🧚 Opening, part 20 · page 2

It was like two mountains falling on each other when Túgarin and Alyósha met.64 They fought with their clubs, and their clubs were shattered at the hilts.65 Their lances met, and their lances broke into shreds.66 Then Alyósha Popóvich got down from his saddle like a sheaf of oats, and Túgarin Zmyéyevich was almost striking Alyósha down.67 But Alyósha Popóvich was cautious.68 He stood between his horse’s feet and, turning round to the other side from there, smote Túgarin with his steel knife under his right breast, and threw Túgarin from his good horse.69 And then Alyósha Popóvich cried out, “Túgarin, I thank you, Túgarin Zmyéyevich, for the steel knife: I will tear out your white breast, I will gouge out your bright eyes, and I will gaze on your mettlesome heart.”70

Then Alyósha cut off his turbulent head, and he took the turbulent head to Prince Vladímir.71 And as he went on he began playing with that little head, flinging it high up in the air and catching it again on his sharp lance.72

But Vladímir was dismayed.73 “I see Túgarin bringing me the turbulent head of Alyósha Popóvich: he will now take captive all of our Christian kingdom.”74

But Marýshko Paránov gave him answer: “Do not be distressed, oh bright little sun, Vladímir, in thy capital of Kíev.75 If Túgarin is coming on earth and is not flying in the skies he is putting his turbulent head on my steel lance.76 Do not be afraid, Prince Vladímir; whatever comes I will make friends with him.”77

Then Marýshko the son of Parán looked out into the open field, and he recognised Alyósha Popóvich, and he said, “I can see the knightly gait and youthful step of Alyósha Popóvich.78 He is guiding his horse uphill and he is playing with a little head: he is throwing the little head sky-high, and is catching the little head on the point of his sharp lance.79 He who is riding is not the pagan Túgarin, but Alyósha Popóvich, the son of the old prebendary, the pope León, who is bringing the head of the pagan Túgarin Zmyéyevich.”80

GOD’S BLESSING COMPASSES ALL THINGS81

Once upon a time in a certain country, in a certain kingdom, there were two peasants, Iván and Naúm.82 They entered into a partnership and went together to look for work, and they rambled about until they came to a rich village and got work with different masters.83 For the whole week they kept at work and met on Sunday for the first time.84

“Brother, how much have you earned?” asked Iván.85

“God has given me five roubles.”86

“God gave them to you?87 He does not give much unless you work for it.”88

“No, Brother, without God’s blessing you can do nothing; you cannot gain a groat.”89

So they quarrelled about this, and at last they decided, “We will each go our own way.90 We will ask the first man we meet which of us is right.91 He who loses the bet must sacrifice all his earnings.”92

So they went on some twenty paces.93 Afterwards they came across an unholy spirit in human guise, and they asked him and received his reply.94 “What you earn for yourself is the proper thing; place no reliance on God.”95

Naúm gave Iván his money and returned emptyhanded to his master.96 One week later the two men met once again, and set about the same argument.97 Naúm said: “Though you took my money from me last week, still, this week God gave me yet more.”98

“If God gave it you as you said, we will once more ask the first person who meets us who is right.99 The loser of the bet shall have the money, and shall have his right hand hewn off.”100

Naúm consented.101 On their way they met the same devil, who returned the same reply.102 Iván gave Naúm his money, hacked off his right hand, and left it behind.103

Naúm pondered for a long time what he should do without his right hand.104 Who would give him meat and drink?105 But God is merciful.106 So he went to the river, and he lay down on a boat on the shore.107 “I will sit down here, and to-morrow I may see what I shall do, for the morning is wiser than the evening.”108

And about midnight very many devils assembled on the boat and began to tell each other what tricks they had played.109 The first said: “I started a quarrel between two peasants, backed up the one who was in the wrong; and the one, who was in the right, had his hand hacked off.”110

“That’s not much of a feat!111 If he were to wave his hand, three times over the dew, his hand would grow again,” said the second.112

Then the third began to boast, “I have sucked a lord’s daughter dry, and she can hardly stir.”113

“What! if any one had any compassion on the lord, he would heal the daughter at once.114 It is as simple as possible.115 You have only to take this herb”—pointing to a herb on the shore—“cook it, boil her in the brew, and she will be healed.”116

“In a certain pond,” a fifth devil said, “there is a peasant who has put up a water-mill, and for many years he has been striving to make it go, but whenever he lets the water through the sluice, I make a hole in it, and all the water flows through.”117

“What a fool your peasant is!” said the sixth devil.118 “He ought to dam it up well, and as soon as the water breaks through, throw in a sheaf of straw, and all your work would be no good.”119

Naúm had listened very attentively.120 Next day he grew his hand on again, then he saw to the peasant’s dam, and he healed the lord’s daughter.121 Both the peasant and the lord rewarded him richly, and he lived a fine life.122

Once he met his former companion, who was very much astonished, and asked: “How is it you have become so rich, and how did you grow your hand on again?”123

Naúm told him exactly what had happened, and kept nothing back.124

Iván listened very attentively, and thought, “Ha!125 I shall do the same, and shall become richer than he!”126 So he went to the river and lay down on the shore, in the boat.127

And at midnight all the devils gathered together.128 “Brothers,” they said, “somebody must have been eavesdropping on us, for the peasant’s hand grew again, the maiden is healed, and the mill-wheel is turning!”129

So they burst on the boat, found Iván, and tore him into tiny bits.130

Then the wolves wept cows’ tears.131

SHEMYÁK THE JUDGE132

Once in a certain country, in a certain kingdom, there lived two brothers; one was rich and the other poor.133 One day the poor brother came to the rich and asked him for a horse to fetch wood out of the forest.134 The rich man lent him a horse.135 Then the poor man also asked him for a horse-collar: this the rich brother refused, and became angry.136 Then the poor man decided to tie the wood to the horse’s tail.137 And so he drove into the wood.138 He cut down so much wood that the horse could hardly drag it.139 When he got home he opened the door, but he forgot to remove the cross-beam.140 The horse jumped over it, but wrenched his tail out.141