Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/194

Tales from Tolstoi to peace from the top of the stove, but the young people did not listen to him. This was what he said:

"Children, ye do foolishly, and foolishness will come of it. Bethink you now; the whole matter about which ye make such a to-do turns upon—an egg! The children have taken the egg, much good may it do them! An egg—'tis a sorry prize! God has enough for all. She spoke vile words to thee! Correct her, then; teach her to speak better! But ye have squabbled—sinful folks! Let it go no further. Go and beg pardon; put a cover over it all. But an' ye go evil ways—'twill be worse for you."

The young people did not listen to the old man; they thought that all the old man said did not meet the case in point, and was only grandfatherly twaddle.

Ivan did not humble himself before his neighbour.

"I didn't pull out his beard," said he; "he tugged it out himself, and he tore off my shirt-button, and tore my shirt right down. That's how it is."

And so Ivan went to law. They went to law about it in the local court, and in the district court too. And while these suits were pending, Gabriel lost the pole-bolt of his wagon, and Gabriel's women-kind falsely accused Ivan's son of taking it.

"We saw him," said they, "going at night past the window to the wagon, and Gossip So-and-so says that he went to the pot-house, and gave the innkeeper the pole-bolt for drink."

So again they went to law; and at home there was wrangling and squabbling all day long.

And the children squabbled too—they had learnt it from their elders; and the women who met together 144