🧚 Opening, part 26

Then the little devil begged him and cried in his ear: “Do let me go, peasant.1 Your wife has been torturing and oppressing us.2 Tell me what to do: I will be your faithful servant.3 I will this very instant run into the _boyárs’_ palace; I will in an instant cook the grill; by day and night I will knock and drive away the _boyárs_.4 You are to declare yourself a doctor to go and to call on me.5 I will leap up on the spot and vanish.6 Now, go and dig; shovel up your money.”7

So the peasant let the devil leap out, shake himself and vanish away.8 And from that day everything went upside down in the _boyárs’_ house, and they began looking for some doctor: the good youth dubbed himself a doctor, exorcised the devil, and received good pay.9 Soon the rumour went forth that in the prince’s palace, in the lofty castle home, familiar spirits were appearing, and never gave the princes rest.10 They sent for hunters in every part of the earth, and summoned them to assemble doctors.11 They collected from all the kings: it was no good.12 The familiar spirits still knocked and groaned.13

At last our doctor arrived, recognised his old acquaintance, called for his little devil, and the little devil never thought of running away, and he would not leave the prince’s palace.14 “Wait a little, if this is the case,” cried the doctor.15 “Ho, my squint-eyed wife, just come up here!”16 Then the little devil could not stand it and took to his heels out of the stove.17

So the doctor received honour and praise, and earned a mine of money.18 But it is said, not untruly, that, even in Paradise, it is sad to live alone.19 For the good youth grew melancholy, and he again went to seek his squint-eyed wife.20 So he let down the basket right away into the pit.21 There the woman was sitting, and he hauled her to the top.22 As soon as ever she came near she was breathing out fire and fury, gnashing her teeth and brandishing her fists.23 The peasant’s hands shook with fear, and the withy broke, and the squint-eyed woman clashed down as before into Hell.24

ELIJAH THE PROPHET AND ST. NICHOLAS25

Once, a long time ago, there lived a peasant.26 He always observed St. Nicholas’ day, but never, never, that of St. Elias; he even worked on it.27 He used to say a _Te Deum_ to Nicholas, and burn a taper, but never gave as much as a thought to the Prophet Elijah.28

One day Elijah and Nicholas were walking through this peasant’s fields, going along and surveying; and the ears were so large, so full, that it warmed one’s heart to look at them!29

“What a fine crop this will be!” said Nicholas.30 “Yes, and he’s a fine fellow, a good, brave peasant, pious; he remembers God, and reveres the Holy Saints.31 Whatever he turns his hand to shall prosper.”32

“Ha, let’s have a look, brother,” Elijah demurred.33 “Will there be so much over?34 My lightnings shall glint and my hail beat his field down; then your peasant shall learn right, and regard my name-day.”35

So they wrangled and argued, and at last agreed to go each his own way.36

St. Nicholas at once went off to the peasant, and said: “Go and sell the Father by St. Elias’ all your standing corn: not a blade will be left; it will be destroyed by hail.”37

Up the peasant dashed to the pope: “Oh, _bátyushka_, won’t you buy all my standing corn?38 I’ll sell you my whole field; I am so short of money; take it and give it me.39 Do buy it, Father; I’ll sell it cheap.”40

They haggled and bargained, and at last agreed.41 The peasant took his cash and went home.42

Time went by—not much, nor little; a heavy thundrous cloud gathered, and, with frightsome lightning and hail, played on the peasant’s field, cut through his crops like a scythe, and left not one blade to tell the tale.43

Next day, Elijah and Nicholas were faring through, and Elijah said: “Look how I’ve blasted the peasant’s field!”44

“The peasant’s field?45 No, my brother, no; you’ve done your work thoroughly; but it belongs to the pope by St. Elias, not to the peasant.”46

“What!47 That pope?”48

“Oh, yes; about a week ago the peasant sold the field to the pope, and got hard cash for it!49 And the pope is crying over the spilt money.”50

“That won’t do,” said Elijah; “I will grow the meadow anew—’twill be as good as it was.”51

They had their talk out and went on their way.52

Up went St. Nicholas to the peasant once again.53 “Go and see the pope,” he said, “and redeem your field; you won’t lose by it.”54

The peasant went to see the pope.55 “The Lord has grievously afflicted you, has smitten your field with hail, as smooth as a board.56 Let’s share the cost of it; I will take back my field, and to relieve your loss will return you half the money.”57

Oh, how glad the pope was to consent!58 They shook hands on it at once.59

Meanwhile, somehow or other, the peasant’s field righted itself; new shoots sprang up out of the old roots, the rain poured down on them, and nourished the earth; wonderful fresh corn grew up, lofty and thick; not a weed to be seen; and the ears were so full that they bowed down to earth.60 The little sun warmed them, and the rye was warmed through, and waved like a field of gold.61 The peasant bound up sheaf after sheaf, built rick after rick; carted it away and stacked it.62

Just then Elijah and St. Nicholas were once more passing by.63 Elijah looked blithely at the field and said: “Just look, Nicholas, what a blessing I have wrought!64 This is my reward to the pope, and he’ll never forget it all his life.”65

“The pope!66 No, brother; it is a great boon, but then this is the peasant’s field; the pope hasn’t a rod of it!”67

“Wha-at?”68

“It is true.69 After the meadow had been battered by hail, the peasant went up to the pope and bought it back at half price.”70

“Stop a bit,” said the Prophet Elijah, “I’ll take all the good out of it; out of all the peasant’s ricks he shall not thresh more than six gallons at a time.”71

“Here, this looks bad,” thought St. Nicholas, and instantly went to see the peasant, and said: “See to it; when you start threshing, never take more than a sheaf at a time on the threshing-floor.”72

So the peasant set to threshing, and he got six gallons out of every sheaf; all his granaries and lofts were full up with rye, and still there was much left over; he built new storehouses, and filled them full to the flush.73

But one day Elijah the Prophet and St. Nicholas were passing by his courtyard, and Elijah glanced up and said: “Why has he built these new granaries?74 How can he stock them all?”75

“They’re full up,” St. Nicholas replied.76

“How did he get so much grain?”77

“Oho!78 Every sheaf yielded him six gallons, and, as soon as he started threshing, he brought them in sheaf by sheaf.”79

“Oh, my brother Nicholas!”80 Elijah guessed: “you must have told him what to do!”81

“Well, I thought it all out, and was going to say....”82

“What are you after?83 It’s all your work.84 Never mind; your peasant shall still have a reminder of me.”85