ween them; and so they permitted him, as an old friend,
to enter the shed, which rested upon four oaken posts. Creeping up to
the nearest post he applied his saw and began to cut. The noise
produced by the saw caused him to glance about him every moment, but
the recollection of the insult restored his courage. The first post was
sawed through. Ivan Ivanovitch began upon the next. His eyes burned and
he saw nothing for terror.

All at once he uttered an exclamation and became petrified with fear. A
ghost appeared to him; but he speedily recovered himself on perceiving
that it was a goose, thrusting its neck out at him. Ivan Ivanovitch spit
with vexation and proceeded with his work. The second post was sawed
through; the building trembled. His heart beat so violently when he
began on the third, that he had to stop several times. The post was more
than half sawed through when the frail building quivered violently.

Ivan Ivanovitch had barely time to spring back when it came down with
a crash. Seizing his saw, he ran home in the greatest terror and flung
himself upon his bed, without having sufficient courage to peep from
the window at the consequences of his terrible deed. It seemed to him
as though Ivan Nikiforovitch's entire household--the old woman, Ivan
Nikiforovitch, the boy in the endless coat, all with sticks, and led by
Agafya Fedosyevna--were coming to tear down and destroy his house.

Ivan Ivanovitch passed the whole of the following day in a perfect
fever. It seemed to him that his detested neighbour would set fire to
his house at least in revenge for this; and so he gave orders to Gapka
to keep a constant lookout, everywhere, and see whether dry straw
were laid against it anywhere. Finally, in order to forestall Ivan
Nikiforovitch, he determined to enter a complaint against him before the
district judge of Mirgorod. In what it consisted can be learned from the
following chapter.

CHAPTER IV

WHAT TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE DISTRICT JUDGE OF MIRGOROD

A wonderful town is Mirgorod! How many buildings are there with straw,
rush, and even wooden roofs! On the right is a street, on the left a
street, and fine fences everywhere. Over them twine hop-vines, upon them
hang pots; from behind them the sunflowers show their sun-like heads,
poppies blush, fat pumpkins peep; all is luxury itself! The fence
is invariably garnished with articles which render it still more
picturesque: woman's widespread undergarments of c