ondrous
draperies of vivid green. Her feet touched the snow-hardened ground
and armies of little white and blue flowers sprang up in her footsteps.
Soft breezes escorted her, velvety breezes that carried the aromas of
the far-off places from which they came, places far to the southward,
like Kremenchug and Kerch, and more distant towns beyond the Black Sea
whose people were not under the sway of the Great Czar.

The father of Big Ivan, who had fought under Prince Menshikov at Alma
fifty-five years before, hobbled out to see the sunbeams eat up the snow
hummocks that hid in the shady places, and he told his son it was the
most wonderful spring he had ever seen.

"The little breezes are hot and sweet," he said, sniffing hungrily with
his face turned toward the south. "I know them, Ivan! I know them! They
have the spice odor that I sniffed on the winds that came to us when we
lay in the trenches at Balaklava. Praise God for the warmth!"

And that day the Dream came to Big Ivan as he plowed. It was a wonder
dream. It sprang into his brain as he walked behind the plow, and for
a few minutes he quivered as the big bridge quivers when the Beresina
sends her ice squadrons to hammer the arches. It made his heart pound
mightily, and his lips and throat became very dry.

Big Ivan stopped at the end of the furrow and tried to discover what
had brought the Dream. Where had it come from? Why had it clutched him
so suddenly? Was he the only man in the village to whom it had come?

Like his father, he sniffed the sweet-smelling breezes. He thrust his
great hands into the sunbeams. He reached down and plucked one of a
bunch of white flowers that had sprung up overnight. The Dream was
born of the breezes and the sunshine and the spring flowers. It came
from them and it had sprung into his mind because he was young and
strong. He knew! It couldn't come to his father or Donkov, the tailor,
or Poborino, the smith. They were old and weak, and Ivan's dream was
one that called for youth and strength.

"Ay, for youth and strength," he muttered as he gripped the plow. "And
I have it!"

That evening Big Ivan of the Bridge spoke to his wife, Anna, a little
woman, who had a sweet face and a wealth of fair hair.

"Wife, we are going away from here," he said.

"Where are we going, Ivan?" she asked.

"Where do you think, Anna?" he said, looking down at her as she stood
by his side.

"To Bobruisk," she murmured.

"No."

"Farther?"

"