And as soon as Iván mentioned God, the imp plunged into the earth like a stone thrown into the water. Only a hole was left.

Iván put the other two pieces of root into his cap and went on with his ploughing. He ploughed the strip to the end, turned his plough over, and went home. He unharnessed the horse, entered the hut, and there he saw his elder brother, Simon the Soldier and his wife, sitting at supper. Simon’s estate had been confiscated, he himself had barely managed to escape from prison, and he had come back to live in his father’s house.

Simon saw Iván, and said: “I have come to live with you. Feed me and my wife till I get another appointment.”

“All right,” said Iván, “you can stay with us.”

But when Iván was about to sit down on the bench, the lady disliked the smell, and said to her husband: “I cannot sup with a dirty peasant.”

So Simon the Soldier said, “My lady says you don’t smell nice. You’d better go and eat outside.”