 
 ind when Simon came to himself the hut 
 
 od as before, and there was no one in it 
 his own family. 
 
 881. OS 
 

 
A FAIRY TALE 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A FAIRY TALE 
 
 (HE STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 'D OF HIS TWO BROTHERS, SIMON 
 ‘HE SOLDIER AND TARAS THE 
 ‘TOUT; AND OF HIS DUMB SISTER. 
 TARTHA, AND OF THE OLD DEVIL 
 \ND THE THREE LITTLE IMPS. 
 
 I 
 
 'NCE upon a time, in a certain province 
 + certain country, there lived a rich 
 sant, who had three sons: Simon the Sol- 
 ', Taras the Stout, and Ivdn the Fool, 
 des an unmarried daughter, Martha, who 
 deaf and @umb. Simon the Soldier went 
 he wars to serve the king; Taras the Stout 
 t to a merchant’s in town to trade, and 
 1 the Fool stayed at home with the lass, 
 ill the ground till his back bent. 
 
 mon the Soldier obtained high rank and 
 
"4 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 an estate, and married a nobleman’s daugh 
 ter. His pay was large and his estate wa 
 large, but yet he could not make ends mee’ 
 What the husband earned his lady wife squan 
 dered, and they never had money enough. 
 
 So Simon the Soldier went to his estat 
 to collect the income, but his steward saic 
 “Where is any income to come from? W 
 have neither cattle, nor tools, nor horse, no 
 plough, nor harrow. We must first get a 
 these, and then the money will come.” 
 
 Then Simon the Soldier went to his fathe 
 and said: “You, father, are rich, but hav 
 given me nothing. Divide what you have, an 
 give me a third part, that I may improv 
 my estate.” 
 
 But the old man said: “You brought not! 
 ing into my house; why should I give you 
 third part? It would be unfair to Ivan an 
 to the girl.” 
 
 But Simon answered, “He is a fool; an 
 she is an old maid, and deaf -and dumb b« 
 sides; what’s the good of property to them: 
 
 The old man said, “We will see what Iva 
 says about it.” 
 
 And Ivdn said, “Let him take what I 
 wants.” 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 75 
 
 So Simon the Soldier took his share of 
 his father’s goods and removed them to his 
 estate, and went off again to serve the king. 
 
 Tards the Stout also gathered much money, 
 and married into a merchant’s family, but 
 still he wanted more. So he, also, came to his 
 father and said, “Give me my portion.” 
 
 But the old man did not wish to give 
 Tards a share either, and said, “You brought 
 nothing here. Ivdn has earned all we have 
 in the house, and why should we wrong him 
 and the girl?” 
 
 But Tards said, “What does he need? He 
 is a fool! He cannot marry, no one would 
 have him; and the dumb lass does not need 
 anything either. Look here, Ivdn!” said he, 
 “sive me half the corn; I don’t want the 
 tools, and of the live stock I will take only 
 the grey stallion, which is of no use to you 
 for the plough.” 
 
 Ivén laughed and said, “Take what you 
 want. I will work to earn some more.” 
 
 So they gave a share to Taras also; and he 
 carted the corn away to town, and took the 
 grey stallion. And Ivdn was left with one 
 old mare, to lead his peasant life as before, 
 and to support his father and mother. 
 
76 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 II 
 
 Now the old Devil was vexed that the 
 brothers had not quarrelled over the division, 
 but had parted peacefully; and he summoned 
 three imps. 
 
 “Took here,” said he, “there are three broth- 
 ers: Simon the Soldier, Tards the Stout, and 
 Ivdn the Fool. They should have quarrelled, 
 but are living peaceably and meet on friendly 
 terms. The fool Ivdn has spoilt the whole 
 business for me. Now you three go and 
 tackle those three brothers, and worry them 
 till they scratch each other’s eyes out! Do 
 you think you can do it?” 
 
 “Yes, we'll do it,” said they. 
 
 “How will you set about it?” 
 
 “Why,” said they, “first well ruin them. 
 And when they haven’t a crust to eat we'll 
 tie them up together, and then theyll fight 
 each other, sure enough!” 
 
 “That’s capital; I see you understand your 
 business. Go, and don’t come back till you’ve — 
 
 set them by the ears, or I'll skin you alive!” . , 
 
 The imps went off into a swamp, and began -_ 
 to consider how they sheuld set to work 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 77 
 
 They disputed and disputed, each wanting 
 the lightest job; but at last they decided to 
 cast lots which of the brothers each imp 
 should tackle. If one imp finished his task 
 before the others, he was to come and help 
 them: So the imps cast lots, and appointed 
 a time to meet again in the swamp to learn 
 who .had succeeded and who needed help. 
 
 The appointed time came round, and the 
 imps met again in the swamp as agreed. 
 And each began to tell how matters stood. 
 The first, who had undertaken Simon the 
 Soldier, began: “My business is going on 
 well. To-morrow Simon will return to his 
 father’s house.” 
 
 His comrades asked, “How did you manage 
 it?” 
 
 “First,” says he, “I made Simon so bold 
 that he offered to conquer the whole world 
 for his king; and the king made him his 
 general and sent him to fight the King of 
 India. ‘They met for battle, but the night 
 before, I damped all the powder in Simon’s 
 camp, and made more straw soldiers for the 
 Indian King than you could count. And when 
 Simon’s soldiers saw the straw soldiers sur- 
 rounding them, they grew frightened. Simon 
 
78 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 ordered them to fire; but their cannons and 
 guns would not go off. ‘Then Simon’s sol- 
 diers were quite frightened, and ran like 
 sheep, and the Indian King slaughtered them. 
 Simon was disgraced. He has been deprived 
 of his estate, and to-morrow they intend to 
 execute him. There is only one day’s work 
 left for me to do; I have just to let him 
 out of prison that he may escape home. 
 To-morrow I shall be ready to help which- 
 ever of you needs me.” 
 
 Then the second imp, who had Taras in 
 hand, began to tell how he had fared. “I 
 don’t want any help,” said he, “my job is 
 going all right. ‘Tards can’t hold out for 
 more than a week. First I caused him to 
 grow greedy and fat. His covetousness be- 
 came so great that whatever he saw he wanted | 
 to buy. He has spent all his money in buy-— 
 ing immense lots of goods, and still continues — 
 to buy. Already he has begun to use bor- 
 - towed money. His debts hang like a weight 
 round his neck, and he is so involved that he 
 can never get clear. In a week his bills come 
 due, and before then I will spoil all his stock. 
 He will be unable to pay and will have to 
 go home to his father.” 
 
 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL = 79 
 
 Then they asked the third imp (Ivdn’s), 
 “And how are you getting on?” 
 
