NEW INTERESTING STORY TO READ IN FREE TIME

 THE PEASANT'S BREAD🥖

Apoor peasant went off early one morning to plough, taking with him for his breakfast a piece of bread. He got his plough ready, put his coat round the bread, hid it under a bush and started work. After a while, when his horse was tired and he was hungry, the peasant stopped ploughing, let the horse loose to feed, and went to get his coat and his breakfast. 

He lifted the coat, but the bread was gone! He looked and looked, turned the coat over and shook it, but the bread was nowhere to be found. The peasant could not understand this at all.

That's strange, he thought, I saw no one, yet someone has been here and has taken the bread!" 

It was an imp' who had stolen the bread while the peasant was ploughing, and at that moment he was sitting behind the bush, waiting to hear the peasant swear and callon the name of them Devil. 

The peasant was sory to lose his breakfast, but, 'it cannot be helped, said he. 'After all, I shall not die of hunger! No doubt, whoever took the bread need edit. May it do him good!"

He went to the well, had a drink of water and rested for awhile. Then he caught his horse, fastened it to the plough and began ploughing again. 

The imp was upset, because he had not made the peasant do wrong, and he went to the devil, his master, to report what had happened. 

came to the devil and told him how he had taken the peasant's bread, and how the peasant, instead of swearing, had said, 'May it do him good!' 

He devil was angry and replied, Tf the man got the better of you', it was your own fault-you don't understand your business! If the peasants and their wives do that kind of thing, we shall be lost. The matter can't be left like that! Go back at once and make things right. If, in three years, you don't get the better of that peasant, Il have you thrown into holy water!" 

The imp was frightened.He hurried back to earth, thinking how he could make up for his mistake. He thought and thought, and at last he thought of a good plan. 

He changed himself into a working man and went to work with the poor peasant.The first year he advised the peasant to sow corn ina Iow-lying damper place. The peasant took his advice and sowed there. The year happened to be a very dry one, and the crops of the other peasants were all burnt up by the sun, but the poor peasant's corn grew thick and tall and heavy with grain. Not only had he enough grain to last him for the whole year, but he had also much to spare. 

The next year the imp advised the peasant to sow on the hill, and it happened to be a wet summer. Other people's corn was beaten down and the ears did not l, but the peasant's crop, on the hill, was a fine one. He had more grain to Spare than before, so that he did not know what to do with it all. 

hen the imp showed the peasant how he could crush the grain and make Odka' from it; and the peasant made vodka and began to drink it himself and to give it to his friends. 

So the imp went to the devil, his master, and claimed proudly that he had now succeeded where he had failed before. The devil said that he would come and see for himself. 

His wife was offering the di nd a glassful the guests, and as she took it round she fell against the table, and a o splashed on to the floor. 

The peasant spoke angrily to his wife, 'What are you doing, you follow:. woman? Do you think that this good drink is dirty water that you can no pour all over the floor, you careless creature?"

The imp made a sign to the devil, his master. 'See, he said, that is the man ho made no trouble when he lost his only piece of bread. 

The peasant still shouted angrily at his wife, and began to carry the drink to his guests himself. Just then a poor peasant, who had not been invited, came in.om his way from work. He greeted everyone, sat down, and saw that they were drinking. He was tired after his day's work, and felt that he would like a drop of vodka. He sat and sat, getting thirstier and thirstier, but the host did not offer him any, and only said, I cannot find drink for every one who comes here. This pleased the devil; but the imp laughed happily and said, "Wait. There is more to come yet!" 

The rich peasants drank, and their host drank too. And they began to say nice things about each other, and made speeches full of lies. 

The devil listened and listened, and praised the imp. 

If the drink makes them so much like foxes that they begin to cheat each other, soon they will all be in our hands.' 

Wait for what is coming,' said the imp. 'Let them drink another glass each Now they are likes foxes, shaking their tails and trying to please each other, but soon you will see them like fierce wolves.' 

The peasants drank another glass each, and their talk became wilder ana rougher. Instead of making soft speeches they began to grow angry and shou at one another. Soon they began fighting, and hit one another on the nose. Host joined in the fight, and be too was well beaten. 

The devil watched all this with great delight. 

This is fine, he said. 

But the imp replied, "Wait the best is yet to come: Wait till they have hau glass and they will b like pigs." third glass. Now they are fighting like wolves, but letr them drink one mo they have hada ink one more 

They made strange noises and shouted, without knowing why, and did not listen to one another. 

Then the guests began to go. Some went alone, some in twos, and some in threes, all walking unsteadily, first this way and then that, along the street. The host went out to say good-bye to his guests, but he fell on his nose into some water, covered himself with mud from head to foot, and lay there making a noise like a pig. This pleased the devil even more. 

Well.'He said, 'you have discovered a fine drink, and have quite made up for your mistake about the bread. But now tell me how this drink is made. I suppose you first put in fox's blood, and that was what made the peasants as clever as foxes. Then, I suppose, you added the blood of wolves; that is what made them fierce like wolves. And at the finish you must have put in the blood of pigs to make them behave like pigs." 

No,' said the imp, 'I did not do it that way. I only made certain that the peasant had more corn than he needed. The blood of wild animals is always in men; but as long as men have only as much corn as they need, it is kept under control. At that time the peasant did not make any trouble over losing his last piece of bread. But when he had com to spare, he looked for ways of getting pleasure out of it. And I showed him a pleasure -drinking. And when he began to tum God's good gift into strong drink for his own pleasure, the blood of the fox, the wolf and the pig in him all showed itself. If only he goes on drinking, he will always be a wild animal!" 

The devil praised the imp, forgave him for his former mistake and gave him a position of high honour. 

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