Page:More Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/281

 X.—THE STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL

upon a time, in a certain Kingdom in a certain Empire, dwelt a rich muzhik. And this rich muzhik had three sons—Simeon the Warrior, and Taras Big Paunch, and Ivan the Fool, and a daughter, Malan'ya Pitcher Ear, who was dumb. Simeon the Soldier went to war to serve the Tsar, Taras Big Paunch went to town to a merchant's to trade, and Ivan the Fool and the girl remained at home to work and earn stripes. Simeon the Warrior won for himself a high office and an estate, and married a gentleman's daughter. He had a large salary and a large estate, and yet he could not make both ends meet: what the husband gathered in the gentlewoman-wife scattered with both hands; there was never any money. And Simeon went to his estate to collect his rents. And his overseer said to him: "There is nothing to take; we have neither cattle, nor implements, nor horses, nor cows, nor ploughs, nor harrows; we must provide ourselves with everything, and then there'll be something to collect." And Simeon the Warrior went to his father and said: "Thou art rich, little father, yet hast thou given me