Page:The Complete Works of Lyof N. Tolstoi - 08 (Crowell, 1899).djvu/171

Rh The Wolf said:—

"All right; I will let you go on condition that you tell me why it is that you squirrels are always so happy. I am always melancholy; but I see you playing and leaping all the time in the trees."

The Squirrel said:—

"Let me go first, and then I will tell you; but now I am afraid of you."

The Wolf let him go, and the Squirrel leaped up into a tree, and from there it said:—

"You are melancholy because you are bad. Wickedness consumes your heart. But we are happy because we are good, and do no one any harm."

had a very fine bay horse.

Some thieves heard about the bay horse, and laid their plans to steal it. They came after it was dark, and crept into the yard.

Now it happened that a peasant who had a bear with him came to spend the night at Uncle Mitya's. Uncle Mitya took the peasant into the cottage, let out the bay horse into the yard, and put the bear into the inclosure where the bay horse was.

The thieves came in the dark into the inclosure, and began to grope around. The bear got on his hind legs, and seized one of the thieves, who was so frightened that he bawled with all his might.

Uncle Mitya came out and caught the thieves.

men together found a book in the street, and began to dispute as to the ownership of it.