"Why do you offend us? Why do you destroy the property? If you need it, take it along!"
The soldiers felt ashamed. They did not go any farther, and the whole army ran away.
XII.
The old devil went away,—he could not get at Iván by means of the soldiers. The old devil changed into a clean-looking gentleman, and went to live in Iván's kingdom: he wished to get at him by means of money, as he had done with Tarás the Paunch.
"I want to do you good," he said, "and to teach you what is good and proper. I will build a house in your country, and will start an establishment."
"All right," he said, "stay here!"
The clean-looking gentleman stayed overnight, and the following morning he took a large bag of gold to the market-square, and a sheet of paper, and said:
"You are all of you living like pigs. I will teach you how to live. Build me a house according to this plan! You work, and I will show you how, and will pay gold money to you."