United States or French Polynesia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
On a sudden Goria saw before him a splendid palace of white marble, and in amazement, he exclaimed: "You are in truth the devil himself, and no man, to do such marvellous things!" "I tell the truth, you see, and do not deceive you," replied the stranger; "and now I make you a present of this marble palace, and will remain with you and serve you faithfully. Call me Prituitshkin!"
When you go to bed, and the servants bring you a number of lights, bid them take the lights all away, and order me to bring you a stone, which Prince Dardavan always lays on his table at night. I will bring you this stone, which shows more light than a thousand candles." When Goria the shoemaker heard these directions he promised to observe them all.
When the servant Prituitshkin heard this, he went invisibly up to Goria and whispered in his ear: "Tell Mistafor that your father, when he sat at table, always gave first to the poor a piece of bread to eat, and instead of salt, used to pour out to them a bag of gold: and so saying, order me to bring you the bag of gold."
Mistafor went to his daughter Dogada, and bade her come and welcome her betrothed husband, Prince Dardavan; but Dogada was discreet and cunning, and replied; "My gracious lord and father, this is indeed not Prince Dardavan, but our shoemaker Goria Krutshinin."
Then the stranger said: "I know your master well enough; you must be freed from his cruelty; and, if you like, I will marry Mistafor's daughter to you instead of to the Prince to whom she is betrothed." "Are you mad?" said Goria; "what nonsense are you talking?" "Trust me," replied the stranger, "I can bring it all about."
But on a sudden Prituitshkin jumped into the water, and Dogada exclaimed: "Ah! see, the servant Prituitshkin is drowned!" Then said Goria: "The devil take him! I want him no longer." Prince Dardavan, the real affianced husband of Dogada, was sent out to battle, and there lost his life.
So he beat him unmercifully till the shoemaker, Goria Krutshinin, was half dead, and lay sick for ten long weeks. As soon as Goria began to recover, Mistafor Skurlatovich ordered him to make some more shoes. And when Goria had finished several pairs he took them to his master to try on; but not a single pair pleased him.
So the shoemaker told him all that had happened. Mistafor, enraged against his daughter, exclaimed: "Look ye, did you not say that this was not Prince Dardavan, but the shoemaker Goria Krutshinin? I have no longer patience prepare instantly for your wedding." And Goria the shoemaker married the Princess Dogada that very day.
Goria the shoemaker ever after went by his name, and lived many years with Dogada in great happiness, forgetting his former unhappy fate. In a certain village lived at one time a peasant, who had three sons, two of whom were clever, but the third was a fool, and his name was Emelyan.
But Goria instantly drove all the servants away with the lights, and ordered Prituitshkin to give him the stone, which the latter presently brought, having stolen this also from Prince Dardavan. Then Goria placed the stone on the table, and lay down to sleep; and the light shed by the stone was more dazzling than a meteor in the sky.
Word Of The Day