02-ivan the fool-第6部分

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

already　and　do　not　want　any　more。〃



He　next　went　to　a　fish…woman　to　buy　some　herring；　when　she；　too；

refused　to　accept　his　gold　in　return　for　fish；　saying：　〃I　do　not

wish　it；　my　dear　man；　I　have　no　children　to　whom　I　can　give　it　to

play　with。　　I　have　three　pieces　which　I　keep　as　curiosities

only。〃



He　then　went　to　a　peasant　to　buy　bread；　but　he　also　refused　to

accept　the　gold。　　〃I　have　no　use　for　it；〃　said　he；　〃unless　you

wish　to　give　it　for　Christ's　sake；　then　it　will　be　a　different

matter；　and　I　will　tell　my　baba　＇old　woman＇　to　cut　a　piece　of

bread　for　you。〃



The　old　devil　was　so　angry　that　he　ran　away　from　the　peasant；

spitting　and　cursing　as　he　went。



Not　only　did　the　offer　to　accept　in　the　name　of　Christ　anger　him；

but　the　very　mention　of　the　name　was　like　the　thrust　of　a　knife

in　his　throat。



The　old　devil　did　not　succeed　in　getting　any　bread；　and　in　his

efforts　to　secure　other　articles　of　food　he　met　with　the　same

failure。　　The　people　had　all　the　gold　they　wanted　and　what　pieces

they　had　they　regarded　as　curiosities。　　They　said　to　the　old

devil：　〃If　you　bring　us　something　else　in　exchange　for　food；　or

come　to　ask　for　Christ's　sake；　we　will　give　you　all　you　want。〃



But　the　old　devil　had　nothing　but　gold；　and　was　too　lazy　to　work；

and　being　unable　to　accept　anything　for　Christ's　sake；　he　was

greatly　enraged。



〃What　else　do　you　want？〃　he　said。　　〃I　will　give　you　gold　with

which　you　can　buy　everything　you　want；　and　you　need　labor　no

longer。〃



But　the　fools　would　not　accept　his　gold；　nor　listen　to　him。　　Thus

the　old　devil　was　obliged　to　go　to　sleep　hungry。



Tidings　of　this　condition　of　affairs　soon　reached　the　ears　of

Ivan。　　The　people　went　to　him　and　said：　〃What　shell　we　do？　　This

nobleman　appeared　among　us；　he　is　well　dressed；　he　wishes　to　eat

and　drink　of　the　best；　but　is　unwilling　to　work；　and　does　not　beg

for　food　for　Christ's　sake。　　He　only　offers　every　one　gold

pieces。　　At　first　we　gave　him　everything　he　wanted；　taking　the

gold　pieces　in　exchange　just　as　curiosities；　but　now　we　have

enough　of　them　and　refuse　to　accept　any　more　from　him。　　What

shallwe　do　with　him？　he　may　die　of　hunger！〃



Ivan　heard　all　they　had　to　say；　and　told　them　to　employ　him　as　a

shepherd；　taking　turns　in　doing　so。



The　old　devil　saw　no　other　way　out　of　the　difficulty　and　was

obliged　to　submit。



It　soon　came　the　old　devil's　turn　to　go　to　Ivan's　house。　　He　went

there　to　dinner　and　found　Ivan's　dumb　sister　preparing　the　meal。

She　was　often　cheated　by　the　lazy　people；　who　while　they　did　not

work；　yet　ate　up　all　the　gruel。　　But　she　learned　to　know　the　lazy

people　from　the　condition　of　their　hands。　　Those　with　great　welts

on　their　hands　she　invited　first　to　the　table；　and　those　having

smooth　white　hands　had　to　take　what　was　left。



The　old　devil　took　a　seat　at　the　table；　but　the　dumb　girl；　taking

his　hands；　looked　at　them；　and　seeing　them　white　and　clean；　and

with　long　nails；　swore　at　him　and　put　him　from　the　table。



Ivan's　wife　said　to　the　old　devil：　〃You　must　excuse　my

sister…in…law；　she　will　not　allow　any　one　to　sit　at　the　table

whose　hands　have　not　been　hardened　by　toil；　so　you　will　have　to

wait　until　the　dinner　is　over　and　then　you　can　have　what　is　left。



With　it　you　must　be　satisfied。〃



The　old　devil　was　very　much　offended　that　he　was　made　to　eat　with

〃pigs；〃　as　he　expressed　it；　and　complained　to　Ivan；　saying：　〃The

foolish　law　you　have　in　your　kingdom；　that　all　persons　must　work；

is　surely　the　invention　of　fools。　　People　who　work　for　a　living

are　not　always　forced　to　labor　with　their　hands。　　Do　you　think

wise　men　labor　so？〃



Ivan　replied：　〃Well；　what　do　fools　know　about　it？　　We　all　work

with　our　hands。〃



〃And　for　that　reason　you　are　fools；〃　replied　the　devil。　　〃I　can

teach　you　how　to　use　your　brains；　and　you　will　find　such　labor

more　beneficial。〃



Ivan　was　surprised　at　hearing　this；　and　said：



〃Well；　it　is　perhaps　not　without　good　reason　that　we　are　called

