having scratched gums: at the guy blood seemed. He unexpectedly was embarrassed and departed away.
Too began to laugh at the big pupil:
– Eka communicated!
– Beginner! give it looking for!
– I do not fight! – gloomy, as the badgered small animal, Vukol answered.
– You do not fight, and gave a smack in the teeth?
– Well, according to Lyubov with somebody, with more exactly!
It was faced by the robust fellow fellow – hair as rye, blue eyes, a high breast. Its exterior something was even pleasant to Vukol. Not to fight, and to make friends with such. The boy growth was higher than Vukol and addition athletic.
It threw off an undergarment, having appeared in a red shirt and plisovy wide trousers.
– Let’s fight! – and strong squeezed to it forearms, as if investigating muscles.
– Throw! – having flashed, Vukol told and very much squeezed the opponent’s hands.
That with surprise receded.
– Stand, robyata!
Vukol was pushed out in a circle. Some encouraged:
– Fight, at us without fight it is impossible!
– Surely it is necessary to visit fight!
The opponent pushed it in a breast with the left outstretched arm, bringing right above and above.
Vukol turned pale. The audience surrounded them with a ring, encouraging both. The beginner extended the left hand too as a board, and both of them came around, choosing a moment for blow. The opponent came, Vukol departed, changing a position. Suddenly blue-eyed struck to Vukol the first short blow with a poke, but Vukol reflected it the left hand.
On both sides the short blows which were not achieving the objectives fell down.
Vukol quickly adopted methods of fight, new to it: here did not swing the arm widely, fought pokes, striking blow shortly and quickly. The martial art was in that the left hand to reflect blow: the hand of one was linked under an elbow to a hand of another. Blows of the opponent poured immediately on Vukol, but he quickