38 COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

brother. “Dost think I only made the exchange for
a single day? No, I gave them to thee once and
for all, and now thou wouldst rip the whole thing up
like a goat at the fair. I have no doubt thou hast
neither watered them nor fed them, and that is why
they won't stand up.’—‘I didn’t know,” said the
poor man, “that oxen needed water and food.”—
“ Didn’t know !” sereeched the rich man, in a mighty
rage, and taking the poor brother by the hand, he
led him away from the hut. ‘Go away,” said he,
“and never come back here again, or I'll have thee
hanged on a gallows !”—‘ Ah! what a big gentleman
we are!” said the poor brother; ‘just thou give me
back my own, and then I will go away.’—“ Thou
hadst better not stop here,” said the rich brother ;
“come, stir thy stumps, thou pagan! Go home ere
I beat thee !”—‘ Don’t say that,” replied the poor
man, “but give me back my ram and my sack, and
then I wll go.’—At this the rich brother quite lost
his temper, and cried to his wife and children:
“Why do you stand staring like that? Can't you
come and help me to pitch this insolent rogue out of
the house?” ‘This, however, was something beyond
a joke, so the poor brother called to his henchmen :
‘Henchmen, henchmen! out of the drum, and give
this accursed brother of mine and his wife a sound
drubbing, that they may think twice about it another