Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/55

Rh horse which Vasily Andreich had told him to harness.

"What, thou dost not know what to do with thyself, with all this standing still, thou old fool, eh?" said Nikita in reply to the faint whinny of welcome with which he was greeted by the middle-sized, neat, dark-brown stallion standing solitary in the stable. "Well, well, thou shalt soon be off now, thou old simpleton, if thou dost but wait an instant." He spoke to the horse precisely as we speak to creatures which understand human speech, and he put the bridle on the handsome head of the stallion, comfortably adjusted its ears and mane, and seizing it by the halter, led it out to water. Cautiously making its way out of the high stable, Brownie began to sport and neigh, pretending, as he trotted along, that he wanted to hit with his hind leg Nikita, who was running with him to the well.

"None of thy tricks, thou rascal!" admonished Nikita, well aware of the carefulness with which Brownie always flung out with his hind leg, managing just to graze his short fur jacket but not to hit him, and taking great delight in this trick.

Having drunk his fill of cold water, the horse stood still, drew in his breath, smacked his strong wet lips, from the hairs of which transparent drops of water dripped back into the trough, and snorted.

"Now ask not for any more, for thou wilt not get it, thou hast had enough," said Nikita, quite seriously, and circumstantially justifying his conduct to Brownie; and again he set off running, this time back to the stable again, tugging after him by the 5