s ... all ..."

"And so ... we also will die out?"

"There will come a time when we also will die," said the teacher
indifferently.

"And to what tribe of Israel do we belong?"

The teacher looked at him, and began telling him about Scythians and
Slavs....

The old man became all the more frightened, and glanced at his face.

"You are lying!" he said scornfully, when the teacher had finished.

"What lie have I told?" asked the teacher.

"You mentioned tribes that are not mentioned in the Bible."

He got up and walked away, angry and deeply insulted.

"You will go mad, Tyapa," called the teacher after him with conviction.

Then the old man came back again, and stretching out his hand,
threatened him with his crooked and dirty finger.

"God made Adam--from Adam were descended the Jews, that means that all
people are descended from Jews ... and we also ..."

"Well?"

"Tartars are descended from Ishmael, but he also came of the Jews ..."

"What do you want to tell me all this for?"

"Nothing! Only why do you tell lies?" Then he walked away, leaving
his companion in perplexity. But after two days he came again and sat
by him.

"You are learned ... Tell me, then, whose descendants are we? Are we
Babylonians, or who are we?"

"We are Slavs, Tyapa," said the teacher, and attentively awaited his
answer, wishing to understand him.

"Speak to me from the Bible. There are no such men there."

Then the teacher began criticising the Bible. The old man listened,
and interrupted him after a long while.

"Stop ... Wait! That means that among people known to God there are
no Russians? We are not known to God? Is it so? God knew all those
who are mentioned in the Bible ... He destroyed them by sword and fire,
He destroyed their cities; but He also sent prophets to teach them.
That means that He also pitied them. He scattered the Jews and the
Tartars ... But what about us? Why have we prophets no longer?"

"Well, I don't know!" replied the teacher, trying to understand the old
man. But the latter put his hand on the teacher's shoulder, and slowly
pushed him backwards and forwards, and his throat made a noise as if he
were swallowing something....

"Tell me! You speak so much ... as if you knew everything. It makes
me sick to listen to you ... you darken my soul.... I should be better
pleased if you were silent. Who are we, eh? Why have we no prophets?
Ha, ha! ... Where were we when Christ wa