l but a
child. Eh! Eh!"

"We scared an owl in the ravine," related the boy. "That was fun! It
began to fly about and struck against a tree--bang! It even began to
squeak so pitifully. And we scared it again; again it rose and flew
about here and there, and again it struck against something, so that its
feathers were coming out. It flew about in the ravine and at last hid
itself somewhere with difficulty. We did not try to look for it, we felt
sorry it was all bruised. Papa, is an owl entirely blind in daytime?"

"Blind!" said Ignat; "some men will toss about in life even as this owl
in daytime. Ever searching for his place, he strives and strives--only
feathers fly from him, but all to no purpose. He is bruised, sickened,
stripped of everything, and then with all his might he thrusts himself
anywhere, just to find repose from his restlessness. Woe to such people.
Woe to them, dear!"

"How painful is it to them?" said Foma in a low voice.

"Just as painful as to that owl."

"And why is it so?"

"Why? It is hard to tell. Someone suffers because he is darkened by his
pride--he desires much, but has but little strength. Another because of
his foolishness. But then there are a thousand and one other reasons,
which you cannot understand."

"Come in and have some tea," Anfisa called to them. She had been
standing in the doorway for quite a long while, and, folding her hands,
lovingly admired the enormous figure of her brother, who bent over Foma
with such friendliness, and the pensive pose of the boy, who clung to
his father's shoulder.

Thus day by day Foma's life developed slowly--a quiet, peaceful life,
not at all brimful of emotions. Powerful impressions, rousing the boy's
soul for an hour or for a day, sometimes stood out strikingly against
the general background of this monotonous life, but these were soon
obliterated. The boy's soul was as yet but a calm lake--a lake hidden
from the stormy winds of life, and all that touched the surface of the
lake either sank to the bottom, stirring the placid water for a moment,
or gliding over the smooth surface, swam apart in big circles and
disappeared.

Having stayed at the district school for five years, Foma passed four
classes tolerably well and came out a brave, dark-haired fellow, with
a swarthy face, heavy eyebrows and dark down on the upper lip. His
big dark eyes had a naive and pensive look, and his lips were like a
child's, half-open; but when meeting with opp