--- title: Opening, part 20 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 20, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: “Why, O Lord, are the children tortured?” --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/20/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 Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/) / Opening, part 20 # Opening, part 20 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/20/) **2** It was like two mountains falling on each other when Túgarin and Alyósha met.[64](../../64/ "tree and pragmatics") They fought with their clubs, and their clubs were shattered at the hilts.[65](../../65/ "tree and pragmatics") Their lances met, and their lances broke into shreds.[66](../../66/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Alyósha Popóvich got down from his saddle like a sheaf of oats, and Túgarin Zmyéyevich was almost striking Alyósha down.[67](../../67/ "tree and pragmatics") But Alyósha Popóvich was cautious.[68](../../68/ "tree and pragmatics") He stood between his horse’s feet and, turning round to the other side from there, smote Túgarin with his steel knife under his right breast, and threw Túgarin from his good horse.[69](../../69/ "tree and pragmatics") And then Alyósha Popóvich cried out, “Túgarin, I thank you, Túgarin Zmyéyevich, for the steel knife: I will tear out your white breast, I will gouge out your bright eyes, and I will gaze on your mettlesome heart.”[70](../../70/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Alyósha cut off his turbulent head, and he took the turbulent head to Prince Vladímir.[71](../../71/ "tree and pragmatics") And as he went on he began playing with that little head, flinging it high up in the air and catching it again on his sharp lance.[72](../../72/ "tree and pragmatics") But Vladímir was dismayed.[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") “I see Túgarin bringing me the turbulent head of Alyósha Popóvich: he will now take captive all of our Christian kingdom.”[74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") But Marýshko Paránov gave him answer: “Do not be distressed, oh bright little sun, Vladímir, in thy capital of Kíev.[75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") If Túgarin is coming on earth and is not flying in the skies he is putting his turbulent head on my steel lance.[76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") Do not be afraid, Prince Vladímir; whatever comes I will make friends with him.”[77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Marýshko the son of Parán looked out into the open field, and he recognised Alyósha Popóvich, and he said, “I can see the knightly gait and youthful step of Alyósha Popóvich.[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") He is guiding his horse uphill and he is playing with a little head: he is throwing the little head sky-high, and is catching the little head on the point of his sharp lance.[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") He who is riding is not the pagan Túgarin, but Alyósha Popóvich, the son of the old prebendary, the pope León, who is bringing the head of the pagan Túgarin Zmyéyevich.”[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") GOD’S BLESSING COMPASSES ALL THINGS[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") Once upon a time in a certain country, in a certain kingdom, there were two peasants, Iván and Naúm.[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") They entered into a partnership and went together to look for work, and they rambled about until they came to a rich village and got work with different masters.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") For the whole week they kept at work and met on Sunday for the first time.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") “Brother, how much have you earned?” asked Iván.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") “God has given me five roubles.”[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") “God gave them to you?[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") He does not give much unless you work for it.”[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") “No, Brother, without God’s blessing you can do nothing; you cannot gain a groat.”[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") So they quarrelled about this, and at last they decided, “We will each go our own way.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") We will ask the first man we meet which of us is right.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") He who loses the bet must sacrifice all his earnings.”[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") So they went on some twenty paces.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") Afterwards they came across an unholy spirit in human guise, and they asked him and received his reply.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") “What you earn for yourself is the proper thing; place no reliance on God.”[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") Naúm gave Iván his money and returned emptyhanded to his master.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") One week later the two men met once again, and set about the same argument.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") Naúm said: “Though you took my money from me last week, still, this week God gave me yet more.”[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") “If God gave it you as you said, we will once more ask the first person who meets us who is right.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") The loser of the bet shall have the money, and shall have his right hand hewn off.”[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") Naúm consented.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") On their way they met the same devil, who returned the same reply.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván gave Naúm his money, hacked off his right hand, and left it behind.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") Naúm pondered for a long time what he should do without his right hand.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") Who would give him meat and drink?[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") But God is merciful.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") So he went to the river, and he lay down on a boat on the shore.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") “I will sit down here, and to-morrow I may see what I shall do, for the morning is wiser than the evening.”[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") And about midnight very many devils assembled on the boat and began to tell each other what tricks they had played.[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") The first said: “I started a quarrel between two peasants, backed up the one who was in the wrong; and the one, who was in the right, had his hand hacked off.”[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") “That’s not much of a feat\![111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") If he were to wave his hand, three times over the dew, his hand would grow again,” said the second.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the third began to boast, “I have sucked a lord’s daughter dry, and she can hardly stir.”[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") “What! if any one had any compassion on the lord, he would heal the daughter at once.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") It is as simple as possible.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") You have only to take this herb”—pointing to a herb on the shore—“cook it, boil her in the brew, and she will be healed.”[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") “In a certain pond,” a fifth devil said, “there is a peasant who has put up a water-mill, and for many years he has been striving to make it go, but whenever he lets the water through the sluice, I make a hole in it, and all the water flows through.”[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") “What a fool your peasant is!” said the sixth devil.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") “He ought to dam it up well, and as soon as the water breaks through, throw in a sheaf of straw, and all your work would be no good.”[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") Naúm had listened very attentively.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") Next day he grew his hand on again, then he saw to the peasant’s dam, and he healed the lord’s daughter.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") Both the peasant and the lord rewarded him richly, and he lived a fine life.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") Once he met his former companion, who was very much astonished, and asked: “How is it you have become so rich, and how did you grow your hand on again?”[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") Naúm told him exactly what had happened, and kept nothing back.[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván listened very attentively, and thought, “Ha\![125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") I shall do the same, and shall become richer than he!”[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") So he went to the river and lay down on the shore, in the boat.[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") And at midnight all the devils gathered together.[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") “Brothers,” they said, “somebody must have been eavesdropping on us, for the peasant’s hand grew again, the maiden is healed, and the mill-wheel is turning!”[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") So they burst on the boat, found Iván, and tore him into tiny bits.[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the wolves wept cows’ tears.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") SHEMYÁK THE JUDGE[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") Once in a certain country, in a certain kingdom, there lived two brothers; one was rich and the other poor.[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") One day the poor brother came to the rich and asked him for a horse to fetch wood out of the forest.[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") The rich man lent him a horse.[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the poor man also asked him for a horse-collar: this the rich brother refused, and became angry.[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the poor man decided to tie the wood to the horse’s tail.[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") And so he drove into the wood.[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") He cut down so much wood that the horse could hardly drag it.[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") When he got home he opened the door, but he forgot to remove the cross-beam.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") The horse jumped over it, but wrenched his tail out.[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/20/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/20/) - next →: [Opening, part 21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/21/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)