🧚 Opening, part 3 · page 2

Then, three days later, the dog went to the courtyard and saw that the cat was dying of starvation.100 “What is the matter?” he said.101

“I am dying of starvation: I was able to have enough whilst you were feeding me.”102

“Come with me.”103

So they went away.104 The dog went on, until he saw a drove of horses, and he began to scratch the earth with his paws and asked the cat, “Cat, O cat, are my eyes beautiful?”105

“No, they are not beautiful.”106

“Say that they are beautiful!”107

So the cat said, “They are beautiful.”108

“Cat, O cat, is my fur dishevelled?”109

“No it is not dishevelled.”110

“Say, you idiot, that it is dishevelled.”111

“Well, it is dishevelled.”112

“Cat, O cat, is my tail raised?”113

“No, it is not raised.”114

“Say, you fool, that it is raised.”115 Then the dog made a dash at a mare, but the mare kicked him back, and the dog died.116

So the cat said, “Now I can see that his eyes are very red, and his fur is dishevelled, and his tail is raised.117 Good-bye, brother Dog, I will go home to die.”118

EGÓRI THE BRAVE AND THE GIPSY119

In a certain kingdom, in a certain land, there was a gipsy who had a wife and seven children, and he lived so poorly that at last there was nothing in the house to eat or to drink—not even a crust of bread.120 He was too idle to work, and too much of a coward to thieve.121 So what could he do?122

Well, the peasant went on the road and stood pondering.123 At this time Egóri the Brave was passing by.124

“Hail!” said the peasant.125 “Whither are you faring?”126

“To God.”127

“Why?”128

“With a message from men wherewith each man should live, and wherewith each man should busy himself.”129

“Will you, then, send in a report about me to the Lord?” the peasant said, “what He wishes me to engage in?”130

“Very well—I will hand in a report,” Egóri said, and he went on his road.131

So there the peasant stood, waiting for him—waiting.132 And when at last he saw Egóri on his way back, he asked him at once: “Did you hand in a report about me?”133

“No,” said Egóri; “I forgot.”134

So the peasant set out on his road a second time, and he again met Egóri, who was going to God on an errand.135 So the gipsy asked him once more: “Do please hand in a request on my behalf.”136

“All right,” said Egóri.137 And he forgot again.138

And so once more the peasant set out on the road, and once more met Egóri.139 And he asked him for the third time: “Do please speak on my behalf to God!”140

“Yes—all right!”141

“Will you forget again?”142

“No, I shall not forget this time.”143

Only the gipsy did not believe him.144 “Give me,” he said, “your golden stirrup.145 I will keep it until you come back; otherwise, you may once more forget.”146

Egóri untied his golden stirrup, gave it to the gipsy, and rode on farther with a single stirrup.147 Then he reached God, and he began to ask wherewith each man should live, and wherewith each man should busy himself.148 In each case he received the right order, and he was starting back.149 But as soon as ever he mounted, he glanced down at the stirrup and recollected the gipsy.150 So he ran back to see God and said: “Oh, I forgot.151 Whilst I was coming here I met a gipsy on the way, and he asked me what he should do.”152 “Oh, tell the gipsy,” the Lord said, “that his trade is from whomsoever he take and steal, he, then, shall cheat and perjure himself.”153

So Egóri went and mounted his horse, came up to the gipsy, and told him: “I shall now tell you the truth.154 If you had not taken the stirrup, I should have forgotten all about it.”155

“I thought as much,” said the gipsy.156 “Now, for all eternity, you cannot forget me if you only look down at your stirrup, and I shall be always in your mind.157 Well, what did the Lord say to you?”158

“Oh, He told me from whomsoever you take or steal you will cheat and perjure yourself; that will be your trade.”159

“Thank you very much,” said the gipsy, and he bowed down to the ground, and went home.160

“Where are you going?” said Egóri.161 “Give me my golden stirrup!”162

“What stirrup?”163

“Didn’t you take one from me?”164

“How in the world could I take one from you?165 This is the first time I have seen you, and I have not even had a stirrup.166 Before God!—I never have!”167 And so the gipsy perjured himself.168

What could he do?169 He could struggle and fight it out, Egóri could, and so he did; but it was all no good.170 It is perfectly true, and the gipsy spoke the truth: “If I had not given him the stirrup!—if I had not only known him!171 Now I shall forget him no more.”172

So the gipsy took the golden stirrup and began hawking it.173 And as he went on his way, a fine lord came and met him.174 “Hullo, gipsy!” he said.175 “Will you sell the stirrup?”176

“Yes—all right!”177

“What will you take?”178

“Fifteen hundred roubles.”179

“Much too dear, isn’t that?”180

“Well, you see, it is all gold.”181

“Very well!” said his lordship; and he put his hand into his pocket, and he only had a thousand.182 “You just take this thousand, gipsy, and then give me the stirrup: I will send you on the odd five hundred.”183

“Oh, no, my lord!184 One thousand roubles I will certainly take, but I shall not give up the stirrup.185 When you carry out your part of the bargain, then you shall receive the stirrup.”186 So the lord gave him the thousand, and he went home.187

The very instant he got there he took out five hundred roubles, and sent his man up to the gipsy, telling him to give the money to him and to take the golden stirrup.188

When his lordship’s groom came to the gipsy’s _izbá_,[5] “Hail, gipsy!” he said.189 “How fare you, good man?190 I have brought you the money from his lordship.”191

“Well, give it me if you have brought it.”192 So the gipsy took the five hundred roubles, and gave the man a glass of wine, and then another, until the man had his fill.193

And when he had had his fill the groom began to make his way home, and said to the peasant: “Now give me the golden stirrup.”194

“What?”195

“Yes—the stirrup which you sold my master.”196

“What, _I_ sold it!197 I never had a golden stirrup!”198

“Well, then, give me the money back.”199

“What money?”200

“But I just gave you five hundred roubles!”201

“I have not even seen a _grívennik_[6]—never in my life!202 I looked after you kindly, simply for the sake of our Lord, and not in the least in order to get any money out of you.”203 And in this manner the gipsy had disavowed everything.204