Collections of short stories and anecdotes current in western Europe also made their way to Russia, via Poland; and freed from puritanical, religious, and conventional bonds, light satirical treatment of topics began to be met with in the seventeenth century, wherein, among other things ridiculed, are the law-courts, the interminable length of lawsuits, the covetousness and injustice of the judges, and so forth. Among such productions are: "The Tale of Judge Shemyak" (Herring), "The Description of the Judicial Action in the Suit Between the Pike and the Perch"; or, applying personal names to the contestants, "The Story of Yorsha Yorshoff (Perch, the son of Perch) and the Son of Shtchetinnikoff (the Bristly)." A similar production is "The Story of Kura (the Cock) and Lisa (the Fox)." The first place among such works, for simplicity of style and truth of description, belongs to "The History of the Russian Nobleman, Frol Skovyeeff, and Anna, Daughter of Table-Decker Nardin Nashtchokin." But many writers of that age could not take a satirical view of things, and depicted life as a permanent conflict between the powers of evil and good--wherein the Devil chiefly got the upper hand--and man's principal occupation therein, the saving of his soul. One of the best compositions of ancient Russian secular literature belongs to this gloomy category, "The Tale of Gore-Zloshtchastye; How Gore-Zloshtchastye Brought the Young Man to the Monastic State," Gore-Zloshtchastye being, literally, "Woe-Misfortune." Woe-Misfortune persecutes the youth, who finds no safety from him, save on one road, where, alone, he does not besiege him--the road to the monastery. It will be seen that the spirit of the age was deeply influenced by the state of material things. QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW 1. What kind of historical writing sprang up in northeastern Russia during the time of Ivan the Terrible? 2. Describe the fashion of acting plays in the schools. 3. What were the "comedy acts" given before the Tzar? 4. For what is Dmitry of Rostoff to be remembered? 5. What kind of anecdotes and short stories came from western Europe to Russia in the seventeenth century? 6. What picture of Russian life do they bring before us? BIBLIOGRAPHY _History of Russia._ Alfred Rambaud. _The Story of Russia._ W. R. Morfill. CHAPTER VI FIFTH PERIOD, THE REIGN OF PETER THE GREAT (1689-1723).