--- title: Opening, part 26 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees description: Opening, part 26, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Then the little devil begged him and cried in his ear: “Do let me go, peasant. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/26/) [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 26 # Opening, part 26 Opening, part 26 of «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole text, 147 sentences and 2578 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/26/page/2/) Then the little devil begged him and cried in his ear: “Do let me go, peasant.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") Your wife has been torturing and oppressing us.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") Tell me what to do: I will be your faithful servant.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") I will this very instant run into the \_boyárs’\_ palace; I will in an instant cook the grill; by day and night I will knock and drive away the \_boyárs\_.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") You are to declare yourself a doctor to go and to call on me.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") I will leap up on the spot and vanish.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, go and dig; shovel up your money.”[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") So the peasant let the devil leap out, shake himself and vanish away.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") And from that day everything went upside down in the \_boyárs’\_ house, and they began looking for some doctor: the good youth dubbed himself a doctor, exorcised the devil, and received good pay.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Soon the rumour went forth that in the prince’s palace, in the lofty castle home, familiar spirits were appearing, and never gave the princes rest.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") They sent for hunters in every part of the earth, and summoned them to assemble doctors.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") They collected from all the kings: it was no good.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") The familiar spirits still knocked and groaned.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") At last our doctor arrived, recognised his old acquaintance, called for his little devil, and the little devil never thought of running away, and he would not leave the prince’s palace.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") “Wait a little, if this is the case,” cried the doctor.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ho, my squint-eyed wife, just come up here!”[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the little devil could not stand it and took to his heels out of the stove.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") So the doctor received honour and praise, and earned a mine of money.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") But it is said, not untruly, that, even in Paradise, it is sad to live alone.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") For the good youth grew melancholy, and he again went to seek his squint-eyed wife.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") So he let down the basket right away into the pit.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") There the woman was sitting, and he hauled her to the top.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") As soon as ever she came near she was breathing out fire and fury, gnashing her teeth and brandishing her fists.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") The peasant’s hands shook with fear, and the withy broke, and the squint-eyed woman clashed down as before into Hell.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") ELIJAH THE PROPHET AND ST. NICHOLAS[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") Once, a long time ago, there lived a peasant.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") He always observed St. Nicholas’ day, but never, never, that of St. Elias; he even worked on it.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") He used to say a \_Te Deum\_ to Nicholas, and burn a taper, but never gave as much as a thought to the Prophet Elijah.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") One day Elijah and Nicholas were walking through this peasant’s fields, going along and surveying; and the ears were so large, so full, that it warmed one’s heart to look at them\![29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") “What a fine crop this will be!” said Nicholas.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, and he’s a fine fellow, a good, brave peasant, pious; he remembers God, and reveres the Holy Saints.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") Whatever he turns his hand to shall prosper.”[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ha, let’s have a look, brother,” Elijah demurred.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") “Will there be so much over?[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") My lightnings shall glint and my hail beat his field down; then your peasant shall learn right, and regard my name-day.”[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") So they wrangled and argued, and at last agreed to go each his own way.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") St. Nicholas at once went off to the peasant, and said: “Go and sell the Father by St. Elias’ all your standing corn: not a blade will be left; it will be destroyed by hail.”[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") Up the peasant dashed to the pope: “Oh, \_bátyushka\_, won’t you buy all my standing corn?[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") I’ll sell you my whole field; I am so short of money; take it and give it me.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Do buy it, Father; I’ll sell it cheap.”[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") They haggled and bargained, and at last agreed.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") The peasant took his cash and went home.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Time went by—not much, nor little; a heavy thundrous cloud gathered, and, with frightsome lightning and hail, played on the peasant’s field, cut through his crops like a scythe, and left not one blade to tell the tale.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") Next day, Elijah and Nicholas were faring through, and Elijah said: “Look how I’ve blasted the peasant’s field!”[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") “The peasant’s field?[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") No, my brother, no; you’ve done your work thoroughly; but it belongs to the pope by St. Elias, not to the peasant.”[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") “What\![47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") That pope?”[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, yes; about a week ago the peasant sold the field to the pope, and got hard cash for it\![49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") And the pope is crying over the spilt money.”[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") “That won’t do,” said Elijah; “I will grow the meadow anew—’twill be as good as it was.”[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") They had their talk out and went on their way.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") Up went St. Nicholas to the peasant once again.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") “Go and see the pope,” he said, “and redeem your field; you won’t lose by it.”[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") The peasant went to see the pope.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") “The Lord has grievously afflicted you, has smitten your field with hail, as smooth as a board.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") Let’s share the cost of it; I will take back my field, and to relieve your loss will return you half the money.”[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") Oh, how glad the pope was to consent\![58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") They shook hands on it at once.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") Meanwhile, somehow or other, the peasant’s field righted itself; new shoots sprang up out of the old roots, the rain poured down on them, and nourished the earth; wonderful fresh corn grew up, lofty and thick; not a weed to be seen; and the ears were so full that they bowed down to earth.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") The little sun warmed them, and the rye was warmed through, and waved like a field of gold.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") The peasant bound up sheaf after sheaf, built rick after rick; carted it away and stacked it.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") Just then Elijah and St. Nicholas were once more passing by.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") Elijah looked blithely at the field and said: “Just look, Nicholas, what a blessing I have wrought\![64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") This is my reward to the pope, and he’ll never forget it all his life.”[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") “The pope\![66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") No, brother; it is a great boon, but then this is the peasant’s field; the pope hasn’t a rod of it!”[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") “Wha-at?”[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is true.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") After the meadow had been battered by hail, the peasant went up to the pope and bought it back at half price.”[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") “Stop a bit,” said the Prophet Elijah, “I’ll take all the good out of it; out of all the peasant’s ricks he shall not thresh more than six gallons at a time.”[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") “Here, this looks bad,” thought St. Nicholas, and instantly went to see the peasant, and said: “See to it; when you start threshing, never take more than a sheaf at a time on the threshing-floor.”[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") So the peasant set to threshing, and he got six gallons out of every sheaf; all his granaries and lofts were full up with rye, and still there was much left over; he built new storehouses, and filled them full to the flush.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") But one day Elijah the Prophet and St. Nicholas were passing by his courtyard, and Elijah glanced up and said: “Why has he built these new granaries?[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") How can he stock them all?”[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") “They’re full up,” St. Nicholas replied.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") “How did he get so much grain?”[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oho\![78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") Every sheaf yielded him six gallons, and, as soon as he started threshing, he brought them in sheaf by sheaf.”[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, my brother Nicholas!”[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") Elijah guessed: “you must have told him what to do!”[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well, I thought it all out, and was going to say....”[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") “What are you after?[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") It’s all your work.[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") Never mind; your peasant shall still have a reminder of me.”[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/26/page/2/) - ← previous: [Opening, part 25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/25/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/26/page/2/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)