The Devilkin rushed into the wood and crept into the knots of the trees to prevent Ivan from felling them. Ivan had cut a tree in the right way so that it should fall on to a clear space, but the tree seemed to be possessed, and fell over where it was not wanted, and got entangled among the branches. Ivan lopped them off with his bill-hook and at last, with great difficulty, brought down the tree. He began to fell another and the same thing was repeated. He struggled and struggled and succeeded only after great exertion. He began on a third and the same thing happened. Ivan had intended to fell fifty trees at least, and he had not managed more than ten, and night was coming on. Ivan was exhausted, and the steam rose from him and floated through the wood like a mist; yet still he would not give up. He felled another tree and his back began to ache so that he could not go on. He stuck his axe into the trunk of a tree and sat down to rest. When the Devilkin realized that Ivan had ceased to work, he rejoiced. “He is worn out at last,” he thought; “now I can rest too.” And he sat himself astride on a branch, exulting. Ivan rose, took out his axe, flourished it aloft, and brought it down so heavily that the tree came down with a crash. The Devilkin had no time to disentangle his legs; the branch broke and pinned down his paw. Ivan began to clear the tree and behold! there was a live Devilkin. Ivan was amazed. “You horrid little wretch! You here again!” “I am not the same one,” the Devilkin said. “I belong to your brother Taras.” “Whoever you may be, you shall share the same fate.” And Ivan raised the axe to bring it down on its head, but the Devilkin began to plead. “Don’t kill me,” he said, “and I’ll do whatever you want me to.” “What can you do?” “I can make as much money as you like.” “Very well,” Ivan said; “make it, then.” And the Devilkin taught him what to do. “Take some leaves from this oak and rub them in your hands and gold will fall to the ground.” Ivan took the leaves and rubbed them in his hand and gold rained down. “This is well,” he said; “on holidays it will amuse the children.” “Let me go,” the Devilkin begged. “I don’t mind,” Ivan said, and taking up his axe, he freed the Devilkin of the branch. “Go, in God’s name.” At the mention of God the Devilkin plunged into the ground like a stone thrown into water and there was nothing but the hole left. VI The brothers built themselves houses and began to live apart. Ivan finished his work in the fields, brewed some beer and invited his brothers to a feast. The brothers did not accept his invitation. “We do not go to feast with peasants,” they said. Ivan treated the peasants and the peasant-women and drank himself until he got tipsy, and he went into the street and joined the dancers and singers. He approached the women, and bade them sing his praises. “I will give you something you have never seen in your lives,” he said.