 “Well,” said he, “my affair goes badly. 
 First I spat into his drink to make his stom- 
 ach ache, and then I went into his field and 
 hammered the ground hard as a stone that 
 he should not be able to till it. I thought he 
 wouldn’t plough it, but like the fool that he 
 is, he came with his plough and began to 
 make a furrow. He groaned with the pain 
 in his stomach, but went on ploughing. I 
 broke his plough for him, but he went home, 
 got out another, and again started ploughing. 
 I crept under the earth and caught hold of 
 the ploughshares, but there was no holding 
 them; he leant heavily upon the plough, and 
 the ploughshare was sharp and cut my hands. 
 He has all but finished ploughing the field, 
 only one little strip is left. Come, brothers, 
 and help me; for if we don’t get the better 
 of him, all our labour is lost. If the fool 
 holds out and keeps on working the land, his 
 brothers will never know want, for he will 
 feed them both.” 
 
 Simon the Soldier’s imp promised to come 
 next day to help, and so they parted. 
 
60 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 Tit 
 
 Ivdn had ploughed up the whole fallow, all 
 but one little strip. He came to finish it. 
 Though his stomach ached, the ploughing 
 must be done. He freed the harness ropes, 
 turned the plough, and began to work. He 
 drove one furrow, but coming back the plough 
 began to drag as if it had caught in a root. 
 It was the imp, who had twisted his legs 
 round the ploughshare and was holding it 
 back. 
 
 “What a strange thing!” thought Ivan. 
 “There were no roots here at all, and yet 
 here’s a root.” | 
 
 Ivan pushed his hand deep into the fur- 
 row, groped about, and, feeling something 
 soft, seized hold of it and pulled it out. It 
 was black like a root, but it wriggled. Why, 
 it was a live imp! 
 
 “What a nasty thing!” said Ivan, and he 
 lifted his hand to dash it against the plough, 
 but the imp squealed out: 
 
 “Don’t hurt me, and [ll do anything you 
 tell me to.” . . . 
 
 “What can you do?” 
 
 “Anything you tell me to.” 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 8] 
 
 Ivan scratched his head. 
 
 “My stomach aches,” said he; “can you cure 
 that?” : 
 
 “Certainly I can.” 
 
 “Well then, do so.” 
 
 The imp went down into the furrow, 
 searched about, scratched with his claws, and 
 pulled. out a bunch of three little roots, which 
 he handed to Ivan. 
 
 “Here,” says he, “whoever swallows one of 
 these will be cured of any illness.” 
 | Ivén took the roots, separated them, and 
 
 swallowed one. The pain in his stomach was 
 cured at once. The imp again begged to be 
 let off; “I will jump right into the earth, 
 and never come back,” said he. 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan; “begone, and God be 
 with you!” 
 
 And as soon as Ivén mentioned God, the 
 imp plunged into the earth like a stone 
 thrown into the water. Only a hole was 
 left. 
 
 Ivan put the other two pieces of root into 
 his cap and went on with his ploughing. 
 He ploughed the strip to the end, turned his 
 plough over, and went home. He unhar- 
 nessed the horse, entered the hut, and there 
 
 eee eS 
 
82 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 he saw his elder brother, Simon the Soldier 
 and his wife, sitting at supper. Simon’s es- 
 tate had been confiscated, he himself had 
 barely managed to escape from prison, and 
 he had come back to live in his father’s house. 
 
 Simon saw Ivan, and said: “I have come to 
 live with you. Feed me and my wife till I 
 get another appointment.” 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan, “you can stay with 
 us.” 
 
 But when Ivdn was about to sit down on 
 the bench, the lady disliked the smell, and said 
 to her husband: “I cannot sup with a dirty 
 peasant.” 
 
 So Simon the Soldier said, “My lady says 
 you don’t smell nice. You'd better go and 
 eat outside.” 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan; “any way I must 
 spend the night outside, for I have to pasture 
 the mare.” 
 
 So he took some bread, and his coat, and 
 went with the mare into the fields. 
 
 IV 
 
 Having finished his work that night, Simon’s 
 imp came, as agreed, to find Ivdn’s imp and 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL _ 83 
 
 help him to subdue the fool. He came to the 
 field and searched and searched; but instead 
 of his comrade he found only a hole. 
 
 “Clearly,” thought he, “some evil has be- 
 fallen my comrade. I must take his place. 
 The field is ploughed up, so the fool must be 
 tackled in the meadow.” 
 
 So the imp went to the meadows and 
 flooded Ivan’s hayfield with water, which left 
 the grass all covered with mud. 
 
 Ivan returned from the pasture at dawn, 
 sharpened his scythe, and went to mow the 
 hayfield. He began to mow, but had only 
 swung the scythe once or twice when the 
 edge turned so that it would not cut at all, 
 but needed resharpening. Ivan struggled on 
 for awhile, and then said: “It’s no good. 
 I must go home and bring a tool to straighten 
 the scythe, and [ll get a chunk of bread at 
 the same time. If I have to spend a week 
 here, I won’t leave till the mowing’s done.” 
 
 The imp heard this and thought to himself, 
 “This fool is a tough ’un; I can’t get round 
 him this way. I must try some other dodge.” 
 
 Ivan returned, sharpened his scythe, and 
 began to mow. The imp crept into the grass 
 and began to catch the scythe by the heel, 
 
84 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 sending the point into the earth. Ivan found 
 the work very hard, but he mowed the whole 
 meadow, except one little bit which was in 
 the swamp. ‘The imp crept into the swamp 
 and, thought he to himself, “Though I cut 
 my paws I will not let him mow.” 
 
 Ivan reached the swamp. The grass didn’t 
 seem thick, but yet it resisted the scythe. 
 Ivan grew angry and began to swing the 
 scythe with all his might. The imp had to 
 give in; he could not keep up with the scythe, 
 and, seeing it was a bad business, he scram- 
 bled into a bush. Ivd4n swung the scythe, 
 caught the bush, and cut off half the imp’s 
 tail. Then he finished mowing the grass, 
 told his sister to rake it up, and went himself 
 to mow the rye. He went with the scythe, 
 but the dock-tailed imp was there first, and 
 entangled the rye so that the scythe was of 
 no use. But Ivan went home and got his 
 sickle, and began to reap with that, and he 
 reaped the whole of the rye. 
 
 Pee it’s time,” said he, “to start on the 
 oats.” 
 
 The dock-tailed imp heard this, and 
 thought, “I couldn’t get the better of him 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL _ 85 
 
 im the rye, but I shall on the oats. Only wait 
 ill the morning.” 
 
 In the morning the imp hurried to the oat 
 ield, but the oats were already mowed down! 
 van had mowed them by night, in order that 
 28s grain should shake out. The imp grew 
 negry. 
 
 “He has cut me all over and tired me out 
 
 -the fool. It is worse than war. The ac- 
 ursed fool never sleeps; one can’t keep up 
 ith him. I will get into his stacks now and 
 ot them.” 
 So the imp entered the rye, and crept 
 mong the sheaves, and they began to rot. 
 fe heated them, grew warm himself, and fell 
 sleep. 
 
 Ivan harnessed the mare, and went with the 
 iss to cart the rye. He came to the heaps, 
 ad began to pitch the rye into the cart. He 
 sssed two sheaves, and again thrust his 
 2rk—right into the imp’s back. He lifts the 
 ork and sees on the prongs a live imp, dock- 
 led, struggling, wriggling, and trying to 
 imp off. 
 
 “What, you nasty thing, are you here 
 ain?” 
 
