Chapter VI. LEGENDS, part 2 · page 21 2101How's that?"102"Why, this way.103The Moujik sold it last week to the Elijah Priest, and got all the money for it.104And so, methinks, the Priest may whistle for his money!"105"Stop a bit!" said Elijah. "106I'll set the field all right again.107It shall be twice as good as it was before."108They finished talking, and went each his own way.109St. Nicholas returned to the Moujik, and said:110"Go to the Priest and buy back your crop--you won't lose anything by it."111The Moujik went to the Priest, made his bow, and said:112"I see, your Reverence, God has sent you a misfortune--the hail has beaten the whole field so flat you might roll a ball over it.113Since things are so, let's go halves in the loss.114I'll take my field back, and here's half of your money for you to relieve your distress."115The Priest was rejoiced, and they immediately struck hands on the bargain.116Meanwhile--goodness knows how--the Moujik's ground began to get all right.117From the old roots shot forth new tender stems.118Rain-clouds came sailing exactly over the cornfield and gave the soil to drink.119There sprang up a marvellous crop--tall and thick.120As to weeds, there positively was not one to be seen.121And the ears grew fuller and fuller, till they were fairly bent right down to the ground.122Then the dear sun glowed, and the rye grew ripe--like so much gold did it stand in the fields.123Many a sheaf did the Moujik gather, many a heap of sheaves did he set up; and now he was beginning to carry the crop, and to gather it together into ricks.checked by a teacher124At that very time Elijah and Nicholas came walking by again.125Joyfully did the Prophet gaze on all the land, and say:126"Only look, Nicholas! what a blessing!127Why, I have rewarded the Priest in such wise, that he will never forget it all his life."128"The Priest?129No, brother! the blessing indeed is great, but this land, you see, belongs to the Moujik.130The Priest hasn't got anything whatsoever to do with it."131"What are you talking about?"132"It's perfectly true.133When the hail beat all the cornfield flat, the Moujik went to the Priest and bought it back again at half price."134"Stop a bit!" says Elijah. "135I'll take the profit out of the corn.136However many sheaves the Moujik may lay on the threshing-floor, he shall never thresh out of them more than a peck[446] at a time."137"A bad piece of work!" thinks St. Nicholas.138Off he went at once to the Moujik.139"Mind," says he, "when you begin threshing your corn, never put more than one sheaf at a time on the threshing-floor."1 2← previousChapter VI. LEGENDS, part 1next →Chapter VI. LEGENDS, part 3↑ back to Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-loreThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/57/page/2/