s the orphan. "But where's my cat?"

"I've sold it," answers the merchant; "There's your money,
take it in full."

The orphan received the sack of gold, took leave of the
merchant, and went to the strand, where the shipmen were.
From them he obtained a shipload of incense in exchange for
his gold, and he strewed the incense along the strand, and burnt
it in honor of God. The sweet savor spread through all that
land, and suddenly an old man appeared, and he said to the
orphan:

"Which desirest thou--riches, or a good wife?"

"I know not, old man."

"Well then, go afield. Three brothers are ploughing over
there. Ask them to tell thee."

The orphan went afield. He looked, and saw peasants tilling
the soil.

"God lend you aid!" says he.

"Thanks, good man!" say they. "What dost thou want?"

"An old man has sent me here, and told me to ask you which
of the two I shall wish for--riches or a good wife?"

"Ask our elder brother; he's sitting in that cart there."

The orphan went to the cart and saw a little boy--one that
seemed about three years old.

"Can this be their elder brother?" thought he--however he
asked him:

"Which dost thou tell me to choose--riches, or a good wife?"

"Choose the good wife."

So the orphan returned to the old man.

"I'm told to ask for the wife," says he.

"That's all right!" said the old man, and disappeared from
sight. The orphan looked round; by his side stood a beautiful
woman.

"Hail, good youth!" says she. "I am thy wife; let us go
and seek a place where we may live."[57]

One of the sins to which the Popular Tale shows itself most hostile is
that of avarice. The folk-tales of all lands delight to gird at misers
and skinflints, to place them in unpleasant positions, and to gloat
over the sufferings which attend their death and embitter their
ghostly existence. As a specimen of the manner in which the humor of
the Russian peasant has manipulated the stories of this class, most of
which probably reached him from the East, we may take the following
tale of--

THE MISER.[58]

There once was a rich merchant named Marko--a stingier fellow
never lived! One day he went out for a stroll. As he went
along the road he saw a beggar--an old man, who sat there asking
for alms--"Please to give, O ye Orthodox, for Christ's
sake!"

Marko the Rich passed by. Just at that time there came up
behi