"I dreamt of a bird, a jackdaw; it flew out of the water and flew into the fire.

What does the dream mean ?" "Frost," Semyon Yakovlevitch pronounced.
"Semyon Yakovlevitch, why don't you answer me all this time?
I've been interested in you ever so long," the lady of our party began again.
"Ask him!" said Semyon Yakovlevitch, not heeding her, but pointing to the kneeling gentleman.
The monk from the monastery to whom the order was given moved sedately to the kneeling figure.
"How have you sinned?
And was not some command laid upon you ?" "Not to fight; not to give the rein to my hands," answered the kneeling gentleman hoarsely.
"Have you obeyed ?" asked the monk.
"I cannot obey.

My own strength gets the better of me." "Away with him, away with him! With a broom, with a broom!" cried Semyon Yakovlevitch, waving his hands.

The gentleman rushed out of the room without waiting for this penalty.
"He's left a gold piece where he knelt," observed the monk, picking up a half-imperial.
"For him!" said the saint, pointing to the rich merchant.

The latter dared not refuse it, and took it.
"Gold to gold," the monk from the monastery could not refrain from saying.
"And give him some with sugar in it," said the saint, pointing to Mavriky Nikolaevitch.