The drunken and senseless Cossacks assembled.

A myriad Cossack caps were sprinkled over the square.

A murmur arose, "Why?
What?
Why was the assembly beaten ?" No one answered.

At length, in one quarter and another, it began to be rumoured about, "Behold, the Cossack strength is being vainly wasted: there is no war! Behold, our leaders have become as marmots, every one; their eyes swim in fat! Plainly, there is no justice in the world!" The other Cossacks listened at first, and then began themselves to say, "In truth, there is no justice in the world!" Their leaders seemed surprised at these utterances.

Finally the Koschevoi stepped forward: "Permit me, Cossacks, to address you." "Do so!" "Touching the matter in question, gentles, none know better than yourselves that many Zaporozhtzi have run in debt to the Jew ale-house keepers and to their brethren, so that now they have not an atom of credit.