When Mistafor beheld his daughter's dress he was troubled, scolded
her in his heart, and asked the pretended Tsarevich how Dogada's dress
had come into his hands. So the shoemaker told him all that had
happened. Mistafor, enraged against his daughter, exclaimed: "Look ye,
did you not say that this was not Prince Dardavan, but the shoemaker
Goria Krutshinin? I have no longer patience--prepare instantly for
your wedding." And Goria the shoemaker married the Princess Dogada
that very day.
Sometime after this the servant Prituitshkin came to Goria and said:
"Now that I have made your fortune, do something for me in return: I
have a request to make. In your garden is a pond, in which I formerly
lived. A maiden was one day washing linen, and dropped a ring into the
pond, and by that means she drove me from it. Order now the water to
be let off and the pond to be cleaned out: desire that whoever finds
the ring shall bring it to you, and when it is found, order the pond
to be filled with clear water and a boat to be built; and in this boat
sail with your wife and me. I will then throw myself into the water,
and when your wife exclaims: 'Ah! the servant Prituitshkin is
drowned!' only reply: 'The devil take him!'"
When Goria the shoemaker heard this, he ordered the pond in the
garden to be emptied and cleaned, and that whatever was found in it
should be brought to him. And when the pond was drained, the ring was
found at the bottom by a boy, who brought it to Goria the shoemaker.
Then Goria ordered the water to be let into the pond, and a boat to be
built. As soon as all was ready, he seated himself, with his wife and
servant, Prituitshkin, in the boat, and sailed out into the middle of
the pond. But on a sudden Prituitshkin jumped into the water, and
Dogada exclaimed: "Ah! see, the servant Prituitshkin is drowned!" Then
said Goria: "The devil take him! I want him no longer."
Prince Dardavan, the real affianced husband of Dogada, was sent out to
battle, and there lost his life. Goria the shoemaker ever after went
by his name, and lived many years with Dogada in great happiness,
forgetting his former unhappy fate.
EMELYAN, THE FOOL
In a certain village lived at one time a peasant, who had three sons,
two of whom were clever, but the third was a fool, and his name was
Emelyan. And when the peasant had lived a long time, and was grown
very old, he called his three sons to him, and said to them: "My dear
children, I feel that I have not much longer to live; so I give you
the house and cattle, which you will divide among you, share and share
alike. I have also given you each a hundred roubles." Soon after, the
old man died, and the sons, when they had buried him, lived on happy
and contented.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account