Ivá；nreturnedhome，andtherewashisotherbrother，Tará；swithhiswife，sittingatsupper。
TarastheStouthadfailedtopayhisdebts，hadrunawayfromhiscreditors，andhadcomehometohisfather’shouse。WhenhesawIvá；n，’Lookhere’，saidhe，’tillIcanstartinbusinessagain，Iwantyoutokeepmeandmywife。’
’Allright，’saidIvá；n，’youcanlivehere，ifyoulike。’
Ivá；ntookoffhiscoatandsatdowntotable，butthemerchant’swifesaid:’Icannotsitattablewiththisclown，hesmellsofperspiration。’
ThenTará；stheStoutsaid，’Ivá；n，yousmelltoostrong。
Goandeatoutside。’
’Allright，’saidIvá；n，takingsomebreadandgoingintotheyard。’Itistime，anyhow，formetogoandpasturethemare。’
Tará；s’simp，beingalsofreethatnight，came，asagreed，tohelphiscomradessubdueIvá；ntheFool。Hecametothecornfield，lookedandlookedforhiscomrades——noonewasthere。Heonlyfoundahole。Hewenttothemeadow，andtherehefoundanimp’stailintheswamp，andanotherholeintheryestubble。
’Evidently，someill-luckhasbefallenmycomrades，’thoughthe。’I
musttaketheirplaceandtacklethefool。’
SotheimpwenttolookforIvá；n，whohadalreadystackedthecornandwascuttingtreesinthewood。Thetwobrothershadbeguntofeelcrowded，livingtogether，andhadtoldIvá；ntocutdowntreestobuildnewhousesforthem。
Theimprantothewood，climbedamongthebranches，andbegantohinderIvá；nfromfellingthetrees。Ivá；nundercutonetreesothatitshouldfallclear，butinfallingitturnedaskewandcaughtamongsomebranches。Ivá；ncutapolewithwhichtoleveritaside，andwithdifficultycontrivedtobringittotheground。Hesettoworktofellanothertree——againthesamethingoccurred；andwithallhiseffortshecouldhardlygetthetreeclear。Hebeganonathirdtree，andagainthesamethinghappened。
Ivá；nhadhopedtocutdownhalfahundredsmalltrees，buthadnotfelledevenhalfascore，andnowthenightwascomeandhewastiredout。Thesteamfromhimspreadlikeamistthroughthewood，butstillhestucktohiswork。Heundercutanothertree，buthisbackbegantoachesothathecouldnotstand。Hedrovehisaxeintothetreeandsatdowntorest。
Theimp，noticingthatIvá；nhadstoppedwork，grewcheerful。
’Atlast，’thoughthe，’heistiredout！Hewillgiveitup。NowIcantakearestmyself。’
Heseatedhimselfastrideabranchandchuckled。ButsoonIvá；ngotup，pulledtheaxeout，swungitandsmotethetreefromtheoppositesidewithsuchforcethatthetreegavewayatonceandcamecrashingdown。Theimphadnotexpectedthis，andhadnotimetogethisfeetclear，andthetreeinbreaking，grippedhispaw。
Ivá；nbegantolopoffthebranches，whenhenoticedaliveimphanginginthetree！Ivá；nwassurprised。
’What，younastything，’sayshe，’soyouarehereagain！’
’Iamanotherone，’saystheimp。’IhavebeenwithyourbrotherTará；s。’
’Whoeveryouareyouhavemetyourfate，’saidIvá；n，andswinginghisaxehewasabouttostrikehimwiththehaft，buttheimpbeggedformercy:’Don’tstrikeme，’saidhe，’andIwilldoanythingyoutellmeto。’
’Whatcanyoudo？’
’Icanmakemoneyforyou，asmuchasyouwant。’
’Allright，makesome。’Sotheimpshowedhimhowtodoit。
’Take，’saidhe，’someleavesfromthisoakandrubtheminyourhands，andgoldwillfalloutontheground。’
Ivá；ntooksomeleavesandrubbedthem，andgoldrandownfromhishands。
’Thisstuffwilldofine，’saidhe，’forthefellowstoplaywithontheirholidays。’
