Yagustynka had repeated the whole story for about the hundredth time, when the lads entered the yard with the automaton cock. Bravely attired, even to wearing boots and Boryna’s cap (much on one side), Vitek led the band. After him came the others: Maciek, Klebus, Gulbas, Yendrek, Kuba, and the son of Gregory the Wry-mouthed. These had sticks in their hands and scrips on their backs; but under his arm Vitek bore Pete’s fiddle. They strutted out in procession, first of all to his Reverence, as the young men had done in past years, entered the garden boldly and formed up in line in front of the house, with the cock trundling before them, Vitek scraping his fiddle the while. Gulbas then, having wound up the machine, began to crow, and they all, stamping and striking the ground with their sticks, began singing in a shrill tone certain doggerel lines, winding up with an appeal for a present. They sang for a long time, and ever louder, till his Reverence came forth, admired the cock, gave each of them a five-kopek piece, and sent them away delighted. Vitek was sweating with fear, lest his Reverence should say something about the stork. But he seemed to have passed him over amongst his companions, and after he had retired, sent the housemaid to them with some pieces of sweet cake. Loud they raised their song of thanks, and then went on, first to the organist’s, then all through the rest of the village, where they had much ado to protect their machine from rough handling and the pokes of inquisitive sticks. Vitek, their leader, had an attentive eye to everything, stamping for them to commence singing, and signalling with his bow when to raise and when to drop their voices. In short, the whole _Dyngus_ was performed with such life and spirit that their strains filled the place, and people wondered to see such mere urchins already playing so well the part of grown-ups. It was near sunset when the big dame Ploshkova, having first gone in to see Boryna, came also to call upon Hanka. “As ever, as ever! O Lord!—I spoke to him: no word in reply. The sun is shining on his bed, and his fingers catch at the beams, as if to play with them: just like a little baby. Ah, I could have wept to see what such a man as he has come to!” So she said, seated by Hanka’s bedside; but she drank the vodka and reached out for the cake as willingly as any. “Does he eat anything now? He seems to have put on flesh.” “Yes, he can take a little: maybe he is getting better.” Yuzka rushed in, screaming: “They have taken the cock over to Vola!” but, seeing Ploshkova there, turned and ran out to Yagna. Hanka called after her: “Yuzka, you must see to the kine: it is time now!” “Yes, yes,” said Ploshkova. “‘A holiday is a holiday, but the belly must have its dues alway!’—The lads came to me likewise. A clever fellow that Vitek of yours, and a keen-sighted one too!” “But ever first to play and last to work!”