and nothing leaves: it invisible and winged, under a ceiling curls, she shouts to the father: “The father, on you he threatened! Wants to stick into a shoulder with a braid!” Here at the old man now the hand hung. The daughter – dead fell! So it took out soul from it and carried away. And the father on a hand, on a thumb, had a tiny black wound and everything hurts, all not to heal. They to healers, they to fortune-tellers – to help nothing, никаке́ slanders! Integral year was ill. Yes, thanks, some passerby prisovetovat – it is visible from such that knew! – fresh blood from black chicken to primachivat with a special prayer and it is better to stick. Well also began to hem a finger gradually. The father of a dream lost at night: all will lay down on the furnace, and to it Dunya, the dead woman, seems, especially in the winter when a blizzard outside…
For a minute all became silent.
Splinter, crackling, flashed, grew dull, dropping the hissing pieces of coal in water.
The samovar a thin voice sang the plaintive song. The gray cat jumped off from the furnace and began to play on a floor a grandmother’s ball. Behind a window wind rustled, from time to time throwing snow dust into frozen windows.
– Shto – the grandfather meditatively muttered, stroking a beard – эфто all know. Not in one our village, and esteem everywhere, on all peasantry, to happen. Itself did not see, more and more women stir… a mozh, “it” dvistitelno… that… to fly at night?
– These cases everywhere how many you want! – there began Elizar. – Flies at night a fiery dragon it is necessary all our dark country! Therefore – night over it without dawn. From darkness it is rural… In the cities light has more about any not to hear dragons. From vain belief it, in vain such belief! Is called superstition!. People trust in a demon more strong, than in god, are afraid of it more, than god! And in what you trust, comes true!. I in one book read history – by verses it is written, the title – “Demon”. There too this national belief is taken, only the demon this not terrible, but unfortunate, young and himself is great – of course, the imagination human! The author took it from the people as the fairy tale, and the people and the fairy tale trust, here is how children! Great cause – belief! – Elizar kept silent. – And there was a history, I heard it in Siberia: the emperor Alexander the First, the fact that was at war with French in the twelfth year, actually did not die, and disappeared and became the hermit, was removed in the Siberian woods and lived to death under the guise of the simple man there. Konstantin about whom misters knew that as soon as it sets in, will give vent to serfs was a successor of an imperial throne. Well, it did not seem to zheltopuzika: they decided to kill him. Here Konstantin in the imperial carriage from Taganrog where Alexander as if died goes, thinks: as soon as I am a tsar, first of all I will give vent. Suddenly hears – behind far somewhere jump tops. Closer yes is closer. The driver to him turned back and speaks: “Your highness, successor Crown Prince! pursuit! not to good!” … “Well that” – Konstantin, and he answers, speak, idle time was, waited from it for good the black people – “to what to be, to that not to pass!” Those all are closer, just about will overtake, began to see – the person ten. Again the driver speaks: “Sit down, the sovereign, on a trestle, put on my odyozha, and I will put on yours, I will sit down on your place!” Only they managed to be changed odyozhy and the place as those naskakat and – bang! bang – from guns on both sides in carriage windows: riddled the driver in an imperial odyozha, turned horses – and let’s go back. So the male driver saved the successor of a throne from death, itself for it gave life! Believed that Konstantin of serfs will release. And he as arrived to St. Petersburg, also refused a throne, knew who shot at the driver, in a face saw them: the most foremost and the richest were landowners, court графья, princes and generals. Was afraid that will kill him if he will regret peasants. Here Aleksandra was also inherited not by Konstantin as it would be necessary, and Nikolay Pavlovich nicknamed in the people Palkin. Only nowadays reigning Alexander though without the earth, but after all exempted the people from mockeries of the landowner, noblemen and посейчас are angry with it, and there was on it an attempt of Karakozov who shot at the tsar and it is unsuccessful, and, sidyuch in prison, got poisoned with the poison hidden in hair. It had long hair, dense and curly, and it was sent by landowners. So I heard, I tell the story as I heard it.
– Well, well – the grandfather with emotion interrupted it – the will was given, and the earth all one remained with landowners? When from them the earth is taken away?
– When – it is unknown, but there will be it inevitably! – Elizar shook curls. – There are secret society and confidential subland office, and those people want to lift all people on landowners. The people think that these secret people want to protect from the tsar’s landowners, think that noblemen and this tsar want to destroy in revenge for country will, but do not know that the tsar too at the same time with landowners! Here you also get to the core of this cunning mechanics!
All were silent. Did not wait to hear it from Elizar.
It became boring for children from a serious conversation, eyes at them began to stick together.
– Well – Elizar told them – it is time to sleep to you and a postoyta, at bedtime I will read you songs from the good songbook: “Bérenger’s songs” is called. How many I songbooks bought, and it is better than it did not come across.
He developed the small book in a pink cover printed with ranks of short lines and, having thrown several leaves, began to read:
I am not deprived of theomancy,
I expect the end to princes of the earth:
The deserved penalty will comprehend them —
All poor things kings will die!
Elizar read well as though he did not read, and told, looking in the book. After several cheerful songs came across the song under the title “The falling stars”. In it the grandfather talked to the grandson:
…Here, the grandfather, one more fell.
Flies, flies, and it is not here!.
– There was a great commander – with a sigh Elizar told, closing the book – conquered all countries, except ours!. When went before army on a horse, in the sky over it the star shone day and night. And here he decided to conquer Russia. Took Moscow, and inhabitants lit it. It was necessary in the winter, in severe frosts when crows on the fly fell the dead, to run back with all the army. Took him prisoner, took out to the sea, landed on the desert island and there naked chained to the rock, the black raven began to peck to it heart. Then its star was gone and did not ascend any more.
– I vtepor a boy was when still you and did not exist – the grandfather unexpectedly declared. – Slightly I remember when the Frenchman came… The people about Moscow cried… I remember, dreamily… Brought to spend the night prisoners: brought – were slightly live, and thawed – good fellows from themselves! One and remained with our mistress – the painter appeared good, in Dubrov then the house new was built, so he painted with pictures of a wall – and now is whole!
All got out because of a table and began to lay beds. Children got in the habitual way on a bar on polat, also Elizar went there, the grandfather laid down on the edge. Vukol as if was stuck to the father. The laurels timidly and wildly continued to consider it frowningly.
Babushka and Nastya spread a koshma on a floor. The splinter lit a log hut with the flickering
