"What, then," the old woman asked, "didst thou purchase?"
So Martin took out the cat, which he had named Vaska,[1] saying, "I have bought this second piece of good luck for myself."
"Small luck in a cat, which must be fed," said his mother. "But what else didst thou purchase?"
"If I had had more money," Martin replied, "I would have bought food. But I had to give the whole hundred roubles for her."
At this the old woman flew into a passion.
"What a fool thou art!" she screamed. "No longer shalt thou live in this house! Get thee gone, and search for thy bread among strangers!"
So Martin left his home and went to a neighboring village to look for work, and wherever he went Jourka the dog and Vaska the cat went running after him. At length he met a priest, who asked, "Whither art thou going, good youth?"
"To engage myself as a workman," replied Martin.
"Come with me," said the priest. "I give no contract, but whoever labors for me three years will not be displeased with what I pay him."
Martin agreed and went with the priest, and
- ↑ Puss.
