02-ivan the fool-第5部分

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building。



Tarras　next　announced　that　he　intended　laying　out　gardens　and

erecting　fountains；　and　the　work　was　to　be　commenced　in　the　fall；

but　no　one　came　to　offer　his　services；　and　again　he　was　obliged

to　forego　his　intentions。　　Winter　set　in；　and　Tarras　wanted　some

sable　fur　with　which　to　line　his　great…coat；　and　he　sent　his　man

to　procure　it　for　him；　but　the　servant　returned　without　it；

saying：　〃There　are　no　sables　to　be　had。　　The　'merchant'　has

bought　them　all；　paying　a　very　high　price　for　them。〃



Tarras　needed　horses　and　sent　a　messenger　to　purchase　them；　but

he　returned　with　the　same　story　as　on　former　occasionsthat　none

were　to　be　found；　the　〃merchant〃　having　bought　them　all　to　carry

water　for　an　artificial　pond　he　was　constructing。　　Tarras　was　at

last　compelled　to　suspend　business；　as　he　could　not　find　any　one

willing　to　work　for　him。　　They　had　all　gone　over　to　the

〃merchant's〃　side。　　The　only　dealings　the　people　had　with　Tarras

were　when　they　went　to　pay　their　taxes。　　His　money　accumulated　so

fast　that　he　could　not　find　a　place　to　put　it；　and　his　life

became　miserable。　　He　abandoned　all　idea　of　entering　upon　the　new

venture；　and　only　thought　of　how　to　exist　peaceably。　　This　he

found　it　difficult　to　do；　for；　turn　which　way　he　would；　fresh

obstacles　confronted　him。　　Even　his　cooks；　coachmen；　and　all　his

other　servants　forsook　him　and　joined　the　〃merchant。〃　　With　all

his　wealth　he　had　nothing　to　eat；　and　when　he　went　to　market　he

found　the　〃merchant〃　had　been　there　before　him　and　had　bought　up

all　the　provisions。　　Still；　the　people　continued　to　bring　him

money。



Tarras　at　last　became　so　indignant　that　he　ordered　the　〃merchant〃

out　of　his　kingdom。　He　left；　but　settled　just　outside　the

boundary　line；　and　continued　his　business　with　the　same　result　as

before；　and　Tarras　was　frequently　forced　to　go　without　food　for

days。　　It　was　rumored　that　the　〃merchant〃　wanted　to　buy　even

Tarras　himself。　　On　hearing　this　the　latter　became　very　much

alarmed　and　could　not　decide　as　to　the　best　course　to　pursue。



About　this　time　his　brother　Simeon　arrived　in　the　kingdom；　and

said：　〃Help　me；　for　I　have　been　defeated　and　ruined　by　the　Indian

Viceroy。〃



Tarras　replied：　〃How　can　I　help　you；　when　I　have　had　no　food

myself　for　two　days？〃



　