fools。〃



〃It　is　not　so　easy　to　work　with　the　brain；〃　the　old　devil　said。　

〃You　will　not　give　me　anything　to　eat　because　my　hands　have　not

the　appearance　of　being　toil…hardened；　but　you　must　understand

that　it　is　much　harder　to　do　brain…work；　and　sometimes　the　head

feels　like　bursting　with　the　effort　it　is　forced　to　make。〃



〃Then　why　do　you　not　select　some　light　work　that　you　can　perform

with　your　hands？〃　Ivan　asked。



The　devil　said：　〃I　torment　myself　with　brain…work　because　I　have

pity　for　you　fools；　for；　if　I　did　not　torture　myself；　people　like

you　would　remain　fools　for　all　eternity。　　I　have　exercised　my

brain　a　great　deal　during　my　life；　and　now　I　am　able　to　teach

you。〃



Ivan　was　greatly　surprised　and　said：　〃Very　well；　teach　us；　so

that　when　our　hands　are　tired　we　can　use　our　heads　to　replace

them。〃



The　devil　promised　to　instruct　the　people；　and　Ivan　announced　the

fact　throughout　his　kingdom。



The　devil　was　willing　to　teach　all　those　who　came　to　him　how　to

use　the　head　instead　of　the　hands；　so　as　to　produce　more　with　the

former　than　with　the　latter。



In　Ivan's　kingdom　there　was　a　high　tower；　which　was　reached　by　a

long；　narrow　ladder　leading　up　to　the　balcony；　and　Ivan　told　the

old　devil　that　from　the　top　of　the　tower　every　one　could　see　him。



So　the　old　devil　went　up　to　the　balcony　and　addressed　the　people。



The　fools　came　in　great　crowds　to　hear　what　the　old　devil　had　to

say；　thinking　that　he　really　meant　to　tell　them　how　to　work　with

the　head。　But　the　old　devil　only　told　them　in　words　what　to　do；

and　did　not　give　them　any　practical　instruction。　　He　said　that

men　working　only　with　their　hands　could　not　make　a　living。　　The

fools　did　not　understand　what　he　said　to　them　and　looked　at　him

in　amazement；　and　then　departed　for　their　daily　work。



The　old　devil　addressed　them　for　two　days　from　the　balcony；　and

at　the　end　of　that　time；　feeling　hungry；　he　asked　the　people　to

bring　him　some　bread。　　But　they　only　laughed　at　him　and　told　him

if　he　could　work　better　with　his　head　than　with　his　hands　he

could　also　find　bread　for　himself。　　He　addressed　the　people　for

yet　another　day；　and　they　went　to　hear　him　from　curiosity；　but

soon　left　him　to　return　to　their　work。



Ivan　asked；　〃Well；　did　the　nobleman　work　with　his　head？〃



〃Not　yet；〃　they　said；　〃so　far　he　has　only　talked。〃



One　day；　while　the　old　devil　was　standing　on　the　balcony；　he

became　weak；　and；　falling　down；　hurt　his　head　against　a　pole。



Seeing　this；　one　of　the　fools　ran　to　Ivan's　wife　and　said；　〃The

gentleman　has　at　last　commenced　to　work　with　his　head。〃



She　ran　to　the　field　to　tell　Ivan；　who　was　much　surprised；　and

said；　〃Let　us　go　and　see　him。〃



He　turned　his　horses'　heads　in　the　direction　of　the　tower；　where

the　old　devil　remained　weak　from　hunger　and　was　still　suspended

from　the　pole；　with　his　body　swaying　back　and　forth　and　his　head

striking　the　lower　part　of　the　pole　each　time　it　came　in　contact

with　it。　　While　Ivan　was　looking；　the　old　devil　started　down　the

steps　head…firstas　they　supposed；　to　count　them。



〃Well；〃　said　Ivan；　〃he　told　the　truth　after　allthat　sometimes

from　this　kind　of　work　the　head　bursts。　　This　is　far　worse　than

welts　on　the　hands。〃



The　old　devil　fell　to　the　ground　head…foremost。　　Ivan　approached

him；　but　at　that　instant　the　ground　opened　and　the　devil

disappeared；　leaving　only　a　hole　to　show　where　he　had　gone。



Ivan　scratched　his　head　and　said：　〃See　here；　such　nastiness！　

This　is　yet　another　devil。　　He　　looks　like　the　father　of　the

little　ones。〃



Ivan　still　lives；　and　people　flock　to　his　kingdom。　　His　brothers

come　to　him　and　he　feeds　them。



To　every　one　who　comes　to　him　and　says；　〃Give　us　food；〃　he

replies：　〃Very　well；　you　are　　welcome。　　We　have　plenty　of

everything。〃



There　is　only　one　unchangeable　custom　observed　in　Ivan's　kingdom：

The　man　with　toil…hardened　hands　is　always　given　a　seat　at　the

table；　while　the　possessor　of　soft　white　hands　must　be　contented

with　what　is　left。