 “I’m another,” said the imp. “The first was 
 
36 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 my brother. I’ve been with your brother 
 Simon.” 
 
 “Well,” said Ivan, “whoever you are, you’ve 
 met the same fate!” 
 
 He was about to dash him against the cart, 
 but the imp cried out: “Let me off, and I 
 will not only let you alone, but Pll do any- 
 thing you tell me to do.” 
 
 “What can you do?” 
 
 “T can make soldiers out of anything you 
 like.” 
 
 “But what use are they?” 
 
 “You can turn them to any use; they can 
 do anything you please.” 
 
 “Can they sing?” 
 
 “Yes, if you want them to.” 
 
 “All right; you may make me some.” 
 
 And the imp said, “Here, take a sheaf of 
 rye, then bump it upright on the ground, and 
 simply say: 
 
 “OQ sheaf! my slave 
 
 This order gave: 
 
 Where a straw has been 
 Let a soldier be seen!” 
 
 Ivén took the sheaf, struck it on the 
 ground, and said what the imp had told him 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 87 
 
 to. The sheaf fell asunder, and all the straws 
 changed into soldiers, with a trumpeter and 
 a drummer playing in front, so that there 
 was a whole regiment. 
 
 Ivan laughed. 
 
 “How clever!” said he. “This is fine! How 
 pleased the girls will be!” 
 
 “Now let me go,” said the imp. 
 
 “No,” said Ivan, “I must make my soldiers 
 of thrashed straw, otherwise good grain will 
 be wasted. Teach me how to change them 
 back again into the sheaf. I want to thrash 
 it.” 
 
 And the imp said, “Repeat: 
 
 ‘Let each be a straw 
 Who was soldier before, 
 For my true slave 
 
 This order gave!’” 
 
 Ivdn said this, and the sheaf reappeared. 
 
 Again the imp began to beg, “Now let me 
 
 or? 
 
 “All right.” And Ivdn pressed him against 
 the side of the cart, held him down with his 
 hand, and pulled him ‘off the fork. 
 
 “God be with you,” said he. 
 
38 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 And as soon as he mentioned God, the imp 
 slunged into the earth like a stone into water. 
 Jnly a hole was left. 
 
 Ivan returned home, and there was his other 
 rother, Tards with his wife, sitting at supper. 
 
 Tards the Stout had failed to pay his debts, 
 ad run away from his creditors, and had 
 ome home to his father’s house. When he 
 aw Ivan, “Look here,’ said he, “till I can 
 tart in business again, I want you to keep 
 ne and my wife.” 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan, “you can live here, 
 f you like.” 
 
 Ivan took off his coat and sat down to 
 able, but the merchant’s wife said: “I can: 
 ot sit at table with this clown, he smells 
 f perspiration.” 
 
 Then Tards the Stout said, “Ivdn, you smell 
 90 strong. Go and eat outside.” 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan, taking some bread 
 nd going into the yard. “It is time, anyhow, 
 or me to go and pasture the mare.” 
 
 V 
 
 Tards’s imp, being also free that night, 
 ame, as agreed, to help his comrades subdue 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 89 
 
 [van the Fool. He came to the cornfield, 
 ooked and looked for his comrades—no one 
 vas there. He only found a hole. He went 
 ‘0 the meadow, and there he found an imp’s 
 ‘ail in the swamp, and another hole in the 
 ‘ye stubble. 
 
 “Evidently, some ill-luck has befallen my 
 ‘omrades,” thought he. “I must take their 
 ylace and tackle the fool.” 
 
 So the imp went to look for Ivan, who had 
 ready stacked the corn and was cutting 
 rees in, the wood. The two brothers had 
 vegun to feel crowded, living together, and 
 iad told Ivan to cut down trees to build new 
 iouses for them. 
 
 The imp ran to the wood, climbed among 
 he branches, and began to hinder Ivdn from 
 ‘elling the trees. Ivdn undercut one tree 
 o that it should fall clear, but in falling it 
 urned askew and caught among some 
 ranches. Ivan cut a pole with which to lever 
 E aside, and with difficulty contrived to bring 
 —E to the ground. He set to work to fell 
 nother tree—again the same thing occurred; 
 nd with all his efforts he could hardly get 
 he tree clear. He began on a third tree, and 
 gain the same thing happened, 
 
90 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 7 van had hoped to cut down half a hundred 
 sraall trees, but had not felled even half a 
 score, and now the night was come and he 
 was tired out. The steam from him spread 
 like a mist through the wood, but still he 
 stuck to his work. He undercut another 
 tree, but his back began to ache so that he 
 could not stand. He drove his axe into the 
 tree and sat down to rest. 
 
 The imp, noticing that Ivdn liad stopped 
 work, grew cheerful. 
 
 “At last,” thought he, “he is tired out! 
 He will give it up. Now I can take a rest 
 myself.” 
 
 He seated himself astride a branch and 
 chuckled. But soon Ivdn got up, pulled the 
 axe out, swung it, and smote the tree from 
 the opposite side with such force that the 
 tree gave way at once and came crashing 
 down. The imp had not expected this, and 
 had no time to get his feet clear, and the 
 tree in breaking, gripped his paw. Ivdn be- 
 gan to lop off the branches, when he noticed 
 a live imp hanging in the tree! Ivdn was 
 surprised. 
 
 “What, you nasty thing,” says he, “so you 
 are here again!” 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 91 
 
 “T am another one,” says the imp. “I have 
 been with your brother Taras.” 
 
 “Whoever you are, you have met your fate,” 
 said Ivan, and swinging his axe he was about 
 to strike him with the haft, but the imp 
 begged for mercy: “Don’t strike me,” said 
 he, “and I will do anything you tell me to.” 
 
 “What can you do?” 
 
 “T can make money for you, as much as 
 you want.” ; 
 
 “All right, make some.” So the imp showed 
 him how to do it. 
 
 “Take,” said he, “some leaves from this oak 
 and rub them in your hands, and gold wil) 
 fall out on the ground.” 
 
 Ivan took some leaves and rubbed them, 
 and gold ran down from his hands. 
 
 “This stuff will do fine,” said he, “for the 
 fellows to play with on their holidays.” 
 
 “Now let me go,” said tae imp. 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan, and taking a lever 
 he set the imp free. “Now begone! And God 
 be with you,” says he. 
 
 And as soon as he mentioned God, the imp 
 plunged into the earth, like a stone into water. 
 Only a hole was left. 
 
92 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 VI 
 
 So the brothers built houses, and began to 
 live apart; and Ivan finished the harvest work, 
 brewed beer, and invited his brothers to spend 
 the next holiday with him. His brothers 
 weuld not come. 
 
 ‘de don’t care about peasant feasts,” said 
 shey. 
 
 So Ivan entertained the peasants and their 
 vives, and drank until he was rather tipsy. 
 [hen he went into the street to a ring of 
 lancers; and going up to them he told the 
 vomen to sing a song in his honour; “for,” 
 aid he, “I will give you something you never _ 
 aw in your lives before!” 
 
 The women laughed and sang his praises, 
 nd when they had finished they said, “Now 
 et us have your gift.” 
 
