the world.” So he says: “Oh! I’m not frightened; once, when I was only twelve years old, I killed twelve of them at a blow.” But it was thus when his mamma baked him ember cakes, twelve flies setttled on them, and he killed them at a single blow.
So they, when they heard it, said: “There is nothing for it but to shoot him.” So, after this, they prepared the soldiers, and told them they must make a parade in his honour, for he was going to be married in the square. So they led him out there, and the soldiers were just going to let fly at him. And he, that George, said to the man who used his thumb instead of a cork: “Thou saidst, if thou wert to uncork that thumb of thine, that thou couldst souse everything; quick, uncork!” So he uncorked his thumb and soused them all until they were all blind, and no one saw at all.
So at last, when they saw there was nothing for it, they told him to come and they would give him that girl. So after this they gave him fine royal robes, and there was a wedding. And I, too, was at that wedding; they had music there, sang, ate and drank; there were baskets full of meat, pound-cake, and everything, and casks full of vodka. I went to-day and got there yesterday; I found an egg among the tree roots, broke it on somebody’s head, and made him bald, and bald he has been ever since.
