--- title: Ghost Stories., part 3 — Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Musc… · full text with trees description: Ghost Stories., 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: THE SHROUD. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/) [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/) / Ghost Stories., part 3 # Ghost Stories., part 3 Ghost Stories., part 3 of «Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore»: the whole text, 190 sentences and 2587 words. Every sentence has its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself; 3 of them are in the tales treebank and were checked by a teacher model. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/page/2/) - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/1/) — THE SHROUD. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/2/) — \[404\] - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/3/) — In a certain village there was a girl who was lazy and slothful, hated working but would gossip and chatter away like anything. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/4/) — Well, she took it into her head to invite the other girls to a spinning party. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/5/) — For in the villages, as every one knows, it is the lazybones who gives the spinning-feast, and the sweet-toothed are those who go to it. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/6/) — Well, on the appointed night she got her spinners together. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/7/) — They span for her, and she fed them and feasted them. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/8/) — Among other things they chatted about was this--which of them all was the boldest? - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/9/) — Says the lazybones (\_lezhaka\_): - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/10/) — "I'm not afraid of anything!" - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/11/) — "Well then," say the spinners, "if you're not afraid, go past the graveyard to the church, take down the holy picture from the door, and bring it here." - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/12/) — "Good, I'll bring it; only each of you must spin me a distaff-ful." - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/13/) — That was just her sort of notion: to do nothing herself, but to get others to do it for her. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/14/) — Well, she went, took down the picture, and brought it home with her. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/15/) — Her friends all saw that sure enough it was the picture from the church. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/16/) — But the picture had to be taken back again, and it was now the midnight hour. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/17/) — Who was to take it? - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/18/) — At length the lazybones said: - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/19/) — "You girls go on spinning. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/20/) — I'll take it back myself. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/21/) — I'm not afraid of anything!" - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/22/) — So she went and put the picture back in its place. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/23/) — As she was passing the graveyard on her return, she saw a corpse in a white shroud, seated on a tomb. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/24/) — It was a moonlight night; everything was visible. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/25/) — She went up to the corpse, and drew away its shroud from it. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/26/) — The corpse held its peace, not uttering a word; no doubt the time for it to speak had not come yet. — checked by a teacher - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/27/) — Well, she took the shroud and went home. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/28/) — "There!" says she, "I've taken back the picture and put it in its place; and, what's more, here's a shroud I took away from a corpse." - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/29/) — Some of the girls were horrified; others didn't believe what she said, and laughed at her. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/30/) — But after they had supped and lain down to sleep, all of a sudden the corpse tapped at the window and said: - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/31/) — "Give me my shroud! - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/32/) — Give me my shroud!" - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/33/) — The girls were so frightened they didn't know whether they were alive or dead. - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/34/) — But the lazybones took the shroud, went to the window, opened it, and said: - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/35/) — "There, take it." - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/36/) — "No," replied the corpse, "restore it to the place you took it from." - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/37/) — Just then the cocks suddenly began to crow. - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/38/) — The corpse disappeared. - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/39/) — Next night, when the spinners had all gone home to their own houses, at the very same hour as before, the corpse came, tapped at the window, and cried: - [40](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/40/) — "Give me my shroud!" - [41](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/41/) — Well, the girl's father and mother opened the window and offered him his shroud. - [42](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/42/) — "No," says he, "let her take it back to the place she took it from." - [43](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/43/) — "Really now, how could one go to a graveyard with a corpse? - [44](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/44/) — What a horrible idea!" she replied. - [45](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/45/) — Just then the cocks crew. - [46](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/46/) — The corpse disappeared. - [47](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/47/) — Next day the girl's father and mother sent for the priest, told him the whole story, and entreated him to help them in their trouble. - [48](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/48/) — "Couldn't a service\[405\] be performed?" they said. - [49](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/49/) — The priest reflected awhile; then he replied: - [50](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/50/) — "Please to tell her to come to church to-morrow." - [51](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/51/) — Next day the lazybones went to church. - [52](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/52/) — The service began, numbers of people came to