AsIdidso，therearosefromtheground-levelananimatedclodofearthintheshapeofasturdyindividual。Unwashedandunshaven，hehadhangingonhisframeanopencanvasshirt，greywithdust，andbaggybluebreeches。
“Goodevening，“Isaidtothefellow。
“Iwishyouthesame，“hereplied。“Whitherareyoubound？“
“Firstofall，whatisthenameofthisriver？“
“Whatisitsname？Why，itistheSagaidak，ofcourse。“
Ontheman’slarge，roundheadtherewasashockofbristling，grizzledcurls，whilependenttothemoustachebelowitwereendslikethoseofthemoustacheofaChinaman。Also，ashissmalleyesscannedmewithanairofimpudentdistrust，Icoulddetectthattheywereengagedincountingtheholesanddamsinmyraiment。Onlyafteralongintervaldidhedrawadeepbreathasfromhispocketheproducedaclaypipewithacanemouthpiece，and，knittinghisbrowsattentively，felltopeeringintothepipe’sblackbowl。Thenhesaid:
“Haveyoumatches？“
Irepliedintheaffirmative。
“Andsometobacco？“
Forawhilehecontinuedtocontemplatethesunwherethatluminaryhungsuspendedaboveacloud-bankbeforefinallydeclining。Thenheremarked:
“Givemeapinchofthetobacco。Asformatches，Ihavesome。“
Sobothofuslitup；afterwhichherestedhiselbowsuponthebalustradeofthebridge，leantbackagainstthecentralstanchions，andforsometimecontinuedmerelytoemitandinhalebluecoilsofsmoke。Thenhisnosewrinkled，andheexpectorated。
“Muscovitetobaccoisit？“heinquired。
“No——Roman，Italian。“
“Oh！“Andasthewrinklesofhisnosestraightenedthemselvesagainheadded:“Thenofcourseitisgoodtobacco。“
Toenteradwellinginadvanceofone’shostisabreachofdecorum；wherefore，IfoundmyselfforcedtoremainstandingwhereIwasuntilmyinterlocutor’staleofquestionsastomypreciseidentity，myexactplaceoforigin，mytruedestination，andmyrealreasonsfortravellingshouldtardilywinitswaytoafinish。Greatlytheprocessvexedme，forIwaseager，rather，tolearnwhatthesteppesettlementmighthaveinstoreformydelectation。
“Work？“thefellowdrawledthroughhisteeth。“Ohno，thereisnoworktobegothere。Howcouldtherebeatthisseasonoftheyear？“
Turningaside，hespatintotherivulet。
Onthefurtherbankofthelatter，agoosewasstruttingimportantlyattheheadofastringofround，fluffy，yellowgoslings，whilstdrivingthebroodweretwolittlegirls——theoneachildbutlittlelargerthanthegooseitself，dressedinaredfrock，andarmedwithaswitch；andtheotheroneayoungsterabsolutelyofasizewiththebird，paleoffeature，plumpofbody，bowedofleg，andgraveofexpression。
“Ufim！“cameatthismomentinthestridentvoiceofawomanunseen，butincensed；uponwhichmycompanionbestoweduponmeasidelongnod，andmutteredwithanairofappreciation:
“THERE’Slungsforyou！“
Whereafter，hefelltotwitchingthetoesofachafedandblackenedfoot，andtogazingattheirnails。Hisnextquestionwas:
“Areyou，maybe，ascholar？“
“Whydoyouask？“
“Because，ifyouare，youmightliketoreadtheBookoveracorpse。“
Andsoproud，apparently，washeoftheproposalthatafaintsmilecrossedhisflaccidcountenance。
“Yousee，itwouldbework，“headdedwithhisbrowneyesveiled，“whilst，inaddition，youwouldbepaidtenkopecksforyourtrouble，andallowedtokeeptheshroud。“
“Andshouldalsobegivensomesupper，Isuppose？“
“Yes——andshouldalsobegivensomesupper。“
“Whereisthecorpselying？“
“Inmyownhut。Shallwegothere？“
Offweset。Enrouteweheardoncemoreastridentshoutof:
“Ufi-i-im！“
Asweproceeded，shadowsoftreesglidedalongthesoftroadtomeetus，whilebehindaclumpofbushesonthefurtherbankoftherivuletsomechildrenwereshoutingattheirplay。Thus，whatwiththechildren’svoices，andthepurlingofthewater，andthenoiseofsomeoneplaningapieceofwood，theairseemedfulloftremulous，suspendedsound。Meanwhile，myhostsaidtomewithadrawl:
