  Spring was coming on finely, and everybody was at work in the fields—everybody, that is, who was not in the army. From every one of the wooden houses that stood on either side of the highway, with their gable ends to the street, had gone a son, a husband, a laborer to the war that was waging so fiercely, no one quite knew where. The little boy’s married brother had gone to the nearest garrison town. He had barely had time to make the acquaintance of his little new-born daughter when he was summoned. He went very willingly—all of them did. There was not a man in the village who did not adore the Emperor, who was not ready to die for him, though not one of them had ever seen him. So there were few men to work in the fields, and all the women and girls must go. This they were used to; it was so every year. The little boy’s mother was there, and his sisters, the eldest one wearing in her hair the flowers that showed that she was betrothed. As far as one could see over the wide, treeless plain there were women and girls working, with only here and there a man who, like the starosta, was needed for the affairs of the village, or who, like the moujiks who looked after the sheep, were too old to go. The little boy was very proud when his father let him go to the field and help drop the seed into the furrows. He was thus at work when an old moujik came along and stood watching them. He was a very ragged old moujik, for he was very poor; but he was a polite old man, as all Russian peasants are, and when the little boy’s mother came along with her hoe, covering “It’s a good thing that the little boy is at work,” said the old moujik. “They can’t begin too early. There is much to do in God’s blessed world.” “It is only for a little while,” said the mother. “I shall send him to school soon.” “Ah, school, school!” said the old moujik, shaking his head. “It only takes the children’s time when they ought to be at work; it costs money, and what good does it do? There were no schools in my time.” The little boy was tired when dinner-time came, and his mother left him at home with the grandmother. “I have been working hard, little grandma,” he said. “Don’t I deserve a story?” “Let me see,” said the grandmother, and there was a twinkle in her eyes. “Did I ever tell you about “THE HUNTER?”“No,” said the little boy; “tell me that!” Once upon a time there was a Hunter who had three dogs. The first he called “Run-fast,” the second “Catch-the-hare,” and the third “I-know-it-better.” One day the Hunter went out to hunt, and he called his first dog, Run-fast, and his second dog, Catch-the-hare, and the third dog—what under the sun did I say was the third dog’s name? “I-know-it-better!” cried the little boy eagerly. “Very well, then,” said the grandmother, laughing a little. “If you know it better, tell the story yourself!” “O grandmother,” said the little boy after a moment of surprise, “that’s not a story!” “Isn’t it?” asked the grandmother. “My “THE WATCH-TOWER BETWEEN EARTH AND HEAVEN”Once upon a time there was a King who had three sons and one daughter. He kept the daughter in a cage and guarded her as the eyes in his head. When the maiden was grown up she begged her father one evening to let her go out and take a walk before the castle with her brothers. The father consented, but hardly was she out of the door when suddenly a Dragon came swooping down from the sky, seized the maiden from among her brothers, and carried her away with him high into the clouds. The brothers rushed headlong back to their father, told him of their misfortune, and begged permission to go and seek their stolen sister. The father consented, gave After many wanderings they came across a watch-tower which stood neither on earth nor in heaven. When they reached the place it occurred to them that their sister might be within, and they at once began to take counsel among themselves as to how they should reach it. After long consultation they decided to kill one of their horses, cut his skin into a long strap, fasten the end to an arrow, and shoot it up into some place in the watch-tower where it would hold securely. Then they could easily climb up. The two younger brothers asked the eldest to sacrifice his horse, but he would not; nor would the second brother. So the youngest brother slew his horse, cut the hide into a long strap, bound one end to his arrow, and with his bow shot it up into the tower. But now, when it came to climbing up by When the sister perceived her brother she was greatly terrified, and softly entreated him to flee before the Dragon should awake. This he would not do, but seized his cudgel, struck out boldly, and dealt the Dragon a heavy blow upon the head. The Dragon, without awaking, put his hand up to the spot, murmuring, “Something hit me right here.” As he said this the Prince fetched him a second blow upon the head, and again the Dragon murmured, “Something hit me here.” But now, as the brother made ready to strike a third time, the sister made a sign showing the Dragon’s vulnerable spot, and Then the Princess pushed him from her, flew into her brother’s arms, and smothered him with kisses. After this she took him by the hand and began to lead him through all the rooms. First she led him into a room in which a black fox, with a harness of pure silver, was standing before a manger. Then she led him into another room, where a white horse, with a harness of pure gold, stood before another manger. Finally she led him into a third room, where a brown horse stood before a manger, his harness all studded with diamonds. When they had gone through these rooms, the sister led her brother into a chamber where a maiden sat before a golden embroidery-frame, working with golden threads. From this room she led him into another, where a second maiden was spinning gold thread, and at last into a room When they had gone through all these rooms and seen all they wanted to see, they went back into the room where the dead Dragon lay, dragged him out, and threw him head-foremost down to the earth. When the other brothers saw him they were almost convulsed with terror. But now the youngest brother let down to them first their sister and then the three maidens, one after another, each with her work. As he let them down he allotted one to each of his brothers, and when he let down the third, that is, the one with the hen and chickens, he reserved her to himself. But his brothers, filled with envy because he was the hero who had discovered all these things and rescued their sister, cut the strap to make it impossible for him to return. After a time word came to the youngest brother in the tower that his brothers and the shepherd were about to marry those three maidens. On the day appointed for the eldest brother’s wedding he mounted the white horse and flew down into the midst of the wedding-guests just as they were leaving the church, and struck his brother lightly upon the back with his club. The brother fell from his horse, and the other flew back to his watch-tower. When the second brother’s wedding-day came he again flew down upon his steed, gave the second brother a blow upon the back, so that he fell from his horse, and again flew away. But when he at last heard In a trice the Prince was surrounded by the wedding-guests, who were determined that he should not escape this time. He made no attempt to do so, however, but remained where he was, made himself known as the King’s youngest son, revealed the trick his brothers had played upon him by means of the shepherd, and told how they had left him in the watch-tower where he had found his sister and killed the Dragon. His sister and the maidens bore witness to the truth of his story, and when the King heard all this he banished the two elder brothers from his presence, married the youngest to the maiden of his choice, and “That is a real story, grandmother,” said the little boy. “But it was not so very long. Couldn’t you tell me just one more?” “If you will promise not to ask for another,” said the grandmother, “I will tell you a short one. But you must not ask for another.” “I promise,” said the little boy. Then she told him about THE BRIDGEOnce upon a time there was a man who had a grown-up son. One day the old man said to his son, “My dear son, you are now big and strong enough to earn your own living; so go out into the world and seek a place of service.” So the youth went out into the world and came to a large village, where he hired himself Here the grandmother got up and went to the stove as if she had finished. “But, grandmother,” said the little boy, “what happened next? Tell the rest!” The grandmother laughed. “Wait until the shepherd has driven all the sheep over the bridge.” “Yes, but when will that be?” asked the little boy. Drive the sheep slowly, one by one, to the other side Drive the sheep slowly, one by one, to the other side “When there are no more left on this side,” said the grandmother. “Was that one of your great-grandmother’s stories?” asked the little boy. “Yes,” said the grandmother. “Don’t you like it?” “I like it a little—the first part of it,” said the little boy. “But——” “Remember your promise!” said the grandmother. |
|
