Ilyá；sthankedhisneighbour，andheandhiswifetookservicewithMuhammad-Shahaslabourers。Atfirstthepositionseemedhardtothem，buttheygotusedtoit，andlivedon，workingasmuchastheirstrengthallowed。
Muhammad-Shahfounditwastohisadvantagetokeepsuchpeople，because，havingbeenmastersthemselves，theyknewhowtomanageandwerenotlazy，butdidalltheworktheycould。YetitgrievedMuhammad-Shahtoseepeoplebroughtsolowwhohadbeenofsuchhighstanding。
IthappenedoncethatsomeofMuhammad-Shah’srelativescamefromagreatdistancetovisithim，andaMullahcametoo。
Muhammad-ShahtoldIlyá；stocatchasheepandkillit。Ilyá；sskinnedthesheep，andboiledit，andsentitintotheguests。Theguestsatethemutton，hadsometea，andthenbegandrinkingkumiss。
Astheyweresittingwiththeirhostondowncushionsonacarpet，conversingandsippingkumissfromtheircups，Ilyá；s，havingfinishedhisworkpassedbytheopendoor。Muhammad-Shah，seeinghimpass，saidtooneoftheguests:
’Didyounoticethatoldmanwhopassedjustnow？’
’Yes，’saidthevisitor，’whatisthereremarkableabouthim？’
’Onlythis——thathewasoncetherichestmanamongus，’repliedthehost。’HisnameisIlyá；s。Youmayhaveheardofhim。’
’OfcourseIhaveheardofhim，’theguestanswered’Ineversawhimbefore，buthisfamehasspreadfarandwide。’
’Yes，andnowhehasnothingleft，’saidMuhammad-Shah，’andheliveswithmeasmylabourer，andhisoldwomanisheretoo——
shemilksthemares。’
Theguestwasastonished:heclickedwithhistongue，shookhishead，andsaid:
’Fortuneturnslikeawheel。Onemanitlifts，anotheritsetsdown！
Doesnottheoldmangrieveoverallhehaslost？’
’Whocantell。Helivesquietlyandpeacefully，andworkswell。’
’MayIspeaktohim？’askedtheguest。’Ishouldliketoaskhimabouthislife。’
’Whynot？’repliedthemaster，andhecalledfromthekibí；tka[18]
inwhichtheyweresitting:
’Babay；’(whichintheBashkirtonguemeans’Grandfather’)’comeinandhaveacupofkumisswithus，andcallyourwifeherealso。’
Ilyá；senteredwithhiswife；andafterexchanginggreetingswithhismasterandtheguests，herepeatedaprayer，andseatedhimselfnearthedoor。Hiswifepassedinbehindthecurtainandsatdownwithhermistress。
ACapofkumisswashandedtoIlyá；s；hewishedtheguestsandhismastergoodhealth，bowed，drankalittle，andputdownthecup。
’Well，Daddy，’saidtheguestwhohadwishedtospeaktohim，’Isupposeyoufeelrathersadatthesightofus。Itmustremindyouofyourformerprosperity，andofyourpresentsorrows。’
Ilyá；ssmiled，andsaid:
’IfIweretotellyouwhatishappinessandwhatismisfortune，youwouldnotbelieveme。Youhadbetteraskmywife。Sheisawoman，andwhatisinherheartisonhertongue。Shewilltellyouthewholetruth。’
Theguestturnedtowardsthecurtain。
’Well，Granny，’hecried，’tellmehowyourformerhappinesscompareswithyourpresentmisfortune。’
AndSham-Shemagiansweredfrombehindthecurtain:
’ThisiswhatIthinkaboutit:MyoldmanandIlivedforfiftyyearsseekinghappinessandnotfindingit；anditisonlynow，theselasttwoyears，sincewehadnothingleftandhavelivedaslabourers，thatwehavefoundrealhappiness，andwewishfornothingbetterthanourpresentlot。’
Theguestswereastonished，andsowasthemaster；heevenroseanddrewthecurtainback，soastoseetheoldwoman’sface。
Thereshestoodwithherarmsfolded，lookingatheroldhusband，andsmiling；andhesmiledbackather。Theoldwomanwenton:
’Ispeakthetruthanddonotjest。Forhalfacenturywesoughtforhappiness，andaslongaswewererichweneverfoundit。Nowthatwehavenothingleft，andhavetakenserviceaslabourers，wehavefoundsuchhappinessthatwewantnothingbetter。’
’Butinwhatdoesyourhappinessconsist？’askedtheguest。
