Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/193

Rh wife went out to draw water, and she got mixed up in it. Gabriel's wife rushed out; she began to abuse her neighbour. She told her the plain truth, and she wove into her speech what was not truth at all. They fell a-screeching. They all shrieked together; they tried to speak two different things at the same time. And their words grew worse and worse.

"If I'm this, you're that."

"You're a thief! you're a slut! … you're no good at all."

"And you are a beggar; you borrowed my sieve and spoilt it. Even the pump-handle you've got is ours; give us back our pump-handle."

They seized hold of the pump-handle, spilt all the water, wet their clothes, and fell a-fighting. Gabriel came in from the field, and took the part of his old woman. Ivan rushed out with his son: there was now a whole heap of them. Ivan was a strong and vigorous muzhik—he scattered the lot of them. Gabriel had a bit of his beard torn out. A crowd came together and separated them by force.

That was the beginning of it. Gabriel wrapped his bit of beard in a piece of paper, and went to bring an action in the local court.

"I do not let my beard grow in order that that freckled Van'ka may pull it out," said he.

And his wife boasted to the neighbours that he was going to bring his action against Ivan, who would be sent to Siberia. And so the quarrel went on.

From the very first day the old man exhorted them

143