🧚 Opening, part 35 · page 2

“How shall we sow it now?” the poor man answered.91 “It is now the very midst of winter and the frost is crackling.”92

“Never mind about that.93 Go and do as I say.94 I brewed you beer, and I will sow you corn.”95

So the poor man went once more to the rich peasant and asked him as a debt for three pecks of every kind of corn.96 When he came back he told his aged guest:97

“Here it all is, grandfather.”98

So they went outside to the fields, scattered it according to its nature on the peasant’s lots; and lo and behold! they went and threw all the grains on the white snow—every single grain.99

The old man said to the peasant: “Go home and wait until the summer; you will have bread enough.”100

So the poor man went to his hut and became the laughing-stock of the village for sowing his corn in the winter.101 “Look at him!102 What a fool he is!103 He has forgotten when he ought to sow: he didn’t think of sowing in the autumn.”104 He never minded, but waited for the spring, and the warm days came, and the snow melted, and the grain sprouts appeared.105

“Come now,” the poor man said, “I will go and see what my stretch of land looks like.”106 So he went to his stretch of land and saw such splendid blades of corn, at which any soul might rejoice.107 And on all the acres of the others it was not half as fine.108 “Glory be to God!” the peasant cried; “I am now looking up!”109

Soon the time of harvest came by, and all good folk began to gather their corn, and the old man also went and busied himself, and called his wife to help him.110 And he could not get through, but had to summon for the harvesting all the husbandmen, and to give half of his corn away; and all the peasants were astonished at the poor man, for he had not sown his land, but had scattered the seeds in the winter and his corn had been splendid.111 The poor peasant had put his affairs straight and had managed to live without any trouble; and whatever he required for his household, he went into the town, sold quarters and quarters of corn, and bought whatever he required, and repaid the rich peasant his debt in full.112

Then the rich peasant began to think: “Heigh-ho!113 I shall also begin sowing in the winter; possibly I shall have corn as fine.”114 So he waited to the very day on which the poor peasant in the previous year had sown his corn, went and took from his bins quarters of different sorts of corn, went out into the fields and scattered it all on the snow.115 He covered the fields entirely, but a storm arose at night, and mighty winds blew, and wafted all the corn from his land away on to the other fields.116

Then there came a fine spring, and the rich man went to his fields and saw them bare, and saw that his own land was naked and waste; there was not a single blade that appeared, and on all the other strips where there had been no ploughing and no sowing, you never saw such a fine green crop!117 Then the rich man began to think: “Lord, I have spent much on corn, and it has all been in vain, and my debtors have all neither ploughed nor sown, and their corn grows of itself.118 Needs I must be a great sinner!”119

SORROW120

Once upon a time, in a wretched village, there lived two peasants, who were own brothers.121 One was poor, however, and the other rich.122 The rich man settled in the town, built himself a fine house, and became a merchant.123 Sometimes the poor brother had not a crumb of bread and the children (each of whom was smaller than the others) cried and begged for something to eat.124 From morning to evening the peasant trudged away like a fish on ice, but it was all of no good.125

One day he said to his wife: “I am going into the town, in order to beg my brother to help me.”126

So he came to the rich man and asked him: “Brother, help me in my sorrow, for my wife and children sit at home without any bread and are starving.”127

“If you will work for me this week I will help you.”128

What was the poor fellow to do?129 He set to work, cleaned out the courtyard, groomed the horses, carried the water, hewed the wood.130 When the week had gone by the rich man gave him a loaf of bread.131 “There, you have a reward for your pains.”132

“I thank you for it,” said the poor man, and bowed down, and was going home.133

“Stay,” the rich brother said to him: “Come with your wife to-morrow and be my guests.134 To-morrow is my name-day.”135

“Oh, brother, how can I?136 As you know, merchants who wear boots and furs come to see you, whilst I have only bast shoes, and I only have my grey coat.”137

“Never mind!138 Come to-morrow; I shall still have room for you.”139

“Good brother!140 I will come.”141

So the poor man went home, gave his wife the loaf of bread, and said: “Listen, wife.142 To-morrow you and I are to be guests.”143

“Who has asked us?”144

“My brother.145 To-morrow is his name-day.”146

“All right, let’s go.”147

Next day they got up and went into the town.148 They came to the rich man’s door, greeted him, and sat down on a bench.149 And at table there were many guests, and the master of the house entertained them all magnificently.150 Only he forgot the poor brother and his wife, and he gave them nothing.151 They sat there, and could only look at the others eating and drinking.152 When the meal was over the guests rose from table and bowed their thanks to the master and mistress, and the poor man also stood up from his bench and bowed down deep before his brother; and the guests went home drunken and merry, noisily singing songs.153

But the poor man went home with an empty stomach.154 “We too must sing a song!” he said to his wife.155

“Oh, you fool, the others sing, for they have had a good dinner and have drunk well.156 Why should we sing?”157

“Well, after all, I was a guest at my brother’s name-day, and I am ashamed of going back so silently.158 If I sing they will all think, anyhow, that I have been served as well.”159

“Sing if you will!160 I shall not!”161

So the peasant sang and sang, and he heard two voices.162 So he stopped and asked his wife: “Are you helping me; to sing with a thin voice?”163

“What are you thinking of?164 I was doing nothing of the sort.”165

“What was it, then?”166

“I don’t know,” said the wife.167 “Sing.168 I will listen.”169 So he went on singing by himself, and again the two voices were heard.170 So he stayed still, and said, “Sorrow, are you aiding me to sing?”171

And Sorrow answered: “Yes, I am aiding you.”172

“Now, Sorrow, we will go on together.”173

“Yes, I will ever remain with you.”174