Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar/The Roguish Peasant
THE ROGUISH PEASANT.
Once upon a time there lived in a Russian village an old peasant woman who had two sons. One, however, died; and the other was from home, but was soon expected to return to his native village.
One evening, as the peasant woman was working in her little hut, a soldier walked in at the open door.
"Good-day, little mother!" he said. "Can I stay here the night?"
"Yes, certainly, with pleasure, little father. But whence come you, and who are you?"
"I am nobody in particular, little mother; I am an emigrant from the next world."
"Ah! my precious soul! One of my sons died a little while ago. Did you happen to come across him?"
"Why, yes, of course! We lived in the same sphere."
"No, really! You don't mean it?"
"He feeds and looks after the young cranes in the next world."
"Oh, my precious soul! But where did he get them?"
"Where did he get them! Why, the young cranes roam about among the sweet-briar!"
"How did he look? What clothes had he on?"
"Clothes! He was all in tatters, and a pair of wings."
"Poor fellow! Well, I have got about forty yards of grey cloth and a ten-rouble note; take them, good man, and give them to my son."
"With pleasure, little mother."
Next morning the old woman gave the soldier the cloth and the money, and wished him a safe journey back; and also begged him to come again soon and tell her how her son was getting on.
She waited and waited for many a week, but the soldier did not return. At last the day arrived when her other son was expected home.
"How are you, mother mine?" he exclaimed, coming into the hut and embracing his mother. "Have you any news?"
"Yes, my boy. Not very long ago, an emigrant from the other world came to stay the night here, and he brought some news of your brother, for they both lived in the same sphere. But he said that the poor fellow had nothing but a pair of wings, so I gave him forty yards of cloth and ten roubles."
"Good gracious, mother, you have given away everything we had; and for what? Just because that man was artful enough to tell you a lot of lies. It really is most astonishing how confiding some people are! I think I will go into the wide world and tell a lot of lies, and see whether, after cheating everybody, I become a very rich man or not. If I succeed, I shall come home again, and then we can live happily together, and have food and money in plenty ever after."
Next day the son went off to try his luck.
He went on and on until he came to an estate belonging to a rich Russian barin or gentleman. He walked up to the lordly mansion, and saw, in a garden near the house, a large pig with a number of little ones walking about. A thought struck him, and he went down on his knees before the pigs, and began making most polite bows to them.
Now the mistress of the house, who was looking out of one of the windows, saw the performance, and was greatly amused.
"Go," she said to one of her maids, "and ask the mujik what he is bowing for."
The maid went up to the peasant, saying,—
"Little mujik, tell me why you are on your knees before the pigs, and why you are bowing to them? My lady has sent me to ask."
"Tell your mistress, my little dear, that yonder pig is my wife's sister, and my son is going to be married to-morrow, so I am asking her and her young ones to come to the wedding, that is all; and she has consented, on condition that your lady allows them. So go and ask your mistress whether she will let them come with me."
The girl burst out laughing, and went straight to her mistress, who also began laughing heartily when she heard all the peasant had said.
"What a donkey!" she cried, "Fancy asking the pigs to his son's wedding! Well, never mind, let all his friends have a good laugh at him. Yes, he may take the pigs; but first dress them up in my shuba (fur coat), and let the coachman get my own little carriage and pair ready, so that the pigs need not go to the wedding on foot."
When the carriage was ready, they dressed the pig up in the lady's fur coat, and placed it in the carriage with the young ones, and gave the reins to the peasant, who at once rode away homewards.
Now the master of the house, who was away shooting at the time, returned home a few minutes after the peasant had left. His wife ran out to meet him, laughing.
"I am so glad you have returned, my dear!" she said; "as I am longing to have some one to laugh with. Such a funny thing happened while you were away. A peasant came here and began kneeling and bowing before our pigs. He declared that one of them was his wife's sister, and he was asking her and the little ones to come to his son's wedding!"
"Yes," the husband replied; "and did you let her go?"
"Of course I did. I even had the pig dressed in my best shuba and had her put in my own little carriage and pair, and let the peasant drive it himself I think it was nothing but right for me to do so, the peasant was so very polite to the pigs. What do you think, my dear?"
"What do I think? Well this—that the peasant was an ass, and you were another!"
And the good man—like the rest of his sex—thought it was a splendid opportunity for flying into a rage. He told his wife that she had been cheated, and then rushing out of the house, he flung himself upon his horse and galloped off after the peasant, who when he heard that he was being pursued, conveyed the carriage and pair into a dark forest hard by, and then going back, took off his cap, seated himself near the entrance of the forest, put the cap beside him on the ground, and waited until the horseman came up to him.
"Hark you, little father!" cried the barin, "have you seen a peasant drive this way with a carriage and pair and a number of pigs in it?"
"See him? I should rather think I did! He rode past a long time ago."
"In which direction did he drive? How had I better go? Do you think I am likely to overtake him?"
"Yes, you could overtake him, I daresay; but the way he went by has many a turning, and you are sure to lose yourself. Is the road quite unknown to you?"
"Yes, little brother. I think, if you don't mind, it would be better for you to go in search of him and bring him back to me, for you seem to know the way so well!"
"No, brother, I could not possibly; for I have a falcon under my cap here and must watch it."
"I can do that for you."
"No, you are sure to let him out, and the bird is very valuable. Besides, if I lost it my master would never forgive me."
"But how much is it worth?"
"Three hundred roubles, I should think."
"Very well then, if I lose the bird I will pay the money."
"No, brother, if you really want me to go after the peasant, you had better give me the money now, for heaven knows what might happen afterwards; you might lose the bird, and then take your departure too, and I should never see either the falcon or the money!"
"Oh, you incredulous man! Here take the three hundred roubles anyhow!"
The peasant took the money, and at the barin's wish mounted his horse and rode off into the forest, leaving the barin to watch over the empty cap.
He waited and waited; but the peasant did not return, which he thought looked rather queer.
The sun began to set, still no peasant.
"Stop!" thought the barin, "let me look and see whether there really is a falcon under that cap. If there is, then the peasant may possibly return; if not—well, then it is of no use waiting here and wasting my time."
He peeped under the cap, but no falcon was to be seen.
"Ah, the wretch!" he laughed; "I do believe that he was the very same man who cheated my wife out of her carriage and pair, her shuba, and the pigs."
He spat on the ground three times with vexation, and returned home to his wife penitent.
Meanwhile our friend the peasant had long since got safely back to his mother with all his treasures.
"Well, mother mine!" he cried, "this world of ours can certainly boast of some very good natured fools. Just look, without any reason whatever, they gave me three horses, a carriage, three hundred roubles, and a pig with her little ones. Now we can live happily for some time at least, thanks to the stupidity of these people. It really is wonderful!"