’Nowletmego。’saidtheimp。
’Allright，’saidIvá；n，andtakingaleverhesettheimpfree。
’Nowbegone！AndGodbewithyou，’sayshe。
AndassoonashementionedGod，theimpplungedintotheearth，likeastoneintowater。Onlyaholewasleft。
Sothebrothersbuilthouses，andbegantoliveapart；andIvá；nfinishedtheharvestwork，brewedbeer，andinvitedhisbrotherstospendthenextholidaywithhim。Hisbrotherswouldnotcome。
’Wedon’tcareaboutpeasantfeasts，’saidthey。
SoIvá；nentertainedthepeasantsandtheirwives，anddrankuntilhewasrathertipsy。Thenhewentintothestreettoaringofdancers；andgoinguptothemhetoldthewomentosingasonginhishonour；’for，’saidhe，’Iwillgiveyousomethingyouneversawinyourlivesbefore！’
Thewomenlaughedandsanghispraises，andwhentheyhadfinishedtheysaid，’Nowletushaveyourgift。’
’Iwillbringitdirectly，’saidhe。
Hetookaseed-basketandranintothewoods。Thewomenlaughed。’Heisafool！’saidthey，andtheybegantotalkofsomethingelse。
ButsoonIvá；ncamerunningback，carryingthebasketfullofsomethingheavy。
’ShallIgiveityou？’
’Yes！giveittous。’
Ivá；ntookahandfulofgoldandthrewittothewomen。Youshouldhaveseenthemthrowthemselvesuponittopickitup！Andthemenaroundscrambledforit，andsnatcheditfromoneanother。Oneoldwomanwasnearlycrushedtodeath。Ivá；nlaughed。
’Oh，youfools！’sayshe。’Whydidyoucrushtheoldgrandmother？Bequiet，andIwillgiveyousomemore，’andhethrewthemsomemore。Thepeopleallcrowdedround，andIvá；nthrewthemallthegoldhehad。Theyaskedformore，butIvá；nsaid，’Ihavenomorejustnow。AnothertimeI’llgiveyousomemore。Nowletusdance，andyoucansingmeyoursongs。’
Thewomenbegantosing。
’Yoursongsarenogood，’sayshe。
’Wherewillyoufindbetterones？’saythey。
’I’llsoonshowyou，’sayshe。
Hewenttothebarn，tookasheaf，thrashedit，stooditup，andbumpeditontheground。
’Now，’saidhe:
’Osheaf！myslaveThisordergave:
WhereastrawhasbeenLetasoldierbeseen！’
Andthesheaffellasunderandbecamesomanysoldiers。Thedrumsandtrumpetsbegantoplay。Ivá；norderedthesoldierstoplayandsing。Heledthemoutintothestreet，andthepeoplewereamazed，Thesoldiersplayedandsang，andthenIvá；n(forbiddinganyonetofollowhim)ledthembacktothethrashingground，changedthemintoasheafagain，andthrewitinitsplace。
Hethenwenthomeandlaydowninthestablestosleep。
SimontheSoldierheardofallthesethingsnextmorning，andwenttohisbrother。
’Tellme，’sayshe，’whereyougotthosesoldiersfrom，andwhereyouhavetakenthemto？’
’Whatdoesitmattertoyou？’saidIvá；n。
’Whatdoesitmatter？Why，withsoldiersonecandoanything。Onecanwinakingdom。’
Ivá；nwondered。
’Really！’saidhe；’Whydidn’tyousaysobefore？I’llmakeyouasmanyasyoulike。It’swellthelassandIhavethrashedsomuchstraw。’
Ivá；ntookhisbrothertothebarnandsaid:
’Lookhere；ifImakeyousomesoldiers，youmusttakethemawayatonce，forifwehavetofeedthem，theywilleatupthewholevillageinaday。’
SimontheSoldierpromisedtoleadthesoldiersaway；andIvá；nbegantomakethem。Hebumpedasheafonthethrashingfloor——
acompanyappeared。Hebumpedanothersheaf，andtherewasasecondcompany。Hemadesomanythattheycoveredthefield。
’Willthatdo？’heasked。
Simonwasoverjoyed，andsaid:’Thatwilldo！Thankyou，Ivá；n！’
