IVAN THE FOOL AND ST. PETERS FIFE. 231

sleep. But the parson said to his wife: “ We must
turn away this Ivan to-morrow, for he will be the
death of ourselves and our cattle!” Ivan, however,
overheard what the parson said to his wife, and
getting up early in the morning, he went straight to
the parson, and said to him: “Give me one hundred
harbovantsya, and Dll be off; but if you won't give
them to me, I'll play and play till you and your wife
have danced yourselves to death, and then I'll take
your place and live at mine ease.” The parson
scratched himself behind the ears and hesitated; but
at last he thought he had better give the money and
be quit of him. So he took the hundred karbovantsya
out of his satchel and gave them to Ivan. Then Ivan
played them a parting song, till the parson and his
wife fell down to the ground, dead beat, with their
tongues lolling out of their mouths; and then he put
his fife into his breast-pocket, and wandered forth
into the wide world.