02-ivan the fool-第4部分

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mother；　and　dumb　sister。　　Once　it　happened　that　the　old　dog；

which　had　grown　up　on　the　farm；　was　taken　sick；　when　Ivan　thought

he　was　dying；　and；　taking　pity　on　the　animal；　placed　some　bread

in　his　hat　and　carried　it　to　him。　　It　happened　that　when　he

turned　out　the　bread　the　root　which　the　little　devil　had　given

him　fell　out　also。　　The　old　dog　swallowed　it　with　the　bread　and

was　almost　instantly　cured；　when　he　jumped　up　and　began　to　wag

his　tail　as　an　expression　of　joy。　　Ivan's　father　and　mother；

seeing　the　dog　cured　so　quickly；　asked　by　what　means　he　had

performed　such　a　miracle。



Ivan　replied：　〃I　had　some　roots　which　would　cure　any　disease；　and

the　dog　swallowed　one　of　them。〃



It　happened　about　that　time　that　the　Czar's　daughter　became　ill；

and　her　father　had　it　announced　in　every　city；　town；　and　village

that　whosoever　would　cure　her　would　be　richly　rewarded；　and　if

the　lucky　person　should　prove　to　be　a　single　man　he　would　give

her　in　marriage　to　him。



This　announcement；　of　course；　appeared　in　Ivan's　village。



Ivan's　father　and　mother　called　him　and　said：　〃If　you　have　any　of

those　wonderful　roots；　go　and　cure　the　Czar's　daughter。　　You　will

be　much　happier　for　having　performed　such　a　kind　actindeed；　you

will　be　made　happy　for　all　your　after　life。〃



〃Very　well；〃　said　Ivan；　and　he　immediately　made　ready　for　the

journey。　　As　he　reached　the　porch　on　his　way　out　he　saw　a　poor

woman　standing　directly　in　his　path　and　holding　a　broken　arm。　

The　woman　accosted　him；　saying：



〃I　was　told　that　you　could　cure　me；　and　will　you　not　please　do

so；　as　I　am　powerless　to　do　anything　for　myself？〃



Ivan　replied：　〃Very　well；　my　poor　woman；　I　will　relieve　you　if　I

can。〃



He　produced　a　root　which　he　handed　to　the　poor　woman　and　told　her

to　swallow　it。



She　did　as　Ivan　told　her　and　was　instantly　cured；　and　went　away

rejoicing　that　she　had　recovered　the　use　of　her　arm。



Ivan's　father　and　mother　came　out　to　wish　him　good　luck　on　his

journey；　and　to　them　he　told　the　story　of　the　poor　woman；　saying

that　he　had　given　her　his　last　root。　　On　hearing　this　his　parents

were　much　distressed；　as　they　now　believed　him　to　be　without　the

means　of　curing　the　Czar's　daughter；　and　began　to　scold　him。



〃You　had　pity　for　a　beggar　and　gave　no　thought　to　the　Czar's

daughter；〃　they　said。



〃I　have　pity　for　the　Czar's　daughter　also；〃　replied　Ivan；　after

which　he　harnessed　his　horse　to　his　wagon　and　took　his　seat　ready

for　his　departure；　whereupon　his　parents　said：　〃Where　are　you

going；　you　foolto　cure　the　Czar's　daughter；　and　without

anything　to　do　it　with？〃



〃Very　well；〃　replied　Ivan；　as　he　drove　away。



In　due　time　he　arrived　at　the　palace；　and　the　moment　he　appeared

on　the　balcony　the　Czar's　daughter　was　cured。　　The　Czar　was

overjoyed　and　ordered　Ivan　to　be　brought　into　his　presence。　　He

dressed　him　in　the　richest　robes　and　addressed　him　as　his

son…in…law。　　Ivan　was　married　to　the　Czarevna；　and；　the　Czar

dying　soon　after；　Ivan　became　ruler。　　Thus　the　three　brothers

became　rulers　in　different　kingdoms。



　

