Short Fiction, Leo Tolstoy [general ebook reader .txt] 📗

right,” said Iván, 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.

VI

So the brothers built houses, and began to live apart; and Iván finished the harvest work, brewed beer, and invited his brothers to spend the next holiday with him. His brothers would not come.

“We don’t care about peasant feasts,” said they.

So Iván entertained the peasants and their wives, and drank until he was rather tipsy. Then he went into the street to a ring of dancers; and going up to them he told the women to sing a song in his honour; “for,” said he, “I will give you something you never saw in your lives before!”

The women laughed and sang his praises, and when they had finished they said, “Now let us have your gift.”

“I will bring it directly,” said he.

He took a seed-basket and ran into the woods. The women laughed. “He is a fool!” said they, and they began to talk of something else.

But soon Iván came running back, carrying the basket full of something heavy.

“Shall I give it you?”

“Yes! give it to us.”

Iván 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. Iván 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 Iván threw them all the gold he had. They asked for more, but Iván said, “I have no more just now. Another time I’ll 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.

“I’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:

“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 many soldiers. The drums and trumpets began to play. Iván ordered the soldiers to play and sing. He led them out into the street, and the people were amazed. The soldiers played and sang, and then Iván (forbidding anyone 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.

VII

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 Iván.

“What does it matter? Why, with soldiers one can do anything. One can win a kingdom.”

Iván wondered.

“Really!” said he; “Why didn’t you say so before? I’ll make you as many as you like. It’s well the lass and I have thrashed so much straw.”

Iván took his brother to the barn and said:

“Look 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 soldiers away; and Iván 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, Iván!”

“All right,” said Iván. “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 Tarás the Stout came along. He, too, had heard of yesterday’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.”

Iván 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 Iván. “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 Iván began to rub the oak leaves. He made a great heap of gold.

“Will that do?”

Tarás was overjoyed.

“It will do for the present,” said he. “Thank you, Iván!”

“All right,” says Iván, “if you want more, come back for it. There are plenty of leaves left.”

Tarás the Stout gathered up a whole cartload of money, and went off to trade.

So the two brothers went away: Simon to fight, and Tarás to buy and sell. And Simon the Soldier conquered a kingdom for himself; and Tarás the Stout made much money in trade.

When the two brothers met, each told the other: Simon how he got the soldiers, and Tarás how he got the money. And Simon the Soldier said to his brother, “I have conquered a kingdom and live in grand style, but I have not money enough to keep my soldiers.”

And Tarás the Stout said, “And I have made much money, but the trouble is, I have no one to guard it.”

Then said Simon the Soldier, “Let us go to our brother. I will tell him to make more soldiers, and will give them to you to guard your money, and you can tell him to make money for me to feed my men.”

And they drove away to