Page:Complete Works of Count Tolstoy - 01.djvu/118

86 such funny tricks with his feet that it was impossible to keep from laughing. After this last performance, he thought for a moment, winked, and suddenly went up to Ilínka with a very serious expression in his face: "Try that; really it is not hard." Noticing that the eyes of all were directed upon him, Grap blushed and with a scarcely audible voice assured us that he was in no way capable of doing it.

"Now, really, why does he not want to do it? Is he a girl? What? He must, by all means, stand on his head!"

And Serézha took his hand.

"By all means, by all means on his head!" we all cried, and surrounded Ilínka, who was perceptibly frightened and pale. We took his hands and pulled him to the dictionaries.

"Let me, I'll do it alone! You will tear my blouse!" cried the unfortunate victim. But these cries of despair only encouraged us more. We were dying with laughter, and the green blouse cracked in all its seams.

Volódya and the elder Ivin bent down his head and placed it on the dictionaries. Serézha and I got hold of the poor boy's thin legs, which he waved in all directions, rolled up his pantaloons to his knees, and with loud laughter stretched his legs in the air. The younger Ívin sustained the equilibrium of his body.

It so happened that after the noisy laughter we all suddenly grew silent, and it was so quiet in the room that we could hear the heavy breathing of poor Grap. That moment I was not entirely convinced that all this was funny and jolly.

"Now he is a fine fellow!" said Serézha, slapping him with his hand.

Ilínka was silent, and in trying to free himself, threw his legs in all directions. During one of these desperate movements, his heel struck Serézha's eye so painfully that