Havingdonewiththetwobrothers，theoldDevilwenttoIvá；n。
HechangedhimselfintoaGeneral，andcomingtoIvá；nbegantopersuadehimthatheoughttohaveanarmy。
’Itdoesnotbecomeaking，’saidhe，’tobewithoutanarmy。Onlygivemetheorder，andIwillcollectsoldiersfromamongyourpeople，andformone。’
Ivá；nlistenedtohim。’Allright，’saidIvá；n，’formanarmy，andteachthemtosingsongswell。Iliketohearthemdothat。’
SotheoldDevilwentthroughIvan’skingdomtoenlistmen。Hetoldthemtogoandbeenteredassoldiers，andeachshouldhaveaquartofspiritsandafineredcap。
Thepeoplelaughed。
’Wehaveplentyofspirits，’saidthey。’Wemakeitourselves；andasforcaps，thewomenmakeallkindsofthem，evenstripedoneswithtassels。’
Sonobodywouldenlist。
TheoldDevilcametoIvá；nandsaid:’Yourfoolswon’tenlistoftheirownfreewill。Weshallhavetomakethem。’
’Allright，’saidIvá；n，’youcantry。’
SotheoldDevilgavenoticethatallthepeopleweretoenlist，andthatIvá；nwouldputtodeathanyonewhorefused。
ThepeoplecametotheGeneralandsaid，’YousaythatifwedonotgoassoldierstheKingwillputustodeath，butyoudon’tsaywhatwillhappenifwedoenlist。Wehaveheardsaythatsoldiersgetkilled！’
’Yes，thathappenssometimes。’
Whenthepeopleheardthistheybecameobstinate。
’Wewon’tgo，’saidthey。’Bettermeetdeathathome。Eitherwaywemustdie。’
’Fools！Youarefools！’saidtheoldDevil。’Asoldiermaybekilledorhemaynot，butifyoudon’tgo，KingIvá；nwillhaveyoukilledforcertain。’
Thepeoplewerepuzzled，andwenttoIvá；ntheFooltoconsulthim。
’AGeneralhascome，’saidthey，’whosayswemustallbecomesoldiers。
“Ifyougoassoldiers，“sayshe“youmaybekilledoryoumaynot，butifyoudon’tgo，KingIvá；nwillcertainlykillyou。“Isthistrue？’
Ivá；nlaughedandsaid，’HowcanI，alone，putallyoutodeath？
IfIwerenotafoolIwouldexplainittoyoubutasitis，Idon’tunderstanditmyself。’
’Then’saidthey，’wewillnotserve。’
’Allright，’sayshe，’don’t。’
SothepeoplewenttotheGeneralandrefusedtoenlist。AndtheoldDevilsawthatthisgamewasup，andhewentoffandingratiatedhimselfwiththeKingofTaraká；n。
’Letusmakewar，’sayshe，’andconquerKingIvá；n’scountry。
Itistruethereisnomoney，butthereisplentyofcornandcattleandeverythingelse。’
SotheKingofTaraká；npreparedtomakewar。Hemusteredagreatarmy，providedriflesandcannons，marchedtothefrontier，andenteredIvá；n’skingdom。
AndpeoplecametoIvá；nandsaid，’TheKingofTaraká；niscomingtomakewaronus。’
’Allright，’saidIvá；n，’lethimcome。’
Havingcrossedthefrontier，theKingofTaraká；nsentscoutstolookforIvá；n’sarmy。Theylookedandlooked，buttherewasnoarmy！Theywaitedandwaitedforonetoappearsomewhere，buttherewerenosignsofanarmy，andnobodytofightwith。TheKingofTaraká；nthensenttoseizethevillages。Thesoldierscametoavillage，andthepeople，bothmenandwomen，rushedoutinastonishmenttostareatthesoldiers。Thesoldiersbegantotaketheircornandcattle；thepeopleletthemhaveit，anddidnotresist。
Thesoldierswentontoanothervillage；thesamethinghappenedagain。
Thesoldierswentonforoneday，andfortwodays，andeverywherethesamethinghappened。Thepeopleletthemhaveeverything，andnooneresisted，butonlyinvitedthesoldierstolivewiththem。
’Poorfellows，’saidthey，’ifyouhaveahardlifeinyourownland，whydon’tyoucomeandstaywithusaltogether？’
Thesoldiersmarchedandmarched:stillnoarmy，onlypeoplelivingandfeedingthemselvesandothers，andnotresisting，butinvitingthesoldierstostayandlivewiththem。Thesoldiersfounditdullwork，andtheycametotheKingofTaraká；nandsaid，’Wecannotfighthere，leaduselsewhere。Warisallright，butwhatisthis？Itislikecuttingpea-soup！Wewillnotmakewarhereanymore。’
TheKingofTaraká；ngrewangry，andorderedhissoldierstoover-runthewholekingdom，todestroythevillages，toburnthegrainandthehouses，andtoslaughterthecattle。’Andifyoudonotobeymyorders，’saidhe，’Iwillexecuteyouall。’