CHAPTER　XI。



The　old　devil；　having　finished　with　the　second　brother；　went　to

Ivan　the　Fool。　　This　time　he　disguised　himself　as　a　General；　the

same　as　in　the　case　of　Simeon；　and；　appearing　before　Ivan；　said：

〃Get　an　army　together。　　It　is　disgraceful　for　the　ruler　of　a

kingdom　to　be　without　an　army。　　You　call　your　people　to　assemble；

and　I　will　form　them　into　a　fine　large　army。〃



Ivan　took　the　supposed　General's　advice；　and　said：　〃Well；　you　may

form　my　people　into　an　army；　but　you　must　also　teach　them　to　sing

the　songs　I　like。〃



The　old　devil　then　went　through　Ivan's　kingdom　to　secure　recruits

for　the　army；　saying：　〃Come；　shave　your　heads　＇the　heads　of

recruits　are　always　shaved　in　Russia＇　and　I　will　give　each　of　you

a　red　hat　and　plenty　of　vodki〃　（whiskey）。



At　this　the　fools　only　laughed；　and　said：　〃We　can　have　all　the

vodki　we　want；　for　we　distill　it　ourselves；　and　of　hats；　our

little　girls　make　all　we　want；　of　any　color　we　please；　and　with

handsome　fringes。〃



Thus　was　the　devil　foiled　in　securing　recruits　for　his　army；　so

he　returned　to　Ivan　and　said：　〃Your　fools　will　not　volunteer　to

be　soldiers。　It　will　therefore　be　necessary　to　force　them。〃



〃Very　well；〃　replied　Ivan；　〃you　may　use　force　if　you　want　to。〃



The　old　devil　then　announced　that　all　the　fools　must　become

soldiers；　and　those　who　refused；　Ivan　would　punish　with　death。



The　fools　went　to　the　General；　and　said：　〃You　tell　us　that　Ivan

will　punish　with　death　all　those　who　refuse　to　become　soldiers；

but　you　have　omitted　to　state　what　will　be　done　with　us　soldiers。



We　have　been　told　that　we　are　only　to　be　killed。〃



〃Yes；　that　is　true；〃　was　the　reply。



The　fools　on　hearing　this　became　stubborn　and　refused　to　go。



〃Better　kill　us　now　if　we　cannot　avoid　death；　but　we　will　not

become　soldiers；〃　they　declared。



〃Oh！　you　fools；〃　said　the　old　devil；　〃soldiers　may　and　may　not　be

killed；　but　if　you　disobey　Ivan's　orders　you　will　find　certain

death　at　his　hands。〃



The　fools　remained　absorbed　in　thought　for　some　time　and　finally

went　to　Ivan　to　question　him　in　regard　to　the　matter。



On　arriving　at　his　house　they　said：　〃A　General　came　to　us　with　an

order　from　you　that　we　were　all　to　become　soldiers；　and　if　we

refused　you　were　to　punish　us　with　death。　　Is　it　true？〃



Ivan　began　to　laugh　heartily　on　hearing　this；　and　said：　〃Well；

how　I　alone　can　punish　you　with　death　is　something　I　cannot

understand。　If　I　was　not　a　fool　myself　I　would　be　able　to　explain

it　to　you；　but　as　it　is　I　cannot。〃



〃Well；　then；　we　will　not　go；〃　they　said。



〃Very　well；〃　replied　Ivan；　〃you　need　not　become　soldiers　unless

you　wish　to。〃



The　old　devil；　seeing　his　schemes　about　to　prove　failures；　went

to　the　ruler　of　Tarakania　and　became　his　friend；　saying：　〃Let　us

go　and　conquer　Ivan's　kingdom。　　He　has　no　money；　but　he　has

plenty　of　cattle；　provisions；　and　various　other　things　that　would

be　useful　to　us。〃



The　Tarakanian　ruler　gathered　his　large　army　together；　and

equipping　it　with　cannons　and　rifles；　crossed　the　boundary　line

into　Ivan's　kingdom。　　The　people　went　to　Ivan　and　said：　〃The

ruler　of　Tarakania　is　here　with　a　large　army　to　fight　us。〃



〃Let　them　come；〃　replied　Ivan。



The　Tarakanian　ruler；　after　crossing　the　line　into　Ivan's

kingdom；　looked　in　vain　for　soldiers　to　fight　against；　and

waiting　some　time　and　none　appearing；　he　sent　his　own　warriors　to

attack　the　villages。



They　soon　reached　the　first　village；　which　they　began　to　plunder。



The　fools　of　both　sexes　looked　calmly　on；　offering　not　the　least

resistance　when　their　cattle　and　provisions　were　being　taken　from

them。　　On　the　contrary；　they　invited　the　soldiers　to　come　and

live　with　them；　saying：　〃If　you；　dear　friends；　find　it　is

difficult　to　earn　a　living　in　your　own　land；　come　and　live　with

