The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-03-06
THE STUBBORN WIFE.
"A Folk-Tale From the Russian Of
Afanasieff

In old times, in the Government of
Novgorod, there lived wife on such
bad terms with her husband that she
became proverb in her neighborhood.
No matter what he said, she was sure
to take the opposite ground If he told
her to get up early and prepare his
breakfast, she would lie in bed without
stirring for three days. if he said:
Come, now, my dear, it's time for you
to 90 to Sleep" she would stay awake,
talking all the while, till daybreak.
Once, when the poor man ventured to
ask her to make some pancakes, she
flew into rage, and cried:
Pancakes, you thief you don't de-
deserve a pancake"
"All right, my love; don't make
pancakes, then, if / don't deserve
'them," he answered, oh! so meekly.
"I'd like to know who is to keep me
from cooking what please in my own
house." she screamed at this. PAN
cakes I'm going to make, good two
gallon potful, and you shall eat them
every one"
So for once the poor husband got his
fill of pancakes, but luck was not al
ways on his side.
Things went on from bad to worse,
until at last the man took to wandering
in the woods, afraid to set his foot
upon the threshold of his home. One
day, while picking few berries to
appease his hunger, he pushed aside a
bush and there beneath it saw pit
apparently bottomless. An idea came
to him. If he were to put his wife into
the pit, might not it teach her good
lessonP So, returning home, he
plucked up courage to address her in a
pleasanttone: .n ..
eff | were you, wife, | wouldn't 90
into the wood to pick berries. Itreally
is not safe there. D."
"Safe, you bugbear! What is that to
youP l can take care of myself,
think. I'll 90 into the wood this very
day"
''Well, 90, if you must, my love; but
on no account 90 near the great big
,currant bush I've marked with white
stone at the root"
"You want to keep all the currantS
for yourself, you greedy brute, cried
the captious wife. "Be sure I'll have
my share.
So saving she ran out into the wood,
like mad creature, never resting un
til she had picked and eaten all the
fruit from the currant bush marked
with a white stone at the root A;
she picked the last bunch the greedy
creature leaned over to see that none
remained on the far side of the bush
Over she went, headlong into the pit
and the last words her husband hearC
from her were these: ooh, when &c
out, won { =
The rest he fortunately could no
understand. owing to the rapidity o
the ladv's disappearance. Returning
home iovfully, he made feast of ever,
good thing to eat he could discover il
the cupboard. Climbing up on tn
stove he stretched out his legs for
comfortable nap, but not until after h
had enjoyed grand smoke, the like o
which he had not known since the da.
his honeymoon set in. After three day
OF IcSl lndl StCllltu Inv hNo'Nh VIZ
man resolved to go and find out hov
matters were progressing in the pit
Taking a long cord he let it down int,
the aperture, and by and by he fel
something Juggling at the end of it.
There she isl the poor dear crea
ture-sprightly as ever! l recOgniz
her vicious way of jerking. though
she could stand three days of it.
In high spirits he began hauling L
the line, and soon brought to view, no
his spouse, but a little black demon
wriggling tremendously. Frightene
out of his wits, the peasant was abou
to cast the imp back where it cam
from, but the creature wept bitterly
cntreating him not to do so.
"Don send me home again, peasant
let me out if you have any mercy