 “I will bring it directly,” said he. 
 
 He took a seed-basket and ran into the 
 roods. The women laughed. “He is a fool!” 
 aid they, and they began to talk of some- 
 hing else. 
 
 But soon Ivd4n came running back, carry- 
 ig the basket full of something heavy. 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 93 
 
 “Shall I give it you?” 
 
 “Yes! give it to us.” 
 
 Ivan took a handful of gold and threw it 
 to the women. You should have seen them 
 throw themselves upon it to pick it up! And 
 the men around scrambled for it, and 
 snatched it from one another. One old woman 
 was nearly crushed to death. Ivdn laughed. 
 
 “Oh, you fools!” says he. “Why did you 
 -crush the old grandmother? Be quiet, and I 
 will give you some more,” and he threw them 
 some more. The people all crowded round, 
 and Ivdn threw them all the gold he had. 
 They asked for more, but Ivan said, “I have 
 no more just now. Another time Ill give you 
 some more. Now let us dance, and you can 
 sing me your songs.” 
 
 The women began to sing. 
 
 “Your songs are no good,” says he. 
 
 “Where will you find better ones?” say 
 they. 
 
 “T’ll soon show you,” says he. 
 
 He went to the barn, took a sheaf, thrashed 
 it, stood it up, and bumped it on the ground. 
 
 “Now,” said he: 
 
$4 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 “O sheaf! my slave 
 This order gave: 
 Where a straw has been 
 Let a soldier be seen!” 
 
 And the sheaf fell asunder and became so 
 any soldiers. The drums and trumpets be- 
 gan to play. Ivan ordered the soldiers to. 
 play and sing. He led them out into the 
 street, and the people were amazed. ‘The sol- 
 lliers played and sang, and then Ivdn (for- 
 bidding any one to follow him) led them back 
 to the thrashing ground, changed them into a 
 sheaf again, and threw it in its place. 
 
 He then went home and lay down in the 
 stables to sleep. 
 
 Vil 
 
 Simon the Soldier heard of all these things 
 next morning, and went to his brother. 
 
 “Tell me,” says he, “where you got those 
 soldiers from, and where you have taken 
 them to?” 
 
 “What does it matter to you?” said Ivan. 
 
 “What does it matter? Why, with soldiers 
 one can do anything. One can win a king- 
 
 om. 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 95 
 
 Ivan wondered. 
 
 “Really!” said he; “Why didn’t you say so 
 before? Ill make you as many as you like. 
 It’s well the lass and I have thrashed so 
 much straw.” 
 
 IvAn took his brother to the barn and said: 
 
 “Took here; if I make you some soldiers, 
 you must take them away at once, for if we 
 have to feed them, they will eat up the whole 
 village in a day.” 
 
 Simon the Soldier promised to lead the sol- 
 diers away; and Ivdn began to make them. 
 He bumped a sheaf on the thrashing floor— 
 a company appeared. He bumped another 
 sheaf, and there was a second company. He 
 made so many that they covered the field. 
 
 “Will that do?” he asked. 
 
 Simon was overjoyed, and said: “That will 
 do! Thank you, Ivan!” 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan. “If you want more, 
 come back, and I’ll make them. There is 
 plenty of straw this season.” 
 
 Simon the Soldier at once took command 
 of his army, collected and organized it, and 
 went off to make war. 
 
 Hardly had Simon the Soldier gone, when 
 Tards the Stout came along. He, too, had 
 
96 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 heard of yesteday’s affair, and he said to 
 his brother: 
 
 “Show me where you get gold money! If I 
 only had some to start with, I could make it 
 bring me in money from all over the world.” 
 
 Ivin was astonished. 
 
 “Really!” said he. “You should have told 
 me sooner. I will make you as much as you 
 like.” 
 
 His brother was delighted. 
 
 “Give me three baskets-full to begin with.” 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan. “Come into the 
 forest; or, better still, let us harness the mare, 
 for you won’t be able to carry it all.” 
 
 They drove to the forest, and Ivan began 
 to rub the oak leaves. He made a great heap 
 of gold. 
 
 “Will that do?” 
 
 Tards was overjoyed. 
 
 “Tt will do for the present,” said he. 
 “Thank you, Ivan!” 
 
 “All right,” says Ivan, “if you want more, 
 nS back for it. There are plenty of leaves 
 eft. 
 
 Tards the Stout gathered up a whole cart- 
 load of money, and went off to trade. 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 97 
 
 So the two brothers went away: Simon to 
 ‘ht, and Taras to buy and sell. And Simon 
 e Soldier conquered a kingdom for him- 
 lf; and Tards the Stout made much money 
 trade. 
 
 When the two brothers met, each told the 
 her: Simon how he got the soldiers, and 
 irds how he got the money. And Simon 
 2 Soldier said to his brother, “I have con- 
 ered a kingdom and live in grand style, 
 t I have not money enough to keep my 
 diers.” 
 
 And Tards the Stout said, “And I have 
 ide much money, but the trouble is, I have 
 one to guard it.” ; 
 Then said Simon the Soldier, “Let us go 
 our brother. I will tell him to make more 
 diers, and will give them to you to guard 
 ur money, and you can tell him to make 
 
 mey for me to feed my men.” 
 
 And they drove away to Ivdn; and Simon 
 d, “Dear brother, I have not enough sol- 
 rs; make me another couple of ricks or so.” 
 “van shook his head. 
 
 ‘No!’ says he, “I will not make any more 
 ‘diers,” . 
 
98 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 “But you promised you would.” 
 
 “T know I promised, but I won’t make any- 
 more.” 
 
 “But why not, fool?” 
 
 “Because your soldiers killed a man. I was 
 ploughing the other day near the road, and 
 I saw a woman taking a coffin along in a cart, 
 and crying. I asked her who was dead. She 
 said, ‘Simon’s soldiers have killed my hus- 
 band in the war.’ I thought the soldiers 
 would only play tunes, but they have killed 
 aman. I won’t give you any more.” gos | 
 
 And he stuck to it, and would not make 
 any more soldiers. 
 
 Tards the Stout, too, began to beg Ivan 
 to make him more gold money. But Ivan 
 shook his head. 
 
 “No, I won’t make any more,” said he. 
 
 “Didn’t you promise?” 
 
 “TI did, but I’ll make no more,” said he. 
 
 “Why not, fool?” 
 
 “Because your gold coins took away the 
 cow from Michael’s daughter.” } 
 
 “Tow?” _ : 
 
 ' “Simply took it away! Michael’s daughter — 
 had a cow. Her children used to drink the 
 milk. But the other day her children came 
 
— 
 
 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 99 
 
 _¢o me to ask for milk. I said, ‘Where’s your 
 cow?’ They answered, ‘The steward of Tards 
 
 the Stout came and gave mother three bits of 
 gold, and she gave him the cow, so we have 
 nothing to drink.’ I thought you were only 
 going to play with the gold pieces, but you 
 have taken the children’s cow away. I will 
 not give you any more.” 
 
