had been similarly
doomed, went on killing wolves for some time, and hanging up their
skins; but when the fatal hour arrived, one of the skins became a
wolf, and slew him by whom it had before been slain. In Little Russia
the wolves have their own herdsman[448]--a being like unto a man, who
is often seen in company with St. George. There were two brothers
(says a popular tale), the one rich, the other poor. The poor brother
had climbed up a tree one night, and suddenly he saw beneath him what
seemed to be two men--the one driving a pack of wolves, the other
attending to the conveyance of a quantity of bread. These two beings
were St. George and the Lisun. And St. George distributed the bread
among the wolves, and one loaf which remained over he gave to the poor
brother; who afterwards found that it was of a miraculous nature,
always renewing itself and so supplying its owner with an
inexhaustible store of bread. The rich brother, hearing the story,
climbed up the tree one night in hopes of obtaining a similar present.
But that night St. George found that he had no bread to give to one of
his wolves, so he gave it the rich brother instead.[449]

One of the legends attributes strange forgetfulness on one occasion to
St. George. A certain Gypsy who had a wife and seven children, and
nothing to feed them with, was standing by a roadside lost in
reflection, when Yegory the Brave came riding by. Hearing that the
saint was on his way to heaven, the Gypsy besought him to ask of God
how he was to support his family. St. George promised to do so, but
forgot. Again the Gypsy saw him riding past, and again the saint
promised and forgot. In a third interview the Gypsy asked him to leave
behind his golden stirrup as a pledge.

A third time St. George leaves the presence of the Lord without
remembering the commission with which he has been entrusted. But when
he is about to mount his charger the sight of the solitary stirrup
recalls it to his mind. So he returns and states the Gypsy's request,
and obtains the reply that "the Gypsy's business is to cheat and to
swear falsely." As soon as the Gypsy is told this, he thanks the Saint
and goes off home.

"Where are you going?" cries Yegory. "Give me back my golden stirrup."

"What stirrup?" asks the Gypsy.

"Why, the one you took from me."

"When did I take one from you? I see you now for the first time in my
life, and never a stirrup did I ever take, so help me Heaven!"

So Yego