Thus he decided to print them. He sent them into a printing-office, and before long a little volume came out of the press in many copies. The little girl with starlike eyes read and re-read the book. Her little friends, with blue, black, brown, or gray eyes, read and re-read it. And when, after all that reading and all the chatter about it, bright sparks of delight and animation appeared in those eyes, these sparks found their way into his heart and warmed it up, and he too felt happy.
Now, I did not tell you that all this happened in Russia, a far-away country, and that when the man who wrote the stories came afterwards to England, together with his daughter, he was sorry to find that he had left all those children's sparkling eyes, shining with emotion when reading his tales, behind.
But then he was struck by the thought that in England there were as many little souls and hearts as in Russia, nay, he has had already some friends among these little souls both in England and in America; and thus, perhaps, if he put his stories into English, he might see as many smiling faces and radiant eyes after the book was read as he did in his native country? He decided to try at once, and now here is the volume before you. We will see whether the man was right. He would like to hear something about it from you.
THE END
Printed by R. & R. Clark, Edinburgh
FOOTNOTES:
[1] A copeck (in Russian kopéika) is a Russian copper; 100 copecks form one rouble. A rouble is worth 2s. 0-2/5d. in English money.
[2] Pronounce 'Neekeéteech.' The reader should rather be told here that the Russian fashion of calling a person, when addressing him or her, is not by his or her surname, but by the Christian name, with the addition of his or her father's name, somewhat altered in a way to express 'son of' or 'daughter of' such-a-one; for example—Iván Nikítich (John, son of Nikíta). Among common people and among friends they address only in one's Christian name without the addition of the father's name ('ót-chest-vo'); but if, in addressing a common person, you wish to express some deference, you use only the 'ótchestvo,' without the person's Christian name; for example, 'Nikítich' instead of 'Iván Nikítich.' Such is the case in our tale.
[3] The plural of the Polish word 'koúntoush.'