Viy — Страница 12

"Let it all be as it has been. God,
He knows how it should be; God knows everything."
"No," Dorosh went on, "I want to know what's written in those books.
Maybe something completely different from the deacon's."
"Oh, my God, my God!" the esteemed mentor said to that. "What on earth
are you talking about? God's will decided it so. It's all as God gave it,
they can't go changing it."
"I want to know all what's written there. I'll go to the seminary, by
God, I will! What do you think, that I can't learn? I'll learn all of it,
all of it!"
"Oh, my God, my goddy God! . . ." the comforter said and lowered his
head to the table, because he was quite unable to hold it up on his
shoulders any longer.
The other Cossacks talked about landowners and why the moon shines in
the sky.
The philosopher Khoma, seeing such a disposition of minds, decided to
take advantage of it and slip away. First he addressed the gray-haired
Cossack who was grieving over his father and mother:
"What's there to cry about, uncle," he said, "I'm an orphan myself! Let
me go free, lads! What do you need me for?"
"Let's set him free!" some replied. "He's an orphan. Let him go where
he likes."
"Oh, my God, my goddy God!" the comforter said, raising his head. "Free
him! Let him go!"
And the Cossacks were going to take him to the open fields themselves,
but the one who showed his curiosity stopped them, saying:
"Hands off! I want to talk to him about the seminary. I'm going to the
seminary myself. . ."
Anyhow, this escape could hardly have been accomplished, because when
the philosopher decided to get up from the table, his legs turned as if to
wood, and he began to see so many doors in the room that it was unlikely he
could have found the real one.
Only in the evening did this company all remember that they had to be
on their way. Scrambling into the wagon, they drove off, urging their horses
on and singing a song, the words and meaning of which could hardly be made
out. After spending the better half of the night rambling about, constantly
losing the way, which they knew by heart, they finally descended a steep
hill into a valley, and the philosopher noticed a palisade or wattle fence
stretching along the sides, low trees and roofs peeking from behind them.
This was the big settlement belonging to the chief. It was long past
midnight; the sky was dark and small stars flashed here and there. There was
no light in any of the huts. Accompanied by the barking of a dog, they drove
into the yard. On both sides thatch-roofed sheds and cottages could be seen.
One of them, in the middle, direcdy facing the gates, was bigger than the
rest and seemed to be the owner's dwelling. The wagon stopped before
something like a small shed, and our travelers went to sleep.