'He cut me all over and made me tired, that fool. I did not meet such misfortune even on the battle-field. He does not even sleep;' and the devil began to swear. 'I cannot follow him,' he continued. 'I will go now to the heaps and make everything rotten.'
Accordingly he went to a heap of the new-mown grain and began his fiendish work. After wetting it he built a fire and warmed himself, and soon was fast asleep.
Ivan harnessed his horse, and, with his sister, went to bring the rye home from the field.
After lifting a couple of sheaves from the first heap his pitchfork came into contact with the little devil's back, which caused the latter to howl with pain and to jump around in every direction. Ivan exclaimed:
'See here! What nastiness! You again here?'
'I am another one!' said the little devil. 'That was my brother. I am the one who was sent to your brother Simeon.'
'Well,' said Ivan, 'it matters not who you are. I will fix you all the same.'
As Ivan was about to strike the first blow the devil pleaded: 'Let me go and I will do you no more harm. I will do whatever you wish.'
'What can you do for me?' asked Ivan.
'I can make soldiers from almost anything.'
'And what will they be good for?'
'Oh, they will do everything for you!'
'Can they sing?'
'They can.'
'Well, make them.'
'Take a bunch of straw and scatter it on the ground, and see if each straw will not turn into a soldier.'
Ivan shook the straws on the ground, and, as he expected, each straw turned into a soldier, and they began marching with a band at their head.
'Ishty [look you], that was well done! How it will delight the village maidens!' he exclaimed.
The small devil now said: 'Let me go; you do not need me any longer.'
But Ivan said: 'No, I will not let you go just yet. You have converted the straw into soldiers, and now I want you to turn them again into straw, as I cannot afford to lose it, but I want it with the grain on.'
The devil replied: 'Say: 'So many soldiers, so much straw.''
Ivan did as directed, and got back his rye with the straw.
The small devil again begged for his release.
Ivan, taking him from the pitchfork, said: 'With God's blessing you may depart'; and, as before at the mention of God's name, the little devil was hurled into the earth like a flash, and nothing was left but the hole to show where he had gone.
Soon afterward Ivan returned home, to find his brother Tarras and his wife there. Tarras-Briukhan could not pay his debts, and was forced to flee from his creditors and seek refuge under his father's roof. Seeing Ivan, he said: 'Well, Ivan, may we remain here until I start in some new business?'
Ivan replied as he had before to Simeon: 'Yes, you are perfectly welcome to remain here as long as it suits you.'
With that announcement he removed his coat and seated himself at the supper-table with the others. But Tarras-Briukhan's wife objected to the smell of his clothes, saying: 'I cannot eat with a fool; neither can I stand the smell.'
Then Tarras-Briukhan said: 'Ivan, from your clothes there comes a bad smell; go and eat by yourself in the porch.'
'Very well,' said Ivan; and he took some bread and went out as ordered, saying, 'It is time for me to feed my mare.'
CHAPTER V.
The small devil who had charge of Tarras finished with him that night, and according to agreement proceeded to the assistance of the other two to help them conquer Ivan. Arriving at the plowed field he looked around for his comrades, but found only the hole through which one had disappeared; and on going to the meadow he discovered the severed tail of the other, and in the rye-field he found yet another hole.
'Well,' he thought, 'it is quite clear that my comrades have met with some great misfortune, and that I will have to take their places and arrange the feud between the brothers.'
The small devil then went in search of Ivan. But he, having finished with the field, was nowhere to be found. He had gone to the forest to cut logs to build homes for his brothers, as they found it inconvenient for so many to live under the same roof.
The small devil at last discovered his whereabouts, and going to the forest climbed into the branches of the trees and began to interfere with Ivan's work. Ivan cut down a tree, which failed, however, to fall to the ground, becoming entangled in the branches of other trees; yet he succeeded in getting it down after a hard struggle. In chopping down the next tree he met with the same difficulties, and also with the third. Ivan had supposed he could cut down fifty trees in a day, but he succeeded in chopping but ten before darkness put an end to his labors for a time. He was now exhausted, and, perspiring profusely, he sat down alone in the woods to rest. He soon after resumed his work, cutting down one more tree; but the effort gave him a pain in his back, and he was obliged to rest again. Seeing this, the small devil was full of joy.
'Well,' he thought, 'now he is exhausted and will stop work, and I will rest also.' He then seated himself on some branches and rejoiced.
Ivan again arose, however, and, taking his axe, gave the tree a terrific blow from the opposite side, which felled it instantly to the ground, carrying the little devil with it; and Ivan, proceeding to cut the branches, found the devil alive. Very much astonished, Ivan exclaimed:
'Look you! Such nastiness! Are you again here?'
'I am another one,' replied the devil. 'I was with your brother Tarras.'
'Well,' said Ivan, 'that makes no difference; I will fix you.' And he was about to strike him a blow with the axe when the devil pleaded:
'Do not kill me, and whatever you wish you shall have.'
Ivan asked, 'What can you do?'
'I can make for you all the money you wish.'
Ivan then told the devil he might proceed, whereupon the latter began to explain to him how he might become rich.
'Take,' said he to Ivan, 'the leaves of this oak tree and rub them in your hands, and the gold will fall to the ground.'
Ivan did as he was directed, and immediately the gold began to drop about his feet; and he remarked:
'This will be a fine trick to amuse the village boys with.'
'Can I now take my departure?' asked the devil, to which Ivan replied, 'With God's blessing you may go.'
At the mention of the name of God, the devil disappeared into the earth.
CHAPTER VI.
The brothers, having finished their houses, moved into them and lived apart from their father and brother. Ivan, when he had completed his plowing, made a great feast, to which he invited his brothers, telling them that he