“Oncewedidhaveareaderhere。Anoldwomanshewas，aregularoldwitchwhoatlasthadtoberemovedtothetownforamputationofthefeet。Theymightwellhavecutoffhertonguetoowhilsttheywereaboutit，since，thoughusefulenough，shecouldrailindeed！“
Presentlyablackpuppy，acreatureofaboutthesizeofatoad，cameambling，three-leggedfashion，underourfeet。Uponthatitstiffeneditstail，growled，andsnuffedtheairwithitstinypinknose。
Nexttherepoppedupfromsomewhereoranotherabarefootedyoungwoman。Clappingherhands，shebawled:
“Here，youUfim，howIhavebeencallingforyou，andcallingforyou！“
“Eh？Well，Ineverheardyou。“
“Wherewereyou，then？“
Bywayofreply，myconductorsilentlypointedinmydirectionwiththestemofhispipe。Thenheledmeintotheforecourtofthehutnexttotheonewhencetheyoungwomanhadissued，whilstsheproceededtoprojectfreshvolleysofabuse，andfreshexpressionsofaccentuatednon-amiability。
Inthelittledoorwayofthedwellingnexttohers，wefoundseatedtwooldwomen。Oneofthemwasasrotundanddishevelledasabattered，leathernball，andtheotheronewasawomanbonyandcrookedofback，swarthyofskin，andirritableoffeature。
Atthewomen’sfeetlay，lollingoutarag-liketongue，ashaggydogwhich，redandpatheticofeye，couldboastofaframenearlyaslargeasasheep’s。
Firstofall，Ufimrelatedindetailhowhehadfalleninwithmyself。ThenhestatedthepurposeforwhichheconceiveditwaspossiblethatImightproveuseful。Andallthetimethathewasspeaking，twopairsofeyescontemplatedhiminsilence；
until，onthecompletionofhisrecital，oneoftheoldwomengaveajerktoathin，darkneck，andtheotherolddameinvitedmetotakeaseatwhilstshepreparedsomesupper。
Amidthetangledherbageoftheforecourt，aspotovergrownwithmallowandbrambleshoots，therewasstandingacartwhich，lackingwheels，haditsaxle-pointsdarkwithmildew。Presentlyaherdofcattlewasdrivenpastthehut，andoverthehamletthereseemedtoarise，drift，andfloat，aperfectwaveofsound。
Also，aseveningdescended，Icouldseeanever-increasingnumberofgreyshadowscomecreepingforthfromtheforecourt’srecesses，andoverlayinganddarkeningtheturf。
“Onedayallofusmustdie，“remarkedUfim，withempressementashetappedthebowlofhispipeagainstawall。
Thenextmomentthebarefooted，red-cheekedyoungwomanshowedherselfatthegate，andaskedintonesratherlessvehementthanrecently:
“Areyoucoming，orareyounot？“
“Presently，“repliedUfim。“Onethingatatime。“
ForsupperIwasgivenahunchofbreadandabowlofmilk；
whereuponthedogrose，laiditsaged，slobberingmuzzleuponmyknee，andgazedintomyfacewithitsdimeyesasthoughitweresaying，“MayItoohaveabite？“
Next，likeaneventidebreezeamongwitheredherbage，therefloatedacrosstheforecourtthehoarsevoiceofthecrook-backedoldwoman。
“Letuspray，“shesaid。“OhGod，takeawayfromusallsorrow，andreceivethereforerequitementintwofoldmeasure！“
Assherecitedtheprayerwithamienasdarkasfate，thesupplicantrolledherlongneckfromsidetoside，andnoddedherophidian-shapedheadinaccordancewithasortofregular，lethargicrhythm。NextIheardsinktoearth，atmyfeet，somesenilewordsutteredinasortofsingsong。
“Somefolkneedworkjustasmuchastheywish，andothersneeddonoworkatall。YetOURfolkhavetoworkbeyondtheirstrength，andtoworkwithoutanyrecompenseforthetoilwhichtheyundergo。“
Uponthisthesmalleroftheoldcroneswhispered:
“ButtheMotherofGodwillrecompensethem。Sherecompenseseveryone。“
Thenadeadsilencefell——aweightysilence，asilenceseeminglyfraughtwithmattersofimport，andinspiringinoneanassurancethatpresentlytherewouldbebroughtforthimpressivereflections——therewouldreachtheearwordsofmark。