"I will show you in a minute," he said. He went to the threshing-floor, pulled out a sheaf, straightened it up, placed it on end, and struck it against the ground.
"At your master's command not a sheaf shall you stand, each straw a soldier shall be."
The sheaf flew to pieces, and out came the soldiers, and the drums began to beat and the trumpets to sound. Iván told the soldiers to play songs, and went into the street with them. The people were surprised. The soldiers played songs, and then Iván took them back to the threshing-floor, and told nobody to follow him. He changed the soldiers back into a sheaf, and threw it on the loft. He went home and went to sleep behind the partition.
VII.
On the next morning his eldest brother, Semén the Warrior, heard of it, and he went to see Iván.
"Reveal to me," he said, "where did you find those soldiers, and where did you take them to?"
"What is that to you?" he said.
"What a question! With soldiers anything may be done. You can get a kingdom for yourself."
Iván was surprised.