Part 5 (2/2)
”You are going to the fair,” resumed the first speaker; ”you must strengthen yourself for the journey.”
”Ah! so you are going to the fair, are you?” interrupted Szmula.
”Perhaps you have something to sell. I shall be glad to buy it from you.”
”No, I am going for another purpose.”
”And what is it?” said the Jew. ”This is the way all of you peasants do,--as soon as you have any business to transact, you run to the town.
Are you thinking of buying anything?”
”See here, my lord merchant,” answered Chwedko, interrupting, ”my neighbour wants a cow; he is lonely, and for company's sake is willing to take on himself one more bother.”
”But why get a cow?” asked the Jew, in a scornful tone.
”Well, it would give me some pleasure, and perhaps some profit.”
”Pshaw, pshaw!” cried Szmula, waving his hand, ”one can see plainly that you never have owned a cow, and that you do not know what it is to take care of one. First, you must pay the little herdsman, and G.o.d only knows how much the herdsman asks; besides, the cattle always come home hungry. Then you will be obliged to buy hay,--and hay costs as much now as pepper; and tailings,--and tailings are now ten coppers a bag; and buckwheat,--and I do not sell that for less than forty coppers a bag; that is what every one pays me. Besides, she must have gra.s.s and potatoes; and if you do not give her some of all these things, the animal will get poor. Then there are so many diseases and so much time when the creature gives no milk. Think of it! not a drop of milk for six months in the year!”
”Yes; but one has the calf and a little milk.”
”And who, pray, will take care of the animal for you?” interrupted the Jew, shrugging his shoulders.
”What did I tell you?” here put in Chwedko. ”For a poor man like you a cow is only a bother and nothing else.”
”But she would give me nevertheless a calf and a few drops of milk.”
”Yes, about milk; talk about that,” answered the officious go-between.
”As for milk, I can a.s.sure you there is nothing so good as a goat.
Observe, a goat costs very little and lives upon anything it can find,--branches, leaves, or stubble. Besides, a goat needs no care; and when once you have tasted goat-milk, you can be sure you have had something to drink, it is so sweet and nouris.h.i.+ng.”
”Really, to tell you the truth,” said the innkeeper, in his turn, ”I can a.s.sure you there is nothing like a goat. If any people know how to manage, it is our race, I believe; and you see that we almost invariably have goats. But men have opportunities to observe, yet do not comprehend; a goat is a treasure.”
”Well, when I have thought the matter over, perhaps I shall buy a goat,” said Iermola.
”And you will do well,” cried Chwedko,--”you will do well, I repeat.
Now suppose Mr. Szmula were to sell you his white goat?”
”What is it you are saying?” said the Jew, quickly, as though he had heard by chance. ”I would not sell my white goat for any price; do you hear? It is the only pet of my wife and children, and moreover it is an invaluable animal; it is worth more than a cow.”
”I am sorry,” answered Iermola, looking attentively at the white goat, which was strolling around, ”for the town is not here; my old legs will scarcely carry me so far, and, dear me, I might have decided to buy your goat.”
”True, it is only a goat, but such a goat!” answered the Jew. ”Have you ever seen one like it? She has so much instinct, so much sense, upon my word, one might almost talk to her; and as for her milk, it is all cream. You might go twenty miles and not find her equal. It is not a goat; it is a treasure, a rare possession.”
”But it is old,” observed old Iermola, respectfully.
”Old, old! Well, what does that matter? The older a goat grows, the more it is worth. Besides, how could it be old? It has hardly begun to live; it will live twenty years yet,” cried Szmula, becoming more and more excited.
<script>