 And Ivdn stuck to it and would not give 
 him any more. So the brothers went away. 
 And as they went they discussed how they 
 could meet their difficulties. And Simon said: 
 ~“Look here, I tell you what to do. You 
 give me money to feed my soldiers, and I will 
 give you half my kingdom with soldiers 
 enough to guard your money.” Tards agreed. 
 So the brothers divided what they possessed, 
 and both became kings, and both were rich. 
 
 VIII 
 
 -Ivaén lived at home, supporting his father 
 and mother and working in the fields with his 
 dumb sister. Now it happened that Ivdn’s 
 yard-dog fell sick, grew mangy, and was near 
 dying. Ivén, pitying it, got some bread 
 from his sister, put it in his cap, carried -it 
 
100 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 out, and threw it to the dog. But the cap 
 was torn, and together with the bread one 
 of the little roots fell to the ground. The 
 old dog ate it up with the bread, and as soon 
 as she had swallowed it she jumped up and 
 began to play, bark, and wag her tail—in 
 short became quite well again. 
 
 The father and mother saw it and were 
 amazed. 
 
 “How did you cure the dog?” asked they. 
 
 Ivd4n answered: “I had two little roots to 
 cure any pain, and she swallowed one.” 
 
 Now about that time it happened that the 
 King’s daughter fell ill, and the King pro-— 
 claimed in every town and village, that he 
 would reward any one who could heal her, 
 and if any unmarried man could heal the 
 King’s daughter he should have her for his 
 wife. This was proclaimed in Ivan’s village 
 as well as everywhere else. 
 
 His father and mother called Ivdn, and 
 said to him: “Have you heard what the King 
 has proclaimed? You said you had a root 
 that would cure any sickness. Go and heal 
 the King’s daughter, and you will be made 
 happy for life.” 
 
 “All right,” said he, 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 101 
 
 And Ivan prepared to go, and they dressed 
 him in his best. But as he went out of the 
 door he met a beggar woman with a crippled 
 hand. 
 
 “J have heard,” said she, “that you can heal 
 people. I pray you cure my arm, for I can- 
 not even put on my boots myself.” 
 
 -“All right,” said Ivan, and giving the little 
 - root to’ the beggar woman he told her to swal- 
 low it. She swallowed it, and was cured. 
 She was at once able to move her arm freely. 
 
 His father and mother came out to accom- 
 pany Ivan to the King, but when they heard 
 that he had given away the root, and that he 
 had nothing left to cure the King’s daughter. 
 - with, they began to scold him. 
 
 “You pity a beggar woman, but are not 
 sorry for the King’s daughter!” said they. 
 But Ivdn felt sorry for the King’s daughter 
 also. So he harnessed the horse, put straw 
 in the cart to sit on, and sat down to drive 
 away. 
 
 “Where are you going, fool?” 
 
 “To cure the King’s daughter.” 
 
 “But you’ve nothing left to cure her with?” 
 
 “Never mind,” said he, and drove off. 
 
 He drove to the King’s palace, and as soon 
 
102. STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 as he stepped on the threshold the King’s 
 daughter got well. 
 
 The King was delighted, aria had Ivan 
 brought to him, and had him dressed in fine 
 robes. 
 
 “Be my son-in-law,” said he. 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan. 
 
 And Ivan married the Princess. Her father 
 died soon after, and Ivdn became King. So 
 all three brothers were now kings. 
 
 Ix 
 
 The three brothers lived and reigned. The 
 eldest brother, Simon the Soldier, prospered. 
 With his straw soldiers he levied real sol- 
 diers. He ordered throughout his whole king- 
 dom a levy of one soldier from every ten 
 houses, and each soldier had to be tall, and 
 clean in body and in face. He gathered many 
 such soldiers and trained them; and when 
 any one opposed him, he sent these soldiers 
 at once, and got his own way, so that every 
 one began to fear him, and his life was a 
 comfortable one. Whatever he cast his eyes 
 on and wished for, was his. He sent soldiers, 
 and they brought him all he desired. . 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 103 
 
 Taras the Stout also lived comfortably. He 
 did not waste the money he got from Ivan, 
 but increased it largely. He introduced law 
 and order into his kingdom. He kept his 
 money in coffers, and taxed the people. He 
 instituted a poll-tax, tolls for walking and 
 driving, and a tax on shoes and stockings and 
 dress trimmings. And whatever he wished 
 for he got. For the sake of money, people 
 brought him everything, and they offered to 
 work for him—for every one wanted money. 
 
 _Ivdn the Fool, also, did not live badly. <As 
 soon as he had buried his father-in-law, he 
 took off all his royal robes and gave them to 
 his wife to put away in a chest; and he again 
 donned his hempen shirt, his breeches and 
 peasant shoes, and started again to work. 
 
 “It’s dull for me,” said he. “I’m getting 
 fat and have lost my appetite and my sleep.” 
 So he brought his father and mother and his 
 dumb sister to live with him, and worked as 
 before. 
 
 People said, “But you are a king!” 
 
 “Yes,” said he, “but even a king must eat.” 
 
 One of his ministers came to him and said, 
 “We have no money to pay salaries,” 
 
104 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 “All right,” says he, “then don’t pay them.” 
 
 “Then no one will serve.” 
 
 “All right; let them not serve. They will 
 have more time to work; let them cart ma- 
 nure. There is plenty of scavenging to be 
 done.” 
 
 And people came to Ivan to be tried. One 
 said, “He stole my money.” And Iydn said, 
 “All right, that shows that he wanted it.’ 
 
 And they all got to know that Iv4n was a 
 fool. And his wife said to him, “People say 
 that you are a fool.” 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan. 
 
 His wife thought and thought about it, 
 but she also was a fool. 
 
 “Shall I go against my husband? Where 
 the needle goes the thread follows,” said she. 
 
 So she took off her royal dress, put it away 
 in a chest, and went to the dumb girl to learn 
 to work. And she learned to work and began 
 to help her husband. 
 
 And all the wise men left Ivdn’s kingdom;. 
 only the fools remained. 
 
 Nobody had money. They lived and 
 worked. They fed themselves; and they fed 
 others. 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL § 105 
 
 x 
 
 The old Devil waited and waited for news 
 ‘rom the imps of their having ruined the 
 hree brothers. But no news came. So he 
 vent himself to inquire about it. He searched 
 ind searched, but instead of finding the three 
 mps he found only the three holes. 
 
 “Evidently they have failed,’ thought he. 
 ‘I shall have to tackle it myself.” 
 
 So he went to look for the brothers, but 
 hey were no longer in their old places. He 
 ‘ound them in three different kingdoms. All 
 hree were living and reigning. This annoyed 
 he old Devil very much. 
 
 “Well,” said he, “I must try my own hand 
 it the job.” 
 
 First he went to. King Simon. He did not 
 ro to him in his own shape, but disguised 
 imself as a general, and drove to Simon’s 
 valace. 
 
 “{ hear, King Simon,” said he, “that you 
 ire a great warrior, and as I know that 
 tusiness well, I desire to serve you.” 
 
 King Simon questioned him, and seeing that 
 1€ was a wise man, took him into his service. 
 
106 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 The new commander began to teach Kin; 
 Simon how to form a strong army. 
 