it. - [53](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/53/) — But just as they were going to sing the cherubim song,\[406\] there suddenly arose, goodness knows whence, so terrible a whirlwind that all the congregation fell flat on their faces. - [54](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/54/) — And it caught up that girl, and then flung her down on the ground. - [55](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/55/) — The girl disappeared from sight; nothing was left of her but her back hair. - [56](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/56/) — \[407\] - [57](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/57/) — They are generally the corpses of wizards, or of other sinners who have led specially unholy lives, which leave their graves by night and wander abroad. - [58](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/58/) — Into such bodies, it is held, demons enter, and the combination of fiend and corpse goes forth as the terrible Vampire thirsting for blood. - [59](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/59/) — Of the proceedings of such a being the next story gives a detailed account, from which, among other things, may be learnt the fact that Slavonic corpses attach great importance to their coffin-lids as well as to their shrouds. - [60](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/60/) — THE COFFIN-LID. - [61](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/61/) — \[408\] - [62](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/62/) — A moujik was driving along one night with a load of pots. - [63](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/63/) — His horse grew tired, and all of a sudden it came to a standstill alongside of a graveyard. - [64](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/64/) — The moujik unharnessed his horse and set it free to graze; meanwhile he laid himself down on one of the graves. - [65](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/65/) — But somehow he didn't go to sleep. - [66](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/66/) — He remained lying there some time. — checked by a teacher - [67](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/67/) — Suddenly the grave began to open beneath him: he felt the movement and sprang to his feet. - [68](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/68/) — The grave opened, and out of it came a corpse--wrapped in a white shroud, and holding a coffin lid--came out and ran to the church, laid the coffin-lid at the door, and then set off for the village. - [69](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/69/) — The moujik was a daring fellow. - [70](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/70/) — He picked up the coffin-lid and remained standing beside his cart, waiting to see what would happen. - [71](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/71/) — After a short delay the dead man came back, and was going to snatch up his coffin-lid--but it was not to be seen. - [72](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/72/) — Then the corpse began to track it out, traced it up to the moujik, and said: - [73](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/73/) — "Give me my lid: if you don't, I'll tear you to bits!" - [74](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/74/) — "And my hatchet, how about that?" answers the moujik. " - [75](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/75/) — Why, it's I who'll be chopping you into small pieces!" - [76](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/76/) — "Do give it back to me, good man!" begs the corpse. - [77](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/77/) — "I'll give it when you tell me where you've been and what you've done." - [78](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/78/) — "Well, I've been in the village, and there I've killed a couple of youngsters." - [79](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/79/) — "Well then, now tell me how they can be brought back to life." - [80](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/80/) — The corpse reluctantly made answer: - [81](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/81/) — "Cut off the left skirt of my shroud, and take it with you. - [82](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/82/) — When you come into the house where the youngsters were killed, pour some live coals into a pot and put the piece of the shroud in with them, and then lock the door. - [83](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/83/) — The lads will be revived by the smoke immediately." - [84](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/84/) — The moujik cut off the left skirt of the shroud, and gave up the coffin-lid. - [85](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/85/) — The corpse went to its grave--the grave opened. - [86](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/86/) — But just as the dead man was descending into it, all of a sudden the cocks began to crow, and he hadn't time to get properly covered over. - [87](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/87/) — One end of the coffin-lid remained sticking out of the ground. - [88](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/88/) — The moujik saw all this and made a note of it. - [89](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/89/) — The day began to dawn; he harnessed his horse and drove into the village. - [90](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/90/) — In one of the houses he heard cries and wailing. - [91](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/91/) — In he went--there lay two dead lads. - [92](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/92/) — "Don't cry," says he, "I can bring them to life!" - [93](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/93/) — "Do bring them to life, kinsman," say their relatives. " - [94](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/94/) — We'll give you half of all we possess." - [95](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/95/) — The moujik did everything as the corpse had instructed him, and the lads came back to life. - [96](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/96/) — Their relatives were delighted, but they immediately seized the moujik and bound him with cords, saying: - [97](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/97/) — "No, no, trickster! - [98](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/98/) — We'll hand you over to the authorities. - [99](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/99/) — Since you knew how to bring them back to life, maybe it was you who killed them!" - [100](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/100/) — "What are you thinking about, true believers! **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/53/page/2/) - ← previous: [Ghost Stories., part 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/52/) - next →: [Ghost Stories., part 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/54/) - ↑ back to [Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/)