--- title: Opening, part 35 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 35, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: And after a little while, an old man came into the hut. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/35/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 35 # Opening, part 35 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/35/) **2** “How shall we sow it now?” the poor man answered.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is now the very midst of winter and the frost is crackling.”[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") “Never mind about that.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") Go and do as I say.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") I brewed you beer, and I will sow you corn.”[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") So the poor man went once more to the rich peasant and asked him as a debt for three pecks of every kind of corn.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") When he came back he told his aged guest:[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") “Here it all is, grandfather.”[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") So they went outside to the fields, scattered it according to its nature on the peasant’s lots; and lo and behold! they went and threw all the grains on the white snow—every single grain.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") The old man said to the peasant: “Go home and wait until the summer; you will have bread enough.”[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") So the poor man went to his hut and became the laughing-stock of the village for sowing his corn in the winter.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") “Look at him\![102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") What a fool he is\![103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") He has forgotten when he ought to sow: he didn’t think of sowing in the autumn.”[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") He never minded, but waited for the spring, and the warm days came, and the snow melted, and the grain sprouts appeared.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") “Come now,” the poor man said, “I will go and see what my stretch of land looks like.”[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") So he went to his stretch of land and saw such splendid blades of corn, at which any soul might rejoice.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") And on all the acres of the others it was not half as fine.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") “Glory be to God!” the peasant cried; “I am now looking up!”[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") Soon the time of harvest came by, and all good folk began to gather their corn, and the old man also went and busied himself, and called his wife to help him.[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") And he could not get through, but had to summon for the harvesting all the husbandmen, and to give half of his corn away; and all the peasants were astonished at the poor man, for he had not sown his land, but had scattered the seeds in the winter and his corn had been splendid.[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") The poor peasant had put his affairs straight and had managed to live without any trouble; and whatever he required for his household, he went into the town, sold quarters and quarters of corn, and bought whatever he required, and repaid the rich peasant his debt in full.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the rich peasant began to think: “Heigh-ho\![113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") I shall also begin sowing in the winter; possibly I shall have corn as fine.”[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") So he waited to the very day on which the poor peasant in the previous year had sown his corn, went and took from his bins quarters of different sorts of corn, went out into the fields and scattered it all on the snow.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") He covered the fields entirely, but a storm arose at night, and mighty winds blew, and wafted all the corn from his land away on to the other fields.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") Then there came a fine spring, and the rich man went to his fields and saw them bare, and saw that his own land was naked and waste; there was not a single blade that appeared, and on all the other strips where there had been no ploughing and no sowing, you never saw such a fine green crop\![117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the rich man began to think: “Lord, I have spent much on corn, and it has all been in vain, and my debtors have all neither ploughed nor sown, and their corn grows of itself.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") Needs I must be a great sinner!”[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") SORROW[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") Once upon a time, in a wretched village, there lived two peasants, who were own brothers.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") One was poor, however, and the other rich.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") The rich man settled in the town, built himself a fine house, and became a merchant.[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") Sometimes the poor brother had not a crumb of bread and the children (each of whom was smaller than the others) cried and begged for something to eat.[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") From morning to evening the peasant trudged away like a fish on ice, but it was all of no good.[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") One day he said to his wife: “I am going into the town, in order to beg my brother to help me.”[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") So he came to the rich man and asked him: “Brother, help me in my sorrow, for my wife and children sit at home without any bread and are starving.”[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") “If you will work for me this week I will help you.”[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") What was the poor fellow to do?[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") He set to work, cleaned out the courtyard, groomed the horses, carried the water, hewed the wood.[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") When the week had gone by the rich man gave him a loaf of bread.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") “There, you have a reward for your pains.”[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") “I thank you for it,” said the poor man, and bowed down, and was going home.[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") “Stay,” the rich brother said to him: “Come with your wife to-morrow and be my guests.[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") To-morrow is my name-day.”[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, brother, how can I?[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") As you know, merchants who wear boots and furs come to see you, whilst I have only bast shoes, and I only have my grey coat.”[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") “Never mind\![138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") Come to-morrow; I shall still have room for you.”[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") “Good brother\![140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") I will come.”[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") So the poor man went home, gave his wife the loaf of bread, and said: “Listen, wife.[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") To-morrow you and I are to be guests.”[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") “Who has asked us?”[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") “My brother.[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") To-morrow is his name-day.”[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") “All right, let’s go.”[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") Next day they got up and went into the town.[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") They came to the rich man’s door, greeted him, and sat down on a bench.[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") And at table there were many guests, and the master of the house entertained them all magnificently.[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") Only he forgot the poor brother and his wife, and he gave them nothing.[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") They sat there, and could only look at the others eating and drinking.[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") When the meal was over the guests rose from table and bowed their thanks to the master and mistress, and the poor man also stood up from his bench and bowed down deep before his brother; and the guests went home drunken and merry, noisily singing songs.[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") But the poor man went home with an empty stomach.[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") “We too must sing a song!” he said to his wife.[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, you fool, the others sing, for they have had a good dinner and have drunk well.[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") Why should we sing?”[157](../../157/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well, after all, I was a guest at my brother’s name-day, and I am ashamed of going back so silently.[158](../../158/ "tree and pragmatics") If I sing they will all think, anyhow, that I have been served as well.”[159](../../159/ "tree and pragmatics") “Sing if you will\![160](../../160/ "tree and pragmatics") I shall not!”[161](../../161/ "tree and pragmatics") So the peasant sang and sang, and he heard two voices.[162](../../162/ "tree and pragmatics") So he stopped and asked his wife: “Are you helping me; to sing with a thin voice?”[163](../../163/ "tree and pragmatics") “What are you thinking of?[164](../../164/ "tree and pragmatics") I was doing nothing of the sort.”[165](../../165/ "tree and pragmatics") “What was it, then?”[166](../../166/ "tree and pragmatics") “I don’t know,” said the wife.[167](../../167/ "tree and pragmatics") “Sing.[168](../../168/ "tree and pragmatics") I will listen.”[169](../../169/ "tree and pragmatics") So he went on singing by himself, and again the two voices were heard.[170](../../170/ "tree and pragmatics") So he stayed still, and said, “Sorrow, are you aiding me to sing?”[171](../../171/ "tree and pragmatics") And Sorrow answered: “Yes, I am aiding you.”[172](../../172/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now, Sorrow, we will go on together.”[173](../../173/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, I will ever remain with you.”[174](../../174/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/35/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/35/) - next →: [Opening, part 36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/36/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)