The women laughed and began to sing his praises, and when they had finished, they said, “Well, give us what you promised.” “I will bring it in a moment,” Ivan said, and he took his seed-basket and ran into the wood. The women laughed. “What a fool!” they said, and forgot all about him, when behold! Ivan returned, his basket full of something. “Shall I share it out?” “Do.” Ivan took up a handful of gold and threw it to the women. Heavens! The women rushed to pick it up, the peasants after them, snatching it out of each others’ hands. One old woman was nearly killed in the fray. Ivan laughed. “You fools!” he said. “Why did you hurt Granny? If you are not so rough I’ll give you some more.” He scattered more gold. The whole village came up. Ivan emptied his basket. The people asked for more, but he said, “Not now; another time I’ll give you more. Now let us dance. You play some songs.” The women began to play. “I don’t like your songs,” Ivan said. “Do you know any better ones?” “You shall see in a moment.” Ivan went into a barn, took up a sheaf, thrashed it, stood it up, and banged it on the floor, and said-- My slave bids you be a sheaf no more. Every straw contained in you Must turn into a soldier true. And the sheaf burst asunder and turned into soldiers, and the drummers and buglers played at their head. Ivan asked the soldiers to play some songs, and led them into the street. The people were amazed. When the soldiers had played their songs Ivan took them back into the barn, forbidding any one to follow. He turned the soldiers into a sheaf again and threw it on a pile of straw, then he went home and lay down to sleep in the stables. VII Simon the Warrior heard of these things next morning, and went to his brother. “Tell me,” he said, “where did you get the soldiers from, and where did you take them to?” “What does it matter to you?” “Matter, indeed! With soldiers one can do anything. One can conquer a kingdom.” Ivan wondered. “Really! Then why didn’t you tell me before?” he said. “I will make you as many soldiers as you like. It is well Malania and I have threshed so much straw.” Ivan took his brother to the barn and said, “Look here, if I make the soldiers you must take them away at once, for if we have to feed them they will eat up the whole village in a day.” Simon the Warrior promised to take the soldiers away, and Ivan began to make them. He banged a sheaf on the threshing-floor and a company appeared. He banged another sheaf and a second company appeared. He made so many soldiers that they filled the whole field. “Are there enough now?” he asked. Simon was overjoyed and said, “That will do, Ivan, thank you.” “Very well. If you want more, come back and I’ll make them for you. There is plenty of straw this year.” Simon the Warrior soon put his troops in order, and went away to make war.