Page:The Cook's Wedding and Other Stories.djvu/270

 towards the shouts which come from the river, and then trips rapidly towards the bathing shed.

"What's this? Who's shouting?" he asks sternly, seeing through the branches of the willow the three wet heads of the fishermen. "What are you so busy about there?"

"Catching a fish," mutters Yefim, without raising his head.

"I'll give it to you! The beasts are in the garden and he is fishing! When will that bathing shed be done, you devils? You've been at work two days, and what is there to show for it?"

"It will soon be done," grunts Gerassim; "summer is long, you'll have plenty of time to wash, your honour Pfrrr!  We can't manage this eel-pout here anyhow He's got under a root and sits there as if he were in a hole and won't budge one way or another"

"An eel-pout?" says the master, and his eyes begin to glisten. "Get him out quickly then."

"You'll give us half a rouble for it presently if we oblige you A huge eel-pout, as fat as a merchant's wife It's worth half a rouble, your honour, for the trouble Don't squeeze him, Lubim, don't squeeze him, you'll spoil him! Push him up from below! Pull the root upwards, my good man  what's your name? Upwards, not downwards, you brute! Don't swing your legs!"

Five minutes pass, ten The master loses all patience.