Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 3 · page 21 2101Many a defunct person of quality have I buried in my time, but I never got so from anyone before."102The pope got under weigh with all his retinue, and buried the old crone in proper style.103After the funeral the old man invited him to his house, to take part in the feast in memory of the dead.104Well, they entered the cottage, and sat down to table--and there appeared from somewhere or other meat and drink and all sorts of snacks, everything in profusion.105The (reverend) guest sat down, ate for three people, looked greedily at what was not his.106The (other) guests finished their meal, and separated to go to their homes; then the pope also rose from the table.107The old man went to speed him on his way.108As soon as they got into the farmyard, and the pope saw they were alone at last, he began questioning the old man: "Listen, friend! confess to me, don't leave so much as a single sin on your soul--it's just the same before me as before God!109How have you managed to get on at such a pace?110You used to be a poor moujik, and now--marry! where did it come from?111Confess, friend, whose breath have you stopped? whom have you pillaged?"112"What are you talking about, batyushka?113I will tell you the exact truth.114I have not robbed, nor plundered, nor killed anyone.115A treasure tumbled into my hands of its own accord."116And he told him how it all happened.117When the pope heard these words he actually shook all over with greediness.118Going home, he did nothing by night and by day but think, "That such a wretched lout of a moujik should have come in for such a lump of money!119Is there any way of tricking him now, and getting this pot of money out of him?"120He told his wife about it, and he and she discussed the matter together, and held counsel over it.121"Listen, mother," says he; "we've a goat, haven't we?"122"Yes."123"All right, then; we'll wait until it's night, and then we'll do the job properly."124Late in the evening the pope dragged the goat indoors, killed it, and took off its skin--horns, beard, and all complete.125Then he pulled the goat's skin over himself and said to his wife:126"Bring a needle and thread, mother, and fasten up the skin all round, so that it mayn't slip off."127So she took a strong needle, and some tough thread, and sewed him up in the goatskin.128Well, at the dead of night, the pope went straight to the old man's cottage, got under the window, and began knocking and scratching.129The old man hearing the noise, jumped up and asked:130"Who's there?"131"The Devil!"132"Ours is a holy spot!133[34]" shrieked the moujik, and began crossing himself and uttering prayers.134"Listen, old man," says the pope, "From me thou will not escape, although thou may'st pray, although thou may'st cross thyself; much better give me back my pot of money, otherwise I will make thee pay for it.135See now, I pitied thee in thy misfortune, and I showed thee the treasure, thinking thou wouldst take a little of it to pay for the funeral, but thou hast pillaged it utterly."136The old man looked out of window--the goat's horns and beard caught his eye--it was the Devil himself, no doubt of it.137"Let's get rid of him, money and all," thinks the old man; "I've lived before now without money, and now I'll go on living without it."138So he took the pot of gold, carried it outside, flung it on the ground, and bolted indoors again as quickly as possible.139The pope seized the pot of money, and hastened home.140When he got back, "Come," says he, "the money is in our hands now.141Here, mother, put it well out of sight, and take a sharp knife, cut the thread, and pull the goatskin off me before anyone sees it."142She took a knife, and was beginning to cut the thread at the seam, when forth flowed blood, and the pope began to howl:143"Oh! it hurts, mother, it hurts! don't cut mother, don't cut!"144She began ripping the skin open in another place, but with just the same result.145The goatskin had united with his body all round.146And all that they tried, and all that they did, even to taking the money back to the old man, was of no avail.147The goatskin remained clinging tight to the pope all the same.148God evidently did it to punish him for his great greediness.149A somewhat less heathenish story with regard to money is the following, which may be taken as a specimen of the Skazkas which bear the impress of the genuine reverence which the peasants feel for their religion, whatever may be the feelings they entertain towards its ministers.150While alluding to this subject, by the way, it may be as well to remark that no great reliance can be placed upon the evidence contained in the folk-tales of any land, with respect to the relations between its clergy and their flocks.151The local parson of folk-lore is, as a general rule, merely the innocent inheritor of the bad reputation acquired by some ecclesiastic of another age and clime.152THE CROSS-SURETY.153[35]154Once upon a time two merchants lived in a certain town just on the verge of a stream.155One of them was a Russian, the other a Tartar; both were rich.156But the Russian got so utterly ruined by some business or other that he hadn't a single bit of property left.157Everything he had was confiscated or stolen.158The Russian merchant had nothing to turn to--he was left as poor as a rat.159[36] So he went to his friend the Tartar, and besought him to lend him some money.160"Get me a surety," says the Tartar.161"But whom can I get for you, seeing that I haven't a soul belonging to me?162Stay, though! there's a surety for you, the life-giving cross on the church!"1 2← previousChapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 2next →Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 4↑ back to Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-loreThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/page/2/