“May God preserve you from such a thing! Don’t be frightened, I was only talking at random.”
“No, no, Mosh Nichifor, from now on I shall not want to sleep; I shall get down and sit by you all night.”
“You look after yourself, young lady; you sit quietly where you are, for you are comfortable.”
“I am coming all the same.”
And as she spoke down she came and sat on the grass by old Nichifor. And first one, and then the other was overcome by sleep, till both were slumbering profoundly. And when they woke it was broad daylight.
“See, Mistress Malca, here’s the blessed day! Get up and come and see what’s to be done. There, no one has eaten you, have they? Only you have had a great fright!”
Malca fell asleep again at these words. But old Nichifor, like a careful man, got up into the carriage, and began rummaging about all over the place, and under the forage bags, and what should there be but the axe and a measure and a gimlet beneath the seat.
“Who would have believed it! Here’s a pity! I was wondering why my old woman didn’t take care of me. Now because I wronged her so terribly I must take her back a red fez and a bag of butter to remind her of our youth. Evidently I took them out yesterday with my pipe. But my poor, good old wife, difficult though she is, knew all I should want on the journey, only she did not put them in their right place. But the woman tried to understand all her husband wanted! Mistress Malca! Mistress Malca!”
“What is it, Mosh Nichifor?”
“Do you know that I have found the axe, and the rope and the gimlet and everything I want.”