Ivá；nhadploughedupthewholefallow，allbutonelittlestrip。
Hecametofinishit。Thoughhisstomachached，theploughingmustbedone。Hefreedtheharnessropes，turnedtheplough，andbegantowork。Hedroveonefurrow，butcomingbacktheploughbegantodragasifithadcaughtinaroot。Itwastheimp，whohadtwistedhislegsroundtheploughshareandwasholdingitback。
’Whatastrangething！’thoughtIvá；n。’Therewerenorootshereatall，andyethere’saroot。’
Ivá；npushedhishanddeepintothefurrow，gropedabout，and，feelingsomethingsoft，seizedholdofitandpulleditout。Itwasblacklikearoot，butitwriggled。Why，itwasaliveimp！
’Whatanastything！’saidIvá；n，andheliftedhishandtodashitagainsttheplough，buttheimpsquealedout:
’Don’thurtme，andI’lldoanythingyoutellmeto。’
’Whatcanyoudo？’
’Anythingyoutellmeto。’
Ivá；nscratchedhishead。
’Mystomachaches，’saidhe；’canyoucurethat？’
’CertainlyIcan。’
’Wellthen，doso。’
Theimpwentdownintothefurrow，searchedaboutscratchedwithhisclaws，andpulledoutabunchofthreelittleroots，whichhehandedtoIvá；n。
’Here，’sayshe，’whoeverswallowsoneofthesewillbecuredofanyillness。’
Ivá；ntooktheroots，separatedthem，andswallowedone。Thepaininhisstomachwascuredatonce。Theimpagainbeggedtobeletoff；’Iwilljumprightintotheearth，andnevercomeback，’saidhe。
’Allright，’saidIvá；n；’begone，andGodbewithyou！’
AndassoonasIvá；nmentionedGod，theimpplungedintotheearthlikeastonethrownintothewater。Onlyaholewasleft。
Ivá；nputtheothertwopiecesofrootintohiscapandwentonwithhisploughing。Heploughedthestriptotheend，turnedhisploughover，andwenthome。Heunharnessedthehorse，enteredthehut，andtherehesawhiselderbrother，SimontheSoldierandhiswife，sittingatsupper。Simon’sestatehadbeenconfiscated，hehimselfhadbarelymanagedtoescapefromprison，andhehadcomebacktoliveinhisfather’shouse。
SimonsawIvá；n，andsaid:’Ihavecometolivewithyou。FeedmeandmywifetillIgetanotherappointment。’
’Allright，’saidIvá；n，’youcanstaywithus。’
ButwhenIvá；nwasabouttositdownonthebenchtheladydislikedthesmell，andsaidtoherhusband。’Icannotsupwithadirtypeasant。’
SoSimontheSoldiersaid，’Myladysaysyoudon’tsmellnice。You’dbettergoandeatoutside。’
’Allright，’saidIvá；n；’anywayImustspendthenightoutside，forIhavetopasturethemare。’
Sohetooksomebread，andhiscoat，andwentwiththemareintothefields。
Havingfinishedhisworkthatnight，Simon’simpcame，asagreed，tofindIvá；n’simpandhelphimtosubduethefool。Hecametothefieldandsearchedandsearched；butinsteadofhiscomradehefoundonlyahole。
’Clearly，’thoughthe，’someevilhasbefallenmycomrade。Imusttakehisplace。Thefieldisploughedup，sothefoolmustbetackledinthemeadow。’
SotheimpwenttothemeadowsandfloodedIvá；n’shayfieldwithwater，whichleftthegrassallcoveredwithmud。
Ivá；nreturnedfromthepastureatdawn，sharpenedhisscythe，andwenttomowthehayfield。Hebegantomowbuthadonlyswungthescytheonceortwicewhentheedgeturnedsothatitwouldnotcutatall，butneededresharpening。Ivá；nstruggledonforawhile，andthensaid:’It’snogood。Imustgohomeandbringatooltostraightenthescythe，andI’llgetachunkofbreadatthesametime。IfIhavetospendaweekhere，Iwon’tleavetillthemowing’sdone。’
Theimpheardthisandthoughttohimself，’Thisfoolisatough’un；
Ican’tgetroundhimthisway。Imusttrysomeotherdodge。’
