Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School - Echoes Yearbook (Peterborough, Ontario Canada)

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3+ IVAN IPPALOV tContinued from page 311 themselves. VVe must go and see Ivan Ippalov. they decided. He will. at least. not let us freeze or starve to deathf, The villagers grimly climbed up to Ivan's great l1ouse. They knocked. and when a servant answered they demanded to see Ivan. Ivan came. Then the peasants un- folded the piteous tale. They were starv- ing. they were freezing. They showed him their half-frozen hands and feet. Xvould he help them? Of course he had plenty. was he not to have given a banquet? But Ivan shut the door angrily. How can I help you? he roared at them. How am I to keep warm and fed? If I give you my fuel. am I to freeze? Am I to starve that you may eat? Go away. fools. Freeze or starve. whichever you prefer. The peasants turned bitterly away. He has plenty. said one, Let us go back into the night. said another. it is not so black as he. 111. During that night strange things hap- pened in the village. Like every Russian village. Ivan Ippalov's had its prophetessg old, ugly, shrivelled. So dreadful was the appearance of the one in this particular village. that the villagers called her Charodaika, the Wiitch. Dreadful in- deed she was. and all the villagers were terrified of her. despite the fact that she never harmed them. That night the in- habitants were alarmed to see this crea- ture abroad in the village streets. That is no good Omen. cried they. disaster is upon usb' But the old woman quieted their fears, Fear not. she told them. I am your friend. Ivan Ippalov is the one whom I wish to see: the man who refuses to keep his brothers from starving and freezing to deathlw One of the villagers laughed grimly. This must be good. he said. Charodaika visits Ivan Ippalov. Satan cannot long adord to be absent from such a meeting. The woman kept her word. She climb- ed the hill and rapped on Ivan's door. Ivan rose from his richly laden supper table to answer it. VVell. he asked curtly when he saw who it was. YYl1at? Trbc 'Echoes Ivan Ippalov, art thou not?', Yes The man who turned his brothers from the door, although their hands were frozen. and although they were starving. Enough! Yes, although he had enough to warm and feed them all. Ivell. Ivan Ippalov. I have a message for thy com- fort. YVell.'l retorted Ivan. Do you want to keep me here freezing on the steps? Ivan, thou shalt nevermore be warm. The creature backed away and disap- peared. For a moment Ivan was stupe- lied: then he angrily followed her. But it was a useless quest. She soon eluded him in the blinding snow which had be- gtm to fall again. Ivan became cold. and blindly dashed back into the house. Once inside he was a changed man. Terror stared in his bulging eyes. I'm cold. he cried, I feel no heat! Could it be true! Terror-stricken he dashed to the open fireplace to warm himself. Still there was no heat. Still he was shiver- ing. both with fright and cold. With a blind rage he increased the fire. The ftames roared and crackled dangerously. sending off a blinding heat. But Ivan Ippalov was still cold. IV. For three days and nights Ivan lived through a hideous agony of terror and cold. He could not get warm. He crawled into bed: but the sheets were as iciclesg he huddled by the fire. cursing and rav- ing at the roaring, twisting flames: he tried everything. but to no availg still he was gripped in a relentless chill which numbed l1is body and stupefied his mind. On the fourth day he went hopelessly mad. Three times a knock came to the door, and three times the form of Charo- daika asked him: Are you warm, Ivan, are you warm? Late that fourth night the wretched villagers were alarmed to see poor Tana running down the snow-covered hillside. They went to meet her, for they knew she was still their friend. Oh, help me, she cried. He is mad. It's terrible. He will kill my boys. But many of the peasants said slowly: Ivan's troubles are no longer ours. It is not our affair. We shall soon be mad ourselves. How-