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Rh increased that there was barely space for them in the room. They sat upon each other's shoulders, and pressed continually forward round the reader. The soldier saw that the situation was serious; he shut the book, closed his eyes, and anxiously awaited his comrade. The spirits pressed closer and closer upon him, crying,—

"Give us work to do—quick!"

The soldier reflected awhile, and then said,—

"Fill up the cisterns of all the baths in the town with water brought thither in a sieve."

The demons flew away. In two minutes they returned and said,—

"It is done! Give us some more work to do—quick!"

"Pull the Voivode's house down, brick by brick—but take care you do not touch or disturb the inmates; then build it up again as it was before."

The goblins disappeared, but in two minutes returned.

"It is done!" they cried. "Give us more work—quick!"

"Go," said the soldier, "and count the grains of sand that lie at the bottom of the Volga, the number of drops of water that are in the river, and of the fish that swim in it, from its source to its mouth."