and let him explain it to me … Though, what the devil!today is a hungry kutya, 6 and he eats dumplings, non-lenten dumplings!What a fool I am, really, standing here and heaping up sins!Retreat!…” And the pious blacksmith rushed headlong from the cottage.
However, the devil, who had been sitting in the sack and rejoicing in anticipation, couldn’t stand to see such a fine prize slip through his fingers.As soon as the blacksmith put the sack down, he jumped out and sat astride his neck.
A chill crept over the blacksmith; frightened and pale, he did not know what to do; he was just about to cross himself … But the devil, leaning his doggy muzzle to his right ear, said:
“It’s me, your friend—I’ll do anything for a friend and comrade!I’ll give you as much money as you like,” he squealed into his left ear.“Oksana will be ours today,” he whispered, poking his muzzle toward his right ear again.
The blacksmith stood pondering.
“Very well,” he said finally, “for that price I’m ready to be yours!”
The devil clasped his hands and began bouncing for joy on the blacksmith’s neck.“Now I’ve got you, blacksmith!” he thought to himself.“Now I’ll take revenge on you, my sweet fellow, for all your paintings and tall tales against devils!What will my comrades say now, when they find out that the most pious man in the whole village is in my hands?” Here the devil laughed with joy, thinking how he was going to mock all the tailed race in hell, and how furious the lame devil would be, reputed the foremost contriver among them.
“Well, Vakula!” the devil squealed, still sitting on his neck, as if fearing he might run away, “you know, nothing is done without a contract.”
“I’m ready!” said the blacksmith.“With you, I’ve heard, one has to sign in blood; wait, I’ll get a nail from my pocket!” Here he put his arm behind him and seized the devil by the tail.
“See what a joker!” the devil cried out, laughing.“Well, enough now, enough of these pranks!”
“Wait, my sweet fellow!” cried the blacksmith, “and how will you like this?” With these words he made the sign of the cross and the devil became as meek as a lamb.“Just wait,” he said, dragging him down by the tail, “I’ll teach you to set good people and honest Christians to sinning!” Here the blacksmith, without letting go of the tail, jumped astride him and raised his hand to make the sign of the cross.
“Have mercy, Vakula!” the devil moaned pitifully.“I’ll do anything you want, anything, only leave my soul in peace—don’t put the terrible cross on me!”
“Ah, so that’s the tune you sing now, you cursed German!Now I know what to do.Take me on your back this minute, do you hear?Carry me like a bird!”
“Where to?” said the rueful devil.
“To Petersburg, straight to the tsaritsa!”
And the blacksmith went numb with fear, feeling himself rising into the air.
• • •
F OR A LONG time Oksana stood pondering the blacksmith’s strange words.Something inside her was already telling her she had treated him too cruelly.What if he had indeed decided on something terrible?“Who knows, maybe in his sorrow he’ll make up his mind to fall in love with another girl and out of vexation call her the first beauty of the village?But, no, he loves me.I’m so pretty!He wouldn’t trade me for anyone; he’s joking, pretending.Before ten minutes go by, he’ll surely come to look at me.I really am too stern.I must let him kiss me, as if reluctantly.It will make him so happy!” And the frivolous beauty was already joking with her girlfriends.
“Wait,” said one of them, “the blacksmith forgot his sacks.Look, what frightful sacks!He doesn’t go caroling as we do: I think he’s got whole quarters of lamb thrown in there; and sausages and loaves of bread probably beyond count.Magnificent!We can eat as much as we want all through the feast days.”
“Are those the blacksmith’s
However, the devil, who had been sitting in the sack and rejoicing in anticipation, couldn’t stand to see such a fine prize slip through his fingers.As soon as the blacksmith put the sack down, he jumped out and sat astride his neck.
A chill crept over the blacksmith; frightened and pale, he did not know what to do; he was just about to cross himself … But the devil, leaning his doggy muzzle to his right ear, said:
“It’s me, your friend—I’ll do anything for a friend and comrade!I’ll give you as much money as you like,” he squealed into his left ear.“Oksana will be ours today,” he whispered, poking his muzzle toward his right ear again.
The blacksmith stood pondering.
“Very well,” he said finally, “for that price I’m ready to be yours!”
The devil clasped his hands and began bouncing for joy on the blacksmith’s neck.“Now I’ve got you, blacksmith!” he thought to himself.“Now I’ll take revenge on you, my sweet fellow, for all your paintings and tall tales against devils!What will my comrades say now, when they find out that the most pious man in the whole village is in my hands?” Here the devil laughed with joy, thinking how he was going to mock all the tailed race in hell, and how furious the lame devil would be, reputed the foremost contriver among them.
“Well, Vakula!” the devil squealed, still sitting on his neck, as if fearing he might run away, “you know, nothing is done without a contract.”
“I’m ready!” said the blacksmith.“With you, I’ve heard, one has to sign in blood; wait, I’ll get a nail from my pocket!” Here he put his arm behind him and seized the devil by the tail.
“See what a joker!” the devil cried out, laughing.“Well, enough now, enough of these pranks!”
“Wait, my sweet fellow!” cried the blacksmith, “and how will you like this?” With these words he made the sign of the cross and the devil became as meek as a lamb.“Just wait,” he said, dragging him down by the tail, “I’ll teach you to set good people and honest Christians to sinning!” Here the blacksmith, without letting go of the tail, jumped astride him and raised his hand to make the sign of the cross.
“Have mercy, Vakula!” the devil moaned pitifully.“I’ll do anything you want, anything, only leave my soul in peace—don’t put the terrible cross on me!”
“Ah, so that’s the tune you sing now, you cursed German!Now I know what to do.Take me on your back this minute, do you hear?Carry me like a bird!”
“Where to?” said the rueful devil.
“To Petersburg, straight to the tsaritsa!”
And the blacksmith went numb with fear, feeling himself rising into the air.
• • •
F OR A LONG time Oksana stood pondering the blacksmith’s strange words.Something inside her was already telling her she had treated him too cruelly.What if he had indeed decided on something terrible?“Who knows, maybe in his sorrow he’ll make up his mind to fall in love with another girl and out of vexation call her the first beauty of the village?But, no, he loves me.I’m so pretty!He wouldn’t trade me for anyone; he’s joking, pretending.Before ten minutes go by, he’ll surely come to look at me.I really am too stern.I must let him kiss me, as if reluctantly.It will make him so happy!” And the frivolous beauty was already joking with her girlfriends.
“Wait,” said one of them, “the blacksmith forgot his sacks.Look, what frightful sacks!He doesn’t go caroling as we do: I think he’s got whole quarters of lamb thrown in there; and sausages and loaves of bread probably beyond count.Magnificent!We can eat as much as we want all through the feast days.”
“Are those the blacksmith’s
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