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More Tales from Tolstoi
 

truth when he said that next time he would make his head ache. Why, horny hands are nothing to this; work of this sort would pretty soon give one lumps on the head." And Ivan would have gone to see if much work had been done, when suddenly the ground opened and the old Devil plunged through the earth—only a hole remained.

Ivan scratched his head. "Ugh! the filthy creature! So it is he again, eh! Like children, like father—I'm well rid of him!"

And Ivan is living to this day, and all the people crowded into his kingdom, and his brothers came to him, and he fed them. Any who like may come and say: "Feed us!" "All right!" says Ivan, "live with us; we have plenty of everything." There is only one settled custom in his kingdom: those who have horny hands sit at table, and those who have not must eat the scraps.

THE END.


Jarrold and Sons, The Empire Press, Norwich and London.
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