214 : COSSACK FAIRY TALES.

“ Nay, dad, but it is as much as we can do to keep
ourselves.” Thus between his four sons he knew not
what to do. There was quite a battle among them as
to which of them should not keep their old father.
One had one good excuse and another had another,
and so none of them would keep him. This one had
a lot of little children, and that one had a scold for a
wife, and this house was too small, and that house was
too poor. ‘Go where thou wilt, old man,” said they,
“only don’t come to us.” And the old man, grey,
grey, grey as a dove was he, wept before his sons, and
knew not whither to turn. What could he do? En-
treaty was in vain. Not one of the sons would take
the old man in, and yet he had to be put somewhere.
Then the old man strove with them no more, but let
them do with him even as they would.

So all four sons met and took counsel. Time after
time they laid their heads together, and at last they
agreed among themselves that the best thing the old
man could do was to go to school. ‘ There will be a
bench for him to sit upon there,” said they; “and he
can take something to eat in his knapsack.” Then
they told the old man about it; but the old man did
not want to go to school. He begged his children
not to send him there, and wept before them. ‘Now
that I cannot see the white world,” said he, “ how can
I see a black book? Moreover, from my youth up-