"How good a little coffee would taste now!" ejaculated one General, but then he remembered what unprecedented adventure had happened to him, and he began to cry again. "But what are we to do?" he continued, through his tears; "if we were to write a report, of what use would it be?" "This is what we must do," replied the other General. "Do you go to the east, your Excellency, and I will go to the west, and in the evening we will meet again at this place; perhaps we shall find something." So they began their search to find which was the east and which the west. They recalled to mind that their superior official had once said, "If you wish to find the east, stand with your eyes towards the north, and you will find what you want on your right hand." They began to seek the north, and placed themselves first in one position, then in another, and tried all quarters of the compass in turn, but as they had spent their whole lives in the registry office, they could decide on nothing. "This is what we must do, your Excellency; do you go to the right, and I will go to the left; that will be better," said the General, who besides serving in the registry office had also served as instructor of calligraphy in the school for soldiers' sons, and consequently had more sense. So said, so done. One General went to the right, and saw trees growing, and on the trees all sorts of fruits. The General tried to get an apple, but all the apples grew so high that it was necessary to climb for them. He tried to climb, but with no result, except that he tore his shirt to rags. The General came to a stream, the fish were swimming there in swarms, as though in a fish-shop on the Fontanka canal. "If we only had such fish in Pettifoggers Street!" said the General to himself, and he even changed countenance with hunger. The General entered the forest, and there hazel-hens were whistling, blackcocks were holding their bragging matches, and hares were running. "Heavens! What victuals! What victuals!" said the General, and he felt that he was becoming fairly sick at his stomach with hunger. There was nothing to be done; he was obliged to return to the appointed place with empty hands. He reached it but the other General was already waiting for him. "Well, your Excellency, have you accomplished anything?" "Yes, I have found an old copy of the 'Moscow News'; that is all." The Generals lay down to sleep again, but gnawing hunger kept them awake. They were disturbed by speculations as to who would receive their pension for them; then they recalled the fruits, fish, hazel-hens, blackcock, and hares which they had seen that day.