The excellent fables of Kruiloff, the lessons of prudence they contain, and the stiiking comparisons of which they are full, are drawn directly from the life of the people ; and we may find daily opportunities of witnessing scenes, and listening to speeches and advice, such as Kruiloff gives in his fables. As a fit conclusion to these considerations on the national character, we will give some of his pictures, which in many respects are very characteristic.
The blind enthusiasm which often overlooks the most essential objects, is held up to ridicule in the writing of this Russian ^sop in a St. Petersburg Tshinno\Tiik, who relates to liis friend, that he has been to the Museum, and seen the most wonderful things ; " birds of the most wonderful colours, beautiful butterflies, all foreign ! and gnats, flies, and golden beetles, so small, that they are scarcely to be seen with the naked eye." " But what say you to the elephant, and the mammoth, that are there also, my friend ?" " Elephant, mammoth, ah, the deuce ! I really did not notice them."
In another of the illustrations accompanying the fables, a rich landholder is presenting to his friend his much-lauded musicians : "I have the best band in the world," he exclaims, " aU excellent fellows — not one of them has robbed me, and there is not a drunkard among them."
" That may be," answers the guest, holding his ears, " but for mercy's sake let them keep silence, for their music rends my very soul ! "
The poHcy of the Russian slave-master is betrayed by an uncle to his nephew thus : he takes him into his garden and shows him his fishpond, which he has filled with pike. " But, good heavens ! '' cries the inexperienced nephew, " the pike will devour all the smaller fish ! " " Ha, ha ! you young fool, can't you understand ? That is just what I want ; afterwards I shall kill the fattened pike."
The conversation of two Kupzi betrays how the rogues in the gostinnoi dvor cheat and circumvent each other. "See, cousin,' says one, "how God has helped me to-day. I have sold for three hundred rubles some PoHsh cloth that was not worth half the money : it was to a booby of an officer, whom I persuaded it was fine Dutch. See, here is the money, thirty fine red bank-notes, spick and span new !" " Show me the notes, friend.
they are every one bad ! Out upon you, fox, do you let yourself be so cheated by a wolf ? "
In another picture the Gout and a Spider are meeting, and questioning one another on the road. "I am just come from Prince Andrai Ivanowitsch," says the spider, " in whose house I have hved a long time ; but, heavens ! what a deplorable Ufe ! The man is rolling in luxurj^, eats and druiks all day long, lies in bed and on soft sofas, and his servants will not let a poor insect any where alone, for fear he shoidd distmb their master. They break my fine webs every day ; and when I have, with unwearied diligence, built up my house anew, it is as much as I can get a fly, which dainty food they will no more suflPer in the prince's house than they will me myself. I am tired of this anxious life at last, and I am going to seek a more convenient lodging elsewhere."
" And I have just come," says the Gout, " from the miserable hut of the peasant Paul Ignatievitsh, where I was as Httle pleased as you with the prince. The man has no rest all day long, and is constantly fighting with wind and weather. Scarcely have I made the attempt to be a little friendly with his bearskin, than up he jumps, throws aside the skin, and threshes com or chops wood till we can't hear or see. His benches and chairs are all hard oaken wood without cushions ; not the smallest comfort to be thought of. Then every thing is disorderly and dirty, and all sorts of creatures are continually flying in and out. I am tired of such doings, and have foresworn all peasants' houses for ever ; and, what do you think ? I have a mind to try your Prince Andrai, of whom you have said so many agreeable things."
"^ Sister dear, pray show me the way to the peasant Paul, with whom I think I could get on very well ; for he will certainly put up with such a small evil as I am in some comer of his room.''