Thesoldierswerefrightened，andbegantoactaccordingtotheKing’sorders。Theybegantoburnhousesandcorn，andtokillcattle。Butthefoolsstillofferednoresistance，andonlywept。Theoldmenwept，andtheoldwomenwept，andtheyoungpeoplewept。
’Whydoyouharmus？’theysaid。’Whydoyouwastegoodthings？Ifyouneedthem，whydoyounottakethemforyourselves？’
Atlastthesoldierscouldstanditnolonger。Theyrefusedtogoanyfurther，andthearmydisbandedandfled。
TheoldDevilhadtogiveitup。HecouldnotgetthebetterofIvá；nwithsoldiers。Sohechangedhimselfintoafinegentleman，andsettleddowninIvan’skingdom。Hemeanttoovercomehimbymeansofmoney，ashehadovercomeTará；stheStout。
’Iwish，’sayshe，’todoyouagoodturn，toteachyousenseandreason。
Iwillbuildahouseamongyouandorganizeatrade。’
’Allright，’saidIvá；n，’comeandliveamongusifyoulike。’
Nextmorningthefinegentlemanwentoutintothepublicsquarewithabigsackofgoldandasheetofpaper，andsaid，’Youalllivelikeswine。Iwishtoteachyouhowtoliveproperly。Buildmeahouseaccordingtothisplan。Youshallwork，Iwilltellyouhow，andIwillpayyouwithgoldcoins。’Andheshowedthemthegold。
Thefoolswereastonished；therewasnomoneyinuseamongthem；theybarteredtheirgoods，andpaidoneanotherwithlabour。
Theylookedatthegoldcoinswithsurprise。
’Whatnicelittlethingstheyare！’saidthey。
Andtheybegantoexchangetheirgoodsandlabourforthegentleman’sgoldpieces。AndtheoldDevilbegan，asinTará；s’skingdom，tobefreewithhisgold，andthepeoplebegantoexchangeeverythingforgoldandtodoallsortsofworkforit。
TheoldDevilwasdelighted，andthoughthetohimself，’Thingsaregoingrightthistime。NowIshallruintheFoolasIdidTará；s，andIshallbuyhimupbodyandsoul。’
Butassoonasthefoolshadprovidedthemselveswithgoldpiecestheygavethemtothewomenfornecklaces。Thelassesplaitedthemintotheirtresses，andatlastthechildreninthestreetbegantoplaywiththelittlepieces。Everybodyhadplentyofthem，andtheystoppedtakingthem。Butthefinegentleman’smansionwasnotyethalf-built，andthegrainandcattlefortheyearwerenotyetprovided。Sohegavenoticethathewishedpeopletocomeandworkforhim，andthathewantedcattleandgrain；foreachthing，andforeachservice，hewasreadytogivemanymorepiecesofgold。
Butnobodycametoworkandnothingwasbrought。Onlysometimesaboyoralittlegirlwouldrunuptoexchangeaneggforagoldcoin，butnobodyelsecame，andhehadnothingtoeat。Andbeinghungry，thefinegentlemanwentthroughthevillagetotryandbuysomethingfordinner。Hetriedatonehouse，andofferedagoldpieceforafowl，butthehousewifewouldn’ttakeit。
’Ihavealotalready，’saidshe。
Hetriedatawidow’shousetobuyaherring，andofferedagoldpiece。
’Idon’twantit，mygoodsir，’saidshe。’Ihavenochildrentoplaywithit，andImyselfalreadyhavethreecoinsascuriosities。’
Hetriedatapeasant’shousetogetbread，butneitherwouldthepeasanttakemoney。
’Idon’tneedit，’saidhe，’butifyouarebegging“forChrist’ssake[15]，“
waitabitandI’lltellthehousewifetocutyouapieceofbread。’
AtthattheDevilspat，andranaway。TohearChrist’snamementioned，letalonereceivinganythingforChrist’ssake，hurthimmorethanstickingaknifeintohim。
Andsohegotnobread。Everyonehadgold，andnomatterwheretheoldDevilwent，nobodywouldgiveanythingformoney，buteveryonesaid，’Eitherbringsomethingelse，orcomeandwork，orreceivewhatyouwantincharityforChrist’ssake。’
ButtheoldDevilhadnothingbutmoney；forworkhehadnoliking，andasfortakinganything’forChrist’ssake’hecouldnotdothat。TheoldDevilgrewveryangry。
’Whatmoredoyouwant，whenIgiveyoumoney？’saidhe。’Youcanbuyeverythingwithgold，andhireanykindoflabourer。’Butthefoolsdidnotheedhim。