 “First,” said he, “we must levy more sol 
 diers, for there are in your kingdom man) 
 people unemployed. We must recruit all th 
 young men without exception. Then you wil 
 have five times as many soldiers as formerly 
 Secondly, we must get new rifles and can 
 nons. I will introduce rifles that will fire ; 
 hundred balls at once; they will fly out lik 
 peas. And I will get cannons that will con 
 sume with fire either man, or horse, or wall 
 They will burn up everything!” 
 
 Simon the King listened to the new com 
 mander, ordered all young men without ex 
 ception to be enrolled as soldiers, and ha: 
 new factories built in which he manufacture¢ 
 large quantities of improved rifles and can 
 nons. Then he made haste to declare wa 
 against a neighbouring king. As soon as h 
 met the other army, King Simon ordered hi 
 soldiers to rain balls against it and shoot fir 
 from the cannons, and at one blow he burne¢ 
 and crippled half the enemy’s army. Thi 
 neighbouring king was so thoroughly fright 
 ened that he gave way and surrendered hi 
 kingdom. King Simon was delighted. | 
 
 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 107 
 
 “Now,” said he, “I will conquer the King 
 f India.” 
 
 But the Indian King had heard about King 
 jimon, and had adopted all his inventions, 
 ind added more of his own. The Indian 
 Sing enlisted not only all the young men, but 
 ill the single women also, and got together a 
 sreater army even than King Simon’s. And 
 ie copied all King Simon’s rifles and cannons, 
 ind invented a way of Hying through the 
 ir to throw explosive bombs from above. 
 
 _ King Simon set out to fight the Indian 
 <ing, expecting to beat him as he had beaten 
 he other king;.but the scythe that had cut so 
 vell had lost its edge. The King of India 
 lid not let Simon’s army come within gun- 
 hot, but sent his women through the air to 
 url down explosive bombs on to Simon’s 
 my. The women began to rain down bombs 
 m‘to the army like borax upon cockroaches. 
 Che army ran away, and Simon the King 
 vas left alone. So the Indian King took 
 jimon’s kingdom, and Simon the Soldier fled 
 is best he might. 
 
 - Having finished with this brother, the old 
 Jevil went to King Tards. Changing himself 
 nto a merchant, he settled in Tards’s king- 
 
108 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 dom, started a house of business, and began 
 spending money. He paid high prices for 
 everything, and everybody hurried to the new 
 merchant’s to get money. And so much 
 money spread among the people that they 
 began to pay all their taxes aes anc 
 paid up all their arrears, and King Tard: 
 rejoiced. 
 
 “Thanks to the new merchant,” thought he. 
 “T shall have more money than ever; and my 
 life will be yet more comfortable.” 
 
 And Tards the King began to form fresh 
 plans, and began to build a new palace. He 
 gave notice that people should bring him 
 wood and stone, and come to work, and he 
 fixed high prices for everything. King 
 Tards thought people would come in crowds 
 to work as before, but to his surprise all the 
 wood and stone was taken to the merchant’s. 
 and all the workmen went there too. King 
 Tards increased his price, but the merchant 
 bid yet more. King Tards had much money. 
 but the merchant had still more, and outbid 
 the King at every point. 
 
 The King’s palace was at a standstill; the 
 building did not get on. 
 
 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 109 
 
 King Tards planned a garden, and when 
 autumn came he called for the people to come 
 and plant the garden, but nobody came. All 
 the people were engaged digging a pond for 
 the merchant. Winter came, and King Tards 
 wanted to buy sable furs for a new overcoat. 
 He sent to buy them, but the messengers re- 
 turned and said, “There are no sables left. 
 The merchant has all the furs. He gave the 
 best price, and made carpets of the skins.” 
 
 King Taras wanted to buy some stallions. 
 He sent to buy them, but the messengers re- 
 turned saying, “The merchant has all the good 
 stallions; they are carrying water to fill his 
 
 ond.” 
 
 All the King’s affairs came to a standstill. 
 Nobody would work for him, for every one 
 was busy working for the merchant; and they 
 only brought King Tards the merchant's 
 money to pay their taxes. 
 
 And the King collected so much money that 
 he had nowhere to store it, and his life be- 
 came wretched. He ceased to form plans, 
 and would have been glad enough simply to 
 live, but he was hardly able even to do that, 
 He ran short of everything. One after an< 
 
110 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOT, 
 
 other his cooks, coachmen, and servants left 
 him to go to the merchant. Soon he lacked 
 even food. When he sent to the market to 
 buy anything, there was nothing to be got— 
 the merchant had bought up everything, and 
 people only brought the King money to pay 
 their taxes. 
 
 Tards the King got angry, and banished the 
 merchant from the country. But the mer- 
 chant settled just across the frontier, and 
 went on as before. For the sake of the mer- 
 chant’s money, people took everything to him 
 instead of to the King. 
 
 Things went badly with King Tards. For 
 days together he had nothing to eat, and a 
 rumour even got about that the merchant was 
 boasting that he would buy up the King him- 
 self! King Tards got frightened, and did 
 not know what to do. 
 
 At this time Simon the soldier came to him, 
 saying, “Help me, for the King of India has 
 conquered me.” 
 
 -But King Tards himself was over head and 
 ears in difficulties. “I myself,” said he, “have 
 had nothing to eat for two days.” 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL Ill 
 
 xI 
 
 Having done with the two brothers, the old 
 Devil went to Ivan. He changed himself into 
 a General, and coming to Ivan began to per- 
 suade him that he ought to have an army. 
 
 “Tt does not become a king,” said he, “to 
 be without an army. Only give me the order, 
 and I will collect soldiers from among your 
 people, and form one.” 
 
 Ivdn listened to him. “All right,” said 
 Ivdn, “form an army, and teach them to sing 
 songs well. I like to hear them do that.” 
 
 So the old Devil went through Ivan’s king- 
 dom to enlist men. He told them to go and 
 be entered as soldiers, and each should have a 
 quart of spirits and a fine red cap. 
 
 The people laughed. 
 
 “We have plenty of spirits,” said they. 
 “We make it ourselves; and as for caps, the 
 women make all kinds of them, even striped 
 ones with tassels.” 
 
 So nobody would enlist. / 
 
 The old Devil came to Ivan and said: 
 “Your fools won’t enlist of their own free 
 will. We shall have to make them.” 
 
1i2 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan, “you can try.” 
 
 So the old Devil gave notice that all the 
 people were to enlist, and that Ivdn would 
 put to death any one who refused. 
 
 The people came to the General and said, 
 “You say that if we do not go as soldiers the 
 King will put us to death, but you don’t say 
 what will happen if we do enlist. We have 
 heard say that soldiers get killed!” 
 
 “Yes, that happens sometimes.” . 
 
 When the people heard this they became 
 obstinate. “gh 
 
 “We won’t go,” said they. “Better meet 
 death at home. Either way we must die.” 
 
 “Fools! You are fools!” said the old 
 _ Devil. “A soldier may be killed or he may 
 not, but if you don’t go, King Ivdn will have 
 you killed for certain.” 
 
