Anthology of Russian literature from the earliest period to the present time, volume 1 (of 2) : $b From the tenth century to the close of the eighteenth centuryWiener, Leo
General
Anthology of Russian literature from the earliest period to the present time, volume 1 (of 2) : $b From the tenth century to the close of the eighteenth century
Wiener, Leo
Russia -- Literary collections; Russian literature -- Translations into English
Just as he said that, the Goat could not hold on any longer, and
dropped with his horns straight down on a wolf. But Purring Váska
yelled out: “Hold him, catch him!” The wolves were so frightened that
they started on a run, and did not dare look back. That was the last of
them.
THE FOX AND THE PEASANT
Once upon an evening the Fox, feeling grieved, took a walk to divert
herself and breathe the fresh air. Though she had not expected it,
there presented itself an opportunity to have her revenge, for whom
should she see but Vúkol in his cart! As she scented some fish, she
decided to steal them. The question now was how to steal them out
of Vúkol’s cart. Of course, it was too risky to crawl in, for Vúkol
would lay on his whip, or, catching her by her tail, would kill her
altogether. So Lísa Patrikyéevna softly ran all around the Peasant,
who was hastening home, lay down on the ground and barely breathed.
The rogue lay there as if she really were dead: her mouth open, her
teeth grinning, her snout turned upwards, her nose flabby; she neither
moved, nor heaved, nor wagged her tail.
Vúkol was travelling at a slow pace, when suddenly his nag neighed.
“What’s the matter?” spoke Vúkol, rose and looked down the road. “Oh,
I see! God has sent me a nice gift. I’ll pick it up; it will be a fine
thing for my wife, for its fur is as soft as a shawl.” Having very
wisely discussed thus, Vúkol took the Fox by the tail and put her on
the fish, and went over the bridge. But Lísa Patrikyéevna was very
happy and, to carry out the first part of her program, quietly devoured
a good-sized tench; then she started dropping one fish after another
on the road, until she had emptied the whole cart. Then she stealthily
dropped down from the cart herself and started on a run without turning
back, so that the dust flew up.
It grew dark, and murky night was near; Vúkol Sílych pulled his reins,
and the horse raced faster. He reached his house, without discovering
the theft, and, smiling to his wife, he said with a merry voice to her:
“Woman, just look into the cart and see what I have brought you! I
found it in the road, near the bridge, by the pines and birches.”
His wife Dárya rummaged in the hay, tossed it to and fro, hoping to
find her present. “Where is it? What a shame!” She turned everything
upside down, shook the fish bag, but she only got her hands dirty,--the
present she did not find. Put out about such a deception, she said to
her husband, Vúkol: “What a stupid you are!”
In the meantime Patrikyéevna carried all the fish to her lair, and she
had an easy time of it all autumn, and even winter. But this revenge is
insignificant: her greater revenge is still ahead. Things are bad for
you, Vúkol Sílych! Be prepared for the worst.
Proverbs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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