llage."

"What sort of a something?" asked Vanya.

"Alive," said old Peter.

"Is there a lot of it?" asked Vanya.

"No, only one."

"Then it can't be pigs," said Vanya, in a melancholy voice. "I thought
it was pigs."

"Perhaps it is a little calf," said Maroosia.

"I know what it is," said Vanya.

"Well?"

"It's a foal. It's brown all over with white on its nose, and a lot of
white hairs in its tail."

"No."

"What is it then, grandfather?"

"I'll tell you, little pigeons. It's small and red, and it's got a
bumpy head with hair on it like the fluff of a duckling. It has blue
eyes, and ten fingers to its fore paws, and ten toes to its hind
feet--five to each."

"It's a baby," said Maroosia.

"Yes. Nastasia has got a little son, Aunt Sofia has got a grandson,
you have got a new cousin, and I have got a new great-nephew. Think of
that! Already it's a son, and a cousin, and a grandson, and a
great-nephew, and he's only been alive twelve hours. He lost no time
in taking a position for himself. He'll be a great man one of these
days if he goes on as fast as that."

The children had jumped up as soon as they knew it was a baby.

"When is the christening?"

"The day after to-morrow."

"O grandfather!"

"Well?"

"Who is going to the christening?"

"The baby, of course."

"Yes; but other people?"

"All the village."

"And us?"

"I have to go, and I suppose there'll be room in the cart for two
little bear cubs like you."

And so it was settled that Vanya and Maroosia were to go to the
christening of their new cousin, who was only twelve hours old. All
the next day they could think of nothing else, and early on the
morning of the christening they were up and about, Maroosia seeing
that Vanya had on a clean shirt, and herself putting a green ribbon in
her hair. The sun shone, and the leaves on the trees were all new and
bright, and the sky was pale blue through the flickering green leaves.

Old Peter was up early too, harnessing the little yellow horse into
the old cart. The cart was of rough wood, without springs, like a big
box fixed on long larch poles between two pairs of wheels. The larch
poles did instead of springs, bending and creaking, as the cart moved
over the forest track. The shafts came from the front wheels upwards
to the horse's shoulders, and between the ends of them there was a
tall strong hoop of wood, called a douga, which rose high over the
shoulders of the horse, above h