 The people were puzzled, and went to Ivdn 
 the Fool to consult him. 
 
 “A General has come,” said they, “who says 
 we must all become soldiers. ‘If you go as 
 soldiers,’ says he, ‘you may be killed or you 
 may not, but if you don’t go, King Ivan will 
 certainly kill you. Is this true?” 
 
 -Ivén laughed and said, “How can I, alone, 
 put all you to death? If I were not a fool I 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 118 
 
 would explain it to you, but as it is, I don’t 
 understand it myself.” 
 
 “Then,” said they, “we will not serve.” 
 
 “All right,” says he, “don’t.” 
 
 So the people went to the General and 
 refused to enlist. And the old Devil saw 
 that this game was up, and he went off and 
 ingratiated himself with the King of Tara- 
 
 an. 
 
 “Let us make war,” says he, “and conquer 
 King Ivan’s country. It is true there is no 
 money, but there is plenty of corn and cattle 
 and everything else.” 
 
 So the King ‘of Tarakdén prepared to make 
 war. He mustered a great army, provided 
 rifles and cannons, marched to the frontier, 
 and entered Ivdn’s kingdom. 
 
 And people came to Ivd4n and said, “The 
 King of Tarakdn is coming to make war on 
 us.” 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan, “let him come.” 
 
 Having crossed the frontier, the King of 
 Tarakan sent scouts to look for Ivdn’s army. 
 They looked and looked, but there was no 
 army! They waited and waited for one to 
 appear somewhere, but there were no signs 
 of an army, and nobody to fight with. The 
 
114 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 King of Tarakdn then sent to seize the vil- 
 lages. The soldiers came to a village, and the 
 people, both men and women, rushed out in 
 astonishment to stare at the soldiers. The 
 soldiers began to take their corn and cattle; 
 the people let them‘have it, and did not resist. 
 The soldiers went on to another village; the 
 same thing happened again. The soldiers 
 went on for one day, and for two days, and 
 everywhere the same thing happened. The 
 people let them have everything, and no one 
 resisted, but only invited the soldiers to live 
 with them. 
 
 “Poor fellows,” said they, “if you have a 
 hard life in your own land, why don’t you 
 come and stay with us altogether?” 
 
 The soldiers marched and marched: still no 
 army, only people living and feeding them- 
 selves and others, and not resisting, but in- 
 viting the soldiers to stay and live with them. 
 The soldiers found it dull work, and they 
 came to the King of Tarakdn and said, “We 
 cannot fight here, lead us elsewhere. War is 
 all right, but what is this? Tt is like cutting 
 pea-soup! We will not make war here any 
 more.” | 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 115 
 
 The King of Tarakén grew angry, and 
 ordered his soldiers to over-run the whole 
 kingdom, to destroy the villages, to burn the 
 grain and the houses, and to slaughter the 
 cattle. “And if you do not obey my orders,” 
 said he, “I will execute you all.” 
 
 The soldiers were frightened, and began to 
 act according to the King’s orders, They 
 ‘began te burn houses and corn, and to kill 
 cattle. But the fools still offered no resist- 
 ance, and only wept. The old men wept, and 
 the old women wept, and the young people 
 wept, 
 
 “Why do you harm us?” they said. “Why 
 “do you waste good things? If you need 
 them, why do you not take them for your- 
 Selves?” 
 
 At last the soldiers could stand it no longer. 
 They refused to go any further, and the army 
 disbanded and fied. ; 
 
 XII 
 The old Devil had to give it up. He could 
 
 not get the better of Ivdn with soldiers.:»So 
 he changed himself into a fine gentleman; and 
 
16 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 settled down in Ivdn’s kingdom. He meant 
 to overcome him by means of money, as he 
 had overcome Tards the Stout. 
 
 “I wish,” says he, “to do you a good turn, 
 to teach you sense and reason. I will build 
 a house among you and organize a trade.” 
 
 “All right,” said Ivan, “come and live 
 among us if you like.” 
 
 Next morning the fine gentleman went out 
 into the public square with a big sack of gold 
 and a sheet of paper, and said, “You all live 
 like swine. I wish to teach you how to live 
 properly. Build me a house according to 
 this plan. You shall work, I will tell you 
 how, and I will pay you with gold coins.” 
 And he showed them the gold. 
 
 The fools were astonished; there was no 
 money. in use among them; they bartered 
 their goods, and paid one another with labour. 
 They looked at the gold coins with surprise. 
 
 “What nice little things they are!” said 
 they. 
 
 And they began to exchange their goods 
 and labour for the gentleman’s gold pieces. 
 And the old Devil began, as in Tards’s king- 
 dom, to be free with his gold, and the people 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 117 
 
 began to exchange everything for gold and 
 to do all sorts of work for it. 
 
 The old Devil was delighted, and thought 
 he to himself, “Things are going right this 
 time. Now I shall ruin the Fool as I did 
 ye and I shall buy him up body and 
 soul.” 
 
 But as soon as the fools had provided them- 
 selves with gold pieces they gave them to the 
 women for necklaces. The lasses plaited 
 them into their tresses, and at last the chil- 
 dren in the street began to play with the 
 little pieces. Everybody had plenty of them, 
 and they stopped taking them. But the fine 
 gentleman’s mansion was not yet half-built, 
 and the grain and cattle for the year were 
 not provided. So he gave notice that he 
 wished people to come and work for him, and 
 that he wanted cattle and grain; for each 
 thing, and for each service, he was ready to 
 give many more pieces of gold. 
 
 But nobody came to work, and nothing was 
 brought. Only sometimes a boy or a little girl 
 would run up to exchange an egg for a gold 
 coin, but nobody else came, and he had noth- 
 ing to eat. And being hungry, the fine gentle- 
 
118 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 man went through the village to try and buy 
 something for dinner. He tried at one house, 
 and offered a gold piece for a fowl, but the 
 housewife wouldn’t take it. 
 
 “TI have a lot already,” said she. 
 
 He tried at a widow’s house to buy a her- 
 ring, and offered a gold piece. 
 
 “JT don’t want it, my good sir,” said she. “I 
 have no children to play with it, and I myself 
 already have three coins as curiosities.” 
 
 He tried at a peasant’s house to get bread, 
 but neither would the peasant take money. 
 
 “T don’t need it,” said he, “but if you are 
 begging ‘for Christ’s sake’? wait a bit and 
 I'll tell the housewife to cut you a piece of 
 bread.” 
 
 At that the Devil spat, and ran away. To 
 hear Christ’s name mentioned, let alone re- 
 ceiving anything for Christ’s sake, hurt him 
 more than sticking a knife into him. 
 
 And so he got no bread. Every one had 
 gold, and no matter where the old Devil went, 
 nobody would give anything for money, but 
 every one said, “Either bring something else, 
 
 1“for Christ’s sake’ is the usual appeal of 
 Russian beggars or poor pilgrims. 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 119 
 
 or come and work, or receive what you want 
 in charity for Christ’s sake.” 
 
 But the old Devil had nothing but money; 
 ‘for work he had no liking, and as for taking 
 anything “for Christ’s sake” he could not do 
 that. The old Devil grew very angry. 
 
 “What more do you want, when I give you 
 money?” said he. “You can buy everything 
 with gold, and hire any kind of labourer.” 
 But the fools did not heed him. 
 
 “No, we do not want money,” said they. 
 “We have no payments to make, and no taxes, 
 so what should we do with it?” 
 
 The old Devil lay down to sleep—supper- 
 less. 
 
 The affair was told to Ivan the Fool. Peo- 
 ple came and asked him, “What are we to do? 
 A fine gentleman has turned up, who likes to 
 eat and drink and dress well, but he does not 
 like to work, does not beg in ‘Christ’s name,’ 
 but only offers gold pieces to every one. At 
 first people gave him all he wanted, until they 
 had plenty of gold pieces, but now no one 
 gives him anything. What’s to be done with 
 him? He will die of hunger before long.” 
 
 Ivan listened. 
 
120 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 “All right,’ says he, “we must feed him. 
 Let him live by turn at each house as a 
 shepherd? does.” 
 
 There was no help for it. The old Devil 
 had to begin making the round. 
 
 In due course the turn came for him to go 
 to Ivan’s house. The old Devil came in to 
 dinner, and the dumb girl was getting it 
 ready. 
 
 She had often been deceived by lazy folk 
 who came early to dinner—without having 
 done their share of work—and ate up all the 
 porridge, so it had occurred to her to find 
 out the sluggards by their hands. Those who 
 had horny hands, she put at the table, but the 
 others got only the scraps that were left over. 
 
 The old Devil sat down at the table, but 
 the dumb girl seized him by the hands and 
 looked at them—there were no hard places 
 there: the hands were clean and smooth, with 
 long nails. The dumb girl gave a grunt and 
 pulled the Devil away from the table. And 
 
 11t is often arranged that the shepherd who 
 looks after the cattle of a Russian village Com- 
 mune should get his board and lodging at the 
 houses of the villagers, passing from one to 
 another in turn, 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 121 
 
 Ivdn’s wife said to him, “Don’t be offended, 
 fine gentleman. My sister-in-law does not 
 allow any one to come to table who hasn’t 
 horny hands. But wait awhile, after the folk 
 have eaten you shall have what is left.” 
 
 The old Devil was offended that in the 
 King’s house they wished him to feed like 
 a pig. He said to Ivdn, “It is a foolish law 
 you have in your kingdom that every one 
 must work with his hands. It’s your stu- 
 pidity that invented it. Do people work 
 only with their hands? What do you think 
 wise men work with?” 
 
 And Ivan said, “How are we fools to 
 know? We do most of our work with our 
 hands and our backs.” 
 
 “That is because you are fools! But I 
 will teach you how to work with the head. 
 Then you will know that it is mere profitable 
 to work with the head than with the hands.” 
 
 Ivén was surprised. 
 
 “If that is so,’ said he, “then there is 
 some sense in calling us fools!” 
 
 And the old Devil went on. “Only it is 
 not easy to work with one’s head. You give 
 me nothing to eat, because I have no hard 
 places on my hands, but you do not know 
 
122 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 that it is a hundred times more difficult to 
 work with the head. Sometimes one’s head 
 quite splits.” 
 
 Ivan became thoughtful. 
 
 “Why, then, friend, do you torture your- 
 self so? Is it pleasant when the head splits? 
 Would it not be better to do easier work 
 with your hands and your back?” 
 
 But the Devil said, “I do it all out of pity 
 for you fools. If I didn’t torture myself 
 you would remain fools for ever. But, hav- 
 ing worked with my head, I can now teach 
 
 ou.” 
 
 ‘ Ivdén was surprised. 
 
 “Do teach us!” said he, “so that when 
 our hands get cramped we may use our heads 
 for a change.” 
 
 And the Devil promised to teach the peo- 
 ple. So Ivdn gave notice throughout the 
 kingdom that a fine gentleman had come who 
 would teach everybody how to work with 
 their heads; that with the head more could 
 be done than with the hands; and that the 
 people ought all to come and learn. 
 
 Now there was in Ivan’s kingdom a high 
 tower, with many steps leading up to a lan- 
 tern on the top. And Ivan took the gen- 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 193 
 
 — up there that every one might see 
 m. 
 So the gentleman took his place on the top 
 of the tower and began to speak, and the 
 people came together to see him. They 
 thought the gentleman would really show 
 them how to work with the head without 
 using the hands. But the old Devil only 
 taught them in many words how they might 
 live without working. The people could make 
 nothing of it. They looked and considered, 
 and at last went off to attend to their 
 affairs. 
 
 The old Devil‘stood on the tower a whole 
 day, and after that a second day, talking all 
 the time. But standing there so long he 
 grew hungry, and the fools never thought of 
 taking food to him up in the tower. They 
 thought that if he could work with his head 
 better than with his hands, he could at any 
 rate easily provide himself with bread. 
 
 The old Devil stcod on the top of the 
 tower yet another day, talking away. Peo- 
 ple came near, looked on for awhile, and 
 then went away. 
 
 And Ivan asked, “Well, has the gentleman 
 begun to work with his head yet?” 
 
124 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 
 
 “Not yet,” said the people; “he’s still 
 spouting away.” 
 
 The old Devil stood on the tower one day 
 more, but he began to grow weak, so that 
 he staggered and hit his head against one © 
 of the pillars of the lantern. One of the 
 people noticed it and told Ivan’s wife, and 
 she ran to her husband, who was in the field. 
 
 “Come and look,” said she. “They say the 
 gentleman is beginning to work with his 
 head.” 
 
 Ivadn was surprised. 
 
 “Really?” says he, and he turned his horse 
 round, and went to the tower. And by the 
 time he reached the tower the old Devil was 
 quite exhausted with hunger, and was stag- 
 gering and knocking his head against the pil- 
 lars. And just as Ivdn arrived at the tower, 
 the Devil stumbled, fell, and came bump, 
 bump, bump, straight down the stairs to the 
 bottom, counting each step with a knock of 
 his head! 
 
 “Wellf’ says Ivan, “the fine gentleman 
 told the truth when he said that ‘sometimes 
 one’s head quite splits. This is worse than 
 blisters; after such work there will be swell- 
 ings on the head.” 
 
STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 2 125 
 
 The old Devil tumbled out at the foot 
 of the stairs, and struck his head against 
 the ground. Ivdn was about to go up to 
 him to see how much work he had done— 
 when suddenly the earth opened and the old 
 Devil fell through. Only a hole was left. 
 
 Ivan scratched his head. 
 
 “What a nasty thing,” says he. “It’s one 01 
 
 those devils again! What a whopper! He 
 ‘must be the father of them all.” 
 - Ivan is still living, and people crowd to 
 his kingdom. His own brothers have come 
 to live with him, and he feeds them, too. To 
 every one who' comes and says, “Give me 
 food!” Ivan says, “All right. You can stay 
 with us; we have plenty of everything.” 
 
 Only there is one special custom in his 
 kingdom; whoever has horny hands comes 
 to table, but whoever has not, must eat what 
 the others leave, 
 
 1885, 
 

 

 

 
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