us；　where　everything　is　plentiful。〃



The　soldiers　decided　to　remain；　finding　the　people　happy　and

prosperous；　with　enough　surplus　food　to　supply　many　of　their

neighbors。　　They　were　surprised　at　the　cordial　greetings　which

they　everywhere　received；　and；　returning　to　the　ruler　of

Tarakania；　they　said：　〃We　cannot　fight　with　these　peopletake　us

to　another　place。　　We　would　much　prefer　the　dangers　of　actual

warfare　to　this　unsoldierly　method　of　subduing　the　village。〃



The　Tarakanian　ruler；　becoming　enraged；　ordered　the　soldiers　to

destroy　the　whole　kingdom；　plunder　the　villages；　burn　the　houses

and　provisions；　and　slaughter　the　cattle。



〃Should　you　disobey　my　orders；〃　said　he；　　〃I　will　have　every　one

of　you　executed。〃



The　soldiers；　becoming　frightened；　started　to　do　as　they　were

ordered；　but　the　fools　wept　bitterly；　offering　no　resistance；

men；　women；　and　children　all　joining　in　the　general

lamentation。



〃Why　do　you　treat　us　so　cruelly？〃　they　cried　to　the　invading

soldiers。　　〃Why　do　you　wish　to　destroy　everything　we　have？　　If

you　have　more　need　of　these　things　than　we　have；　why　not　take

them　with　you　and　leave　us　in　peace？〃



The　soldiers；　becoming　saddened　with　remorse；　refused　further　to

pursue　their　path　of　destructionthe　entire　army　scattering　in

many　directions。　　





CHAPTER　XII。



The　old　devil；　failing　to　ruin　Ivan's　kingdom　with　soldiers；

transformed　himself　into　a　nobleman；　dressed　exquisitely；　and

became　one　of　Ivan's　subjects；　with　the　intention　of　compassing

the　downfall　of　his　kingdomas　he　had　done　with　that　of　Tarras。



The　〃nobleman〃　said　to　Ivan：　〃I　desire　to　teach　you　wisdom　and　to

render　you　other　service。　　I　will　build　you　a　palace　and

factories。〃



〃Very　well；〃　said　Ivan；　〃you　may　live　with　us。〃



The　next　day　the　〃nobleman〃　appeared　on　the　Square　with　a　sack　of

gold　in　his　hand　and　a　plan　for　building　a　house；　saying　to　the

people：　〃You　are　living　like　pigs；　and　I　am　going　to　teach　you

how　to　live　decently。　　You　are　to　build　a　house　for　me　according

to　this　plan。　　I　will　superintend　the　work　myself；　and　will　pay

you　for　your　services　in　gold；〃　showing　them　at　the　same　time　the

contents　of　his　sack。



The　fools　were　amused。　　They　had　never　before　seen　any　money。　

Their　business　was　conducted　entirely　by　exchange　of　farm

products　or　by　hiring　themselves　out　to　work　by　the　day　in　return

for　whatever　they　most　needed。　　They　therefore　glanced　at　the

gold　pieces　with　amazement；　and　said；　〃What　nice　toys　they　would

be　to　play　with！〃　　In　return　for　the　gold　they　gave　their

services　and　brought　the　〃nobleman〃　the　produce　of　their　farms。



The　old　devil　was　overjoyed　as　he　thought；　〃Now　my　enterprise　is

on　a　fair　road　and　I　will　be　able　to　ruin　the　Foolas　I　did　his

brothers。〃



The　fools　obtained　sufficient　gold　to　distribute　among　the　entire

community；　the　women　and　young　girls　of　the　village　wearing　much

of　it　as　ornaments；　while　to　the　children　they　gave　some　pieces

to　play　with　on　the　streets。



When　they　had　secured　all　they　wanted　they　stopped　working　and

the　〃noblemen〃　did　not　get　his　house　more　than　half　finished。　　He

had　neither　provisions　nor　cattle　for　the　year；　and　ordered　the

people　to　bring　him　both。　　He　directed　them　also　to　go　on　with

the　building　of　the　palace　and　factories。　　He　promised　to　pay

them　liberally　in　gold　for　everything　they　did。　　No　one　responded

to　his　callonly　once　in　awhile　a　little　boy　or　girl　would　call

to　exchange　eggs　for　his　gold。



Thus　was　the　〃nobleman〃　deserted；　and；　having　nothing　to　eat；　he

went　to　the　village　to　procure　some　provisions　for　his　dinner。　

He　went　to　one　house　and　offered　gold　in　return　for　a　chicken；

but　was　refused；　the　owner　saying：　〃We　have　enough　of　that

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