CHAPTER　IX。



The　brothers　lived　and　reigned。　　Simeon；　the　eldest　brother；　with

his　straw　soldiers　took　captive　the　genuine　soldiers　and　trained

all　alike。　　He　was　feared　by　every　one。



Tarras…Briukhan；　the　other　brother；　did　not　squander　the　gold　he

obtained　from　Ivan；　but　instead　greatly　increased　his　wealth；　and

at　the　same　time　lived　well。　　He　kept　his　money　in　large　trunks；

and；　while　having　more　than　he　knew　what　to　do　with；　still

continued　to　collect　money　from　his　subjects。　　The　people　had　to

work　for　the　money　to　pay　the　taxes　which　Tarras　levied　on　them；

and　life　was　made　burdensome　to　them。



Ivan　the　Fool　did　not　enjoy　his　wealth　and　power　to　the　same

extent　as　did　his　brothers。　As　soon　as　his　father…in…law；　the

late　Czar；　was　buried；　he　discarded　the　Imperial　robes　which　had

fallen　to　him　and　told　his　wife　to　put　them　away；　as　he　had　no

further　use　for　them。　　Having　cast　aside　the　insignia　of　his

rank；　he　once　more　donned　his　peasant　garb　and　started　to　work　as

of　old。



〃I　felt　lonesome；〃　he　said；　〃and　began　to　grow　enormously　stout；

and　yet　I　had　no　appetite；　and　neither　could　I　sleep。〃



Ivan　sent　for　his　father；　mother；　and　dumb　sister；　and　brought

them　to　live　with　him；　and　they　worked　with　him　at　whatever　he

chose　to　do。



The　people　soon　learned　that　Ivan　was　a　fool。　　His　wife　one　day

said　to　him；　〃The　people　say　you　are　a　fool；　Ivan。〃



〃Well；　let　them　think　so　if　they　wish；〃　he　replied。



His　wife　pondered　this　reply　for　some　time；　and　at　last　decided

that　if　Ivan　was　a　fool　she　also　was　one；　and　that　it　would　be

useless　to　go　contrary　to　her　husband；　thinking　affectionately　of

the　old　proverb　that　〃where　the　needle　goes　there　goes　the　thread

also。〃　　She　therefore　cast　aside　her　magnificent　robes；　and；

putting　them　into　the　trunk　with　Ivan's；　dressed　herself　in　cheap

clothing　and　joined　her　dumb　sister…in…law；　with　the　intention　of

learning　to　work。　　She　succeeded　so　well　that　she　soon　became　a

great　help　to　Ivan。



Seeing　that　Ivan　was　a　fool；　all　the　wise　men　left　the　kingdom

and　only　the　fools　remained。　They　had　no　money；　their　wealth

consisting　only　of　the　products　of　their　labor。　　But　they　lived

peacefully　together；　supported　themselves　in　comfort；　and　had

plenty　to　spare　for　the　needy　and　afflicted。



　

