In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

243 14 YOUR FRIEND LIUBODEI M. O. Dmitriev There lived this peasant, and he had three sons: Peter, Fedor, and Ivan. Everybody called Ivanushka “the Fool,” Vania the Fool, and that’s all. They lived there, and the sons all grew up. They sowed the spring crop, and the wheat grew well. But somebody in the night started beating, breaking, and trampling it, and they couldn’t figure who was playing such dirty tricks. Their father said, “Well, my sons, we will have to hire a watchman in order to keep our harvest.” The brothers said, “Why should we hire a watchman? We can stand watch by the night, or four nights, or two of us for eight. And during that time we’ll manage to catch the hooligan.” So they began standing watch. The first night fell to Peter, the second to Fedor, and the third to Ivanushka. Peter got ready to stand watch, to guard the wheat. He dressed well, took a loaf of bread, and went away from the fence probably about a half-kilometer. Then he lay down beneath a fir, chewed on his bread, and went to sleep. He slept through the night, and the wheat was all smashed, so he left the fence and went the devil knows where—far away. When the night had passed, he came back and shouted, “Brothers, open the door!” His brothers jumped up on their feet and opened the doors for their brother. “Did you see anything?” “I shivered through the whole night there, but I didn’t see anybody.” The second night Fedor got ready to go. Fedor got dressed even more warmly, took a larger hunk of bread and went even farther away from the fence. He lay down beneath a fir tree and also slept soundly. He slept through the night. What could he see there? Nothing. In the morning he came back: “Brothers, open the door!” His brothers jumped up on their feet and opened the doors for their brother. “Well, Brother, did you see anyone?” 244 M. O. Dmitriev “I shivered through the whole night there, but I didn’t see anybody.” Well, on the third night it was Ivan the Fool’s turn to go. Ivan the Fool set off in an old ripped kaftan. He took a little chunk of bread, and he set off. He lay down next to the fence, and he just lay there and watched. It was nearly midnight. Suddenly from the east there appeared a pink glow. And then from there, three horses came running. One had a golden hide. A second was silver. Out of their nostrils sparks flew. Behind them stood a pillar of fire. The horses came running up, went into the field, and didn’t so much eat as they did trample the wheat with their feet. He sneaked up to the horses, but the horses jumped up and ran away. They ran away, and he looked about and suddenly saw a man standing on the edge of the field. He stealthily crept up and caught the man. He caught the man and then marched home with the man. He too shouted, “Brothers, open the doors!” His brothers leapt to their feet and opened the doors. “Well, Brother, did you see anybody?” “Here’s our criminal!” he said. They began feeding this man and giving him drinks, and they loudly questioned him. But the man didn’t answer anything to anyone. No one knew who this man was, nor did they know where he came from or what people he belonged to. Rumor got about that in this particular place such and such a man had caught a thief who wouldn’t speak any language or answer any questions. The affair came to the attention of the tsar. The tsar heard of it and came to visit the peasant. He arrived. “Well, my good man, you have an unknown person?” “Yes, there’s one here.” “Show him to me. I can speak twelve languages. Perhaps he’ll answer me in one of them.” They tried all the languages but he didn’t answer in any of them. “Well, peasant, sell him to me. I’ll summon a man from every country that I know on the whole earth. Maybe someone will know which language he’ll answer in. We’ll find out who he is.” The peasant replied, “Well, My Lord, I’ll sell him to you, but you can’t...

Share