Ivá；nreturned，sharpenedhisscythe，andbegantomow。Theimpcreptintothegrassandbegantocatchthescythebytheheel，sendingthepointintotheearth。Ivá；nfoundtheworkveryhard，buthemowedthewholemeadow，exceptonelittlebitwhichwasintheswamp。Theimpcreptintotheswampand，thoughthetohimself，’ThoughIcutmypawsIwillnotlethimmow。’
Ivá；nreachedtheswamp。Thegrassdidn’tseemthick，butyetitresistedthescythe。Ivá；ngrewangryandbegantoswingthescythewithallhismight。Theimphadtogivein；hecouldnotkeepupwiththescythe，and，seeingitwasabadbusiness，hescrambledintoabush。Ivá；nswungthescythe，caughtthebush，andcutoffhalftheimp’stail。Thenhefinishedmowingthegrass，toldhissistertorakeitup，andwenthimselftomowtherye。Hewentwiththescythe，butthedock-tailedimpwastherefirst，andentangledtheryesothatthescythewasofnouse。ButIvá；nwenthomeandgothissickle，andbegantoreapwiththatandhereapedthewholeoftherye。
’Nowit’stime，’saidhe，’tostartontheoats。’
Thedock-tailedimpheardthis，andthought，’Icouldn’tgetthebetterofhimontherye，butIshallontheoats。Onlywaittillthemorning。’
Inthemorningtheimphurriedtotheoatfield，buttheoatswerealreadymoweddown！Ivá；nhadmowedthembynight，inorderthatlessgrainshouldshakeout。Theimpgrewangry。
’Hehascutmealloverandtiredmeout——thefool。Itisworsethanwar。Theaccursedfoolneversleeps；onecan’tkeepupwithhim。Iwillgetintohisstacksnowandrotthem。’
Sotheimpenteredtherye，andcreptamongthesheaves，andtheybegantorot。Heheatedthem，grewwarmhimself，andfellasleep。
Ivá；nharnessedthemare，andwentwiththelasstocarttherye。
Hecametotheheaps，andbegantopitchtheryeintothecart。
Hetossedtwosheavesandagainthrusthisfork——rightintotheimp’sback。Heliftstheforkandseesontheprongsaliveimp；
dock-tailed，struggling，wriggling，andtryingtojump。
’What，younastything，areyouhereagain？’
’I’manother，’saidtheimp。’Thefirstwasmybrother。I’vebeenwithyourbrotherSimon。’
’Well，’saidIvá；n，whoeveryouare，you’vemetthesamefate！’
Hewasabouttodashhimagainstthecart，buttheimpcriedout:’Letmeoff，andIwillnotonlyletyoualone，butI’lldoanythingyoutellmetodo。’
’Whatcanyoudo？’
’Icanmakesoldiersoutofanythingyoulike。’
’Butwhatusearethey？’
’Youcanturnthemtoanyuse；theycandoanythingyouplease。’
’Cantheysing？’
’Yes，ifyouwantthemto。’
’Allright；youmaymakemesome。’
Andtheimpsaid，’Here，takeasheafofrye，thenbumpituprightontheground，andsimplysay:
’Osheaf！myslaveThisordergave:
WhereastrawhasbeenLetasoldierbeseen！’
Ivá；ntookthesheaf，struckitontheground，andsaidwhattheimphadtoldhimto。Thesheaffellasunder，andallthestrawschangedintosoldiers，withatrumpeterandadrummerplayinginfront，sothattherewasawholeregiment。
Ivá；nlaughed。
’Howclever！’saidhe。’Thisisfine！Howpleasedthegirlswillbe！’
’Nowletmego，’saidtheimp。
’No，’saidIvá；n，’Imustmakemysoldiersofthrashedstraw，otherwisegoodgrainwillbewasted。Teachmehowtochangethembackagainintothesheaf。Iwanttothrashit。’
Andtheimpsaid，’Repeat:
’LeteachbeastrawWhowassoldierbefore，FormytrueslaveThisordergave！“’
Ivá；nsaidthis，andthesheafreappeared。
Againtheimpbegantobeg，’Nowletmego！
’Allright。’AndIvá；npressedhimagainstthesideofthecart，heldhimdownwithhishand，andpulledhimoffthefork。
’Godbewithyou，’saidhe。
AndassoonashementionedGod，theimpplungedintotheearthlikeastoneintowater。Onlyaholewasleft。
