ollow him," he continued. "I will go
now to the heaps and make everything rotten."

Accordingly he went to a heap of the new-mown grain and began his
fiendish work. After wetting it he built a fire and warmed himself, and
soon was fast asleep.

Ivan harnessed his horse, and, with his sister, went to bring the rye
home from the field.

After lifting a couple of sheaves from the first heap his pitchfork came
into contact with the little devil's back, which caused the latter to
howl with pain and to jump around in every direction. Ivan exclaimed:

"See here! What nastiness! You again here?"

"I am another one!" said the little devil. "That was my brother. I am
the one who was sent to your brother Simeon."

"Well," said Ivan, "it matters not who you are. I will fix you all the
same."

As Ivan was about to strike the first blow the devil pleaded: "Let me go
and I will do you no more harm. I will do whatever you wish."

"What can you do for me?" asked Ivan.

"I can make soldiers from almost anything."

"And what will they be good for?"

"Oh, they will do everything for you!"

"Can they sing?"

"They can."

"Well, make them."

"Take a bunch of straw and scatter it on the ground, and see if each
straw will not turn into a soldier."

Ivan shook the straws on the ground, and, as he expected, each straw
turned into a soldier, and they began marching with a band at their
head.

"Ishty [look you], that was well done! How it will delight the village
maidens!" he exclaimed.

The small devil now said: "Let me go; you do not need me any longer."

But Ivan said: "No, I will not let you go just yet. You have converted
the straw into soldiers, and now I want you to turn them again into
straw, as I cannot afford to lose it, but I want it with the grain on."

The devil replied: "Say: 'So many soldiers, so much straw.'"

Ivan did as directed, and got back his rye with the straw.

The small devil again begged for his release.

Ivan, taking him from the pitchfork, said: "With God's blessing you may
depart"; and, as before at the mention of God's name, the little devil
was hurled into the earth like a flash, and nothing was left but the
hole to show where he had gone.

Soon afterward Ivan returned home, to find his brother Tarras and his
wife there. Tarras-Briukhan could not pay his debts, and was forced to
flee from his creditors and seek refuge under his father's roof. Seeing
Ivan, he said: "Well, Ivan, may we r