CHAPTER　X。



The　old　devil　grew　tired　of　waiting　for　the　good　news　which　he

expected　the　little　devils　to　bring　him。　　He　waited　in　vain　to

hear　of　the　ruin　of　the　brothers；　so　he　went　in　search　of　the

emissaries　which　he　had　sent　to　perform　that　work　for　him。　　After

looking　around　for　some　time；　and　seeing　nothing　but　the　three

holes　in　the　ground；　he　decided　that　they　had　not　succeeded　in

their　work　and　that　he　would　have　to　do　it　himself。



The　old　devil　next　went　in　search　of　the　brothers；　but　he　could

learn　nothing　of　their　whereabouts。　　After　some　time　he　found

them　in　their　different　kingdoms；　contented　and　happy。　　This

greatly　incensed　the　old　devil；　and　he　said；　〃I　will　now　have　to

accomplish　their　mission　myself。〃



He　first　visited　Simeon　the　soldier；　and　appeared　before　him　as　a

voyevoda　（general）；　saying：　〃You；　Simeon；　are　a　great　warrior；

and　I　also　have　had　considerable　experience　in　warfare；　and　am

desirous　of　serving　you。〃



Simeon　questioned　the　disguised　devil；　and　seeing　that　he　was　an

intelligent　man　took　him　into　his　service。



The　new　General　taught　Simeon　how　to　strengthen　his　army　until　it

became　very　powerful。　　New　implements　of　warfare　were　introduced。



Cannons　capable　of　throwing　one　hundred　balls　a　minute　were　also

constructed；　and　these；　it　was　expected；　would　be　of　deadly

effect　in　battle。



Simeon；　on　the　advice　of　his　new　General；　ordered　all　young　men

above　a　certain　age　to　report　for　drill。　　On　the　same　advice

Simeon　established　gun…shops；　where　immense　numbers　of　cannons

and　rifles　were　made。



The　next　move　of　the　new　General　was　to　have　Simeon　declare　war

against　the　neighboring　kingdom。　　This　he　did；　and　with　his

immense　army　marched　into　the　adjoining　territory；　which　he

pillaged　and　burned；　destroying　more　than　half　the　enemy's

soldiers。　　This　so　frightened　the　ruler　of　that　country　that　he

willingly　gave　up　half　of　his　kingdom　to　save　the　other　half。



Simeon；　overjoyed　at　his　success；　declared　his　intention　of

marching　into　Indian　territory　and　subduing　the　Viceroy　of　that

country。



But　Simeon's　intentions　reached　the　ears　of　the　Indian　ruler；　who

prepared　to　do　battle　with　him。　　In　addition　to　having　secured

all　the　latest　implements　of　warfare；　he　added　still　others　of

his　own　invention。　　He　ordered　all　boys　over　fourteen　and　all

single　women　to　be　drafted　into　the　army；　until　its　proportions

became　much　larger　than　Simeon's。　　His　cannons　and　rifles　were　of

the　same　pattern　as　Simeon's；　and　he　invented　a　flying…machine

from　which　bombs　could　be　thrown　into　the　enemy's　camp。



Simeon　went　forth　to　conquer　the　Viceroy　with　full　confidence　in

his　own　powers　to　succeed。　　This　time　luck　forsook　him；　and

instead　of　being　the　conqueror　he　was　himself　conquered。



The　Indian　ruler　had　so　arranged　his　army　that　Simeon　could　not

even　get　within　shooting　distance；　while　the　bombs　from　the

flying…machine　carried　destruction　and　terror　in　their　path；

completely　routing　his　army；　so　that　Simeon　was　left　alone。



The　Viceroy　took　possession　of　his　kingdom　and　Simeon　had　to　fly

for　his　life。



Having　finished　with　Simeon；　the　old　devil　next　approached

Tarras。　　He　appeared　before　him　disguised　as　one　of　the　merchants

of　his　kingdom；　and　established　factories　and　began　to　make

money。　　The　〃merchant〃　paid　the　highest　price　for　everything　he

purchased；　and　the　people　ran　after　him　to　sell　their　goods。

Through　this　〃merchant〃　they　were　enabled　to　make　plenty　of

money；　paying　up　all　their　arrears　of　taxes　as　well　as　the　others

when　they　came　due。



Tarras　was　overjoyed　at　this　condition　of　affairs　and　said：

〃Thanks　to　this　merchant；　now　I　will　have　more　money　than　before；

and　life　will　be　much　pleasanter　for　me。〃



He　wished　to　erect　new　buildings；　and　advertised　for　workmen；

offering　the　highest　prices　for　all　kinds　of　labor。　　Tarras

thought　the　people　would　be　as　anxious　to　work　as　formerly；　but

instead　he　was　much　surprised　to　learn　that　they　were　working　for

the　〃merchant。〃　　Thinking　to　induce　them　to　leave　the　〃merchant；〃

he　increased　his　offers；　but　the　former；　equal　to　the　emergency；

also　raised　the　wages　of　his　workmen。　　Tarras；　having　plenty　of

money；　increased　the　offers　still　more；　but　the　〃merchant〃　raised

them　still　higher　and　got　the　better　of　him。　　Thus；　defeated　at

every　point；　Tarras　was　compelled　to　abandon　the　idea　of

building。



Tarras　next　announced　that　he　intended　laying　out　gardens　and

erecting　fountains；　a