Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/314

Tales from Tolstoi for I have the affairs of my estate to see to, but I shall be back at my own house to-morrow; come thou then to me."

"And how shall I get to thee, good godfather?"

"Go straight before thee towards sunrise and thou wilt come to a forest, and in the midst of this forest thou wilt see a little field. Sit down in this little field and rest thyself and observe what is there. As thou comest out of this forest thou wilt see a garden, and in this garden is a pavilion with a golden roof. That is my house. Go up to the gate and I will be there to meet thee."

So spake the godfather, and vanished from before the eyes of his godson.

The lad did as his godfather bade him. He went on and on till he came to the forest He came out into the little field, and in the midst of the field he saw a pine-tree with a rope fastened to one of its branches, and an oaken block about three poods in weight hung on the rope, and beneath the oaken block was a pitcher full of honey. The lad had just begun thinking to himself why the block of oak should be hung there and the honey set out, when he heard a crackling sound in the forest, and saw some bears coming towards the spot, the she-bear coming first, behind her a cub a year old, and still

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