’Why，inthis，’shereplied，’whenwewererichmyhusbandandIhadsomanycaresthatwehadnotimetotalktooneanother，ortothinkofoursouls，ortopraytoGod。Nowwehadvisitors，andhadtoconsiderwhatfoodtosetbeforethem，andwhatpresentstogivethem，lesttheyshouldspeakillofus。Whentheyleft，wehadtolookafterourlabourerswhowerealwaystryingtoshirkworkandgetthebestfood，whilewewantedtogetallwecouldoutofthem。Sowesinned。Thenwewereinfearlestawolfshouldkillafoaloracalf，orthievesstealourhorses。Welayawakeatnight，worryinglesttheewesshouldoverlietheirlambs，andwegotupagainandagaintoseethatallwaswell。Onethingattendedto，anothercarewouldspringup:how，forinstance，togetenoughfodderforthewinter。Andbesidesthat，myoldmanandIusedtodisagree。Hewouldsaywemustdosoandso，andI
woulddifferfromhim；andthenwedisputed——sinningagain。Sowepassedfromonetroubletoanother，fromonesintoanother，andfoundnohappiness。’
’Well，andnow？’
’Now，whenmyhusbandandIwakeinthemorning，wealwayshavealovingwordforoneanotherandwelivepeacefully，havingnothingtoquarrelabout。Wehavenocarebuthowbesttoserveourmaster。Weworkasmuchasourstrengthallowsanddoitwithawill，thatourmastermaynotlosebutprofitbyus。Whenwecomein，dinnerorsupperisreadyandthereiskumisstodrink。
Wehavefueltoburnwhenitiscoldandwehaveourfurcloak。Andwehavetimetotalk，timetothinkofoursouls，andtimetopray。Forfiftyyearswesoughthappiness，butonlynowatlasthavewefoundit。’
Theguestslaughed。
ButIlyá；ssaid:
’Donotlaugh，friends。Itisnotamatterforjesting——itisthetruthoflife。Wealsowerefoolishatfirst，andweptatthelossofourwealth；butnowGodhasshownusthetruth，andwetellit，notforourownconsolation，butforyourgood。’
AndtheMullahsaid:
’Thatisawisespeech。Ilyá；shasspokentheexacttruth。ThesameissaidinHolyWrit。’
Andtheguestsceasedlaughingandbecamethoughtful。
thethreehermitsTHETHREEHERMITS
ANOLDLEGENDCURRENTINTHEVOLGADISTRICT
’Andinprayingusenotvainrepetitions，astheGentilesdo:fortheythinkthattheyshallbeheardfortheirmuchspeaking。Benotthereforelikeuntothem:foryourFatherknowethwhatthingsyehaveneedof，beforeyeaskHim。’——Matt。vi。7，8。
ABISHOPwassailingfromArchangeltotheSolové；tskMonastery；
andonthesamevesselwereanumberofpilgrimsontheirwaytovisittheshrinesatthatplace。Thevoyagewasasmoothone。
Thewindfavourable，andtheweatherfair。Thepilgrimslayondeck，eating，orsatingroupstalkingtooneanother。TheBishop，too，cameondeck，andashewaspacingupanddown，henoticedagroupofmenstandingneartheprowandlisteningtoafishermanwhowaspointingtotheseaandtellingthemsomething。TheBishopstopped，andlookedinthedirectioninwhichthemanwaspointing。Hecouldseenothinghowever，buttheseaglisteninginthesunshine。Hedrewnearertolisten，butwhenthemansawhim，hetookoffhiscapandwassilent。Therestofthepeoplealsotookofftheircaps，andbowed。
’Donotletmedisturbyou，friends，’saidtheBishop。’Icametohearwhatthisgoodmanwassaying。’
’Thefishermanwastellingusaboutthehermits，’repliedone，atradesman，ratherbolderthantherest。
’Whathermits？’askedtheBishop，goingtothesideofthevesselandseatinghimselfonabox。’Tellmeaboutthem。Ishouldliketohear。Whatwereyoupointingat？’
’Why，thatlittleislandyoucanjustseeoverthere，’answeredtheman，pointingtoaspotaheadandalittletotheright。’Thatistheislandwherethehermitsliveforthesalvationoftheirsouls。’
’Whereistheisland？’askedtheBishop。’Iseenothing。’
’There，inthedistance，ifyouwillpleaselookalongmyhand。Doyouseethatlittlecloud？Belowitandabittotheleft，thereisjustafaintstreak。Thatistheisland。’
TheBishoplookedcarefully，buthisunaccustomedeyescouldmakeoutnothingbutthewatershimmeringinthesun。
’Icannotseeit，’hesaid。’Butwhoarethehermitsthatlivethere？’
’Theyareholymen，’answeredthefisherman。’Ihadlongheardtellofthem，butneverchancedtoseethemmyselftilltheyearbeforelast。’
Andthefishermanrelatedhowonce，whenhewasoutfishing，hehadbeenstrandedatnightuponthatisland，notknowingwherehewas。Inthemorning，ashewanderedabouttheisland，hecameacrossanearthhut，andmetanoldmanstandingnearit。
Presentlytwootherscameout，andafterhavingfedhim，anddriedhisthings，theyhelpedhimmendhisboat。
’Andwhataretheylike？’askedtheBishop。
