--- title: Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 3 — Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Musc… · full text with trees · page 2 description: Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 3, «Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore»: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: "What's the meaning of this?" thinks the old woman; "suppose I keep awake to-night; may be I shall find out." --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collecti…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/) / Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 3 # Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 3 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/) **2** - [101](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/101/) — Many a defunct person of quality have I buried in my time, but I never got so from anyone before." - [102](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/102/) — The pope got under weigh with all his retinue, and buried the old crone in proper style. - [103](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/103/) — After the funeral the old man invited him to his house, to take part in the feast in memory of the dead. - [104](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/104/) — Well, they entered the cottage, and sat down to table--and there appeared from somewhere or other meat and drink and all sorts of snacks, everything in profusion. - [105](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/105/) — The (reverend) guest sat down, ate for three people, looked greedily at what was not his. - [106](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/106/) — The (other) guests finished their meal, and separated to go to their homes; then the pope also rose from the table. - [107](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/107/) — The old man went to speed him on his way. - [108](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/108/) — As soon as they got into the farmyard, and the pope saw they were alone at last, he began questioning the old man: "Listen, friend! confess to me, don't leave so much as a single sin on your soul--it's just the same before me as before God! - [109](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/109/) — How have you managed to get on at such a pace? - [110](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/110/) — You used to be a poor moujik, and now--marry! where did it come from? - [111](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/111/) — Confess, friend, whose breath have you stopped? whom have you pillaged?" - [112](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/112/) — "What are you talking about, batyushka? - [113](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/113/) — I will tell you the exact truth. - [114](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/114/) — I have not robbed, nor plundered, nor killed anyone. - [115](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/115/) — A treasure tumbled into my hands of its own accord." - [116](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/116/) — And he told him how it all happened. - [117](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/117/) — When the pope heard these words he actually shook all over with greediness. - [118](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/118/) — Going home, he did nothing by night and by day but think, "That such a wretched lout of a moujik should have come in for such a lump of money! - [119](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/119/) — Is there any way of tricking him now, and getting this pot of money out of him?" - [120](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/120/) — He told his wife about it, and he and she discussed the matter together, and held counsel over it. - [121](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/121/) — "Listen, mother," says he; "we've a goat, haven't we?" - [122](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/122/) — "Yes." - [123](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/123/) — "All right, then; we'll wait until it's night, and then we'll do the job properly." - [124](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/124/) — Late in the evening the pope dragged the goat indoors, killed it, and took off its skin--horns, beard, and all complete. - [125](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/125/) — Then he pulled the goat's skin over himself and said to his wife: - [126](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/126/) — "Bring a needle and thread, mother, and fasten up the skin all round, so that it mayn't slip off." - [127](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/127/) — So she took a strong needle, and some tough thread, and sewed him up in the goatskin. - [128](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/128/) — Well, at the dead of night, the pope went straight to the old man's cottage, got under the window, and began knocking and scratching. - [129](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/129/) — The old man hearing the noise, jumped up and asked: - [130](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/130/) — "Who's there?" - [131](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/131/) — "The Devil!" - [132](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/132/) — "Ours is a holy spot! - [133](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/133/) — \[34\]" shrieked the moujik, and began crossing himself and uttering prayers. - [134](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/134/) — "Listen, old man," says the pope, "From me thou will not escape, although thou may'st pray, although thou may'st cross thyself; much better give me back my pot of money, otherwise I will make thee pay for it. - [135](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/135/) — See now, I pitied thee in thy misfortune, and I showed thee the treasure, thinking thou wouldst take a little of it to pay for the funeral, but thou hast pillaged it utterly." - [136](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/136/) — The old man looked out of window--the goat's horns and beard caught his eye--it was the Devil himself, no doubt of it. - [137](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/137/) — "Let's get rid of him, money and all," thinks the old man; "I've lived before now without money, and now I'll go on living without it." - [138](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/138/) — So he took the pot of gold, carried it outside, flung it on the ground, and bolted indoors again as quickly as possible. - [139](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/139/) — The pope seized the pot of money, and hastened home. - [140](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/140/) — When he got back, "Come," says he, "the money is in our hands now. - [141](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/141/) — Here, mother, put it well out of sight, and take a sharp knife, cut the thread, and pull the goatskin off me before anyone sees it." - [142](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/142/) — She took a knife, and was beginning to cut the thread at the seam, when forth flowed blood, and the pope began to howl: - [143](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/143/) — "Oh! it hurts, mother, it hurts! don't cut mother, don't cut!" - [144](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/144/) — She began ripping the skin open in another place, but with just the same result. - [145](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/145/) — The goatskin had united with his body all round. - [146](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/146/) — And all that they tried, and all that they did, even to taking the money back to the old man, was of no avail. - [147](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/147/) — The goatskin remained clinging tight to the pope all the same. - [148](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/148/) — God evidently did it to punish him for his great greediness. - [149](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/149/) — A somewhat less heathenish story with regard to money is the following, which may be taken as a specimen of the Skazkas which bear the impress of the genuine reverence which the peasants feel for their religion, whatever may be the feelings they entertain towards its ministers. - [150](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/150/) — While alluding to this subject, by the way, it may be as well to remark that no great reliance can be placed upon the evidence contained in the folk-tales of any land, with respect to the relations between its clergy and their flocks. - [151](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/151/) — The local parson of folk-lore is, as a general rule, merely the innocent inheritor of the bad reputation acquired by some ecclesiastic of another age and clime. - [152](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/152/) — THE CROSS-SURETY. - [153](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/153/) — \[35\] - [154](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/154/) — Once upon a time two merchants lived in a certain town just on the verge of a stream. - [155](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/155/) — One of them was a Russian, the other a Tartar; both were rich. - [156](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/156/) — But the Russian got so utterly ruined by some business or other that he hadn't a single bit of property left. - [157](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/157/) — Everything he had was confiscated or stolen. - [158](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/158/) — The Russian merchant had nothing to turn to--he was left as poor as a rat. - [159](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/159/) — \[36\] So he went to his friend the Tartar, and besought him to lend him some money. - [160](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/160/) — "Get me a surety," says the Tartar. - [161](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/161/) — "But whom can I get for you, seeing that I haven't a soul belonging to me? - [162](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/13/162/) — Stay, though! there's a surety for you, the life-giving cross on the church!" 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