The Devil's Tussle With Pahom

Pahom, the master of the house, was lying on the top of the oven and he listened to the women's chatter. The devil had been sitting behind the oven and had heard all that was said. Pahom felt envious: If I had plenty of land, I shouldn't fear the devil himself. So he chose out a farm of forty acres, some of it wooded and went to the lady to bargain for it. They came to an agreement and he paid her a deposit in town and signed the deeds. He borrowed seed and sewed his own hay; within two years he had managed to pay off his debts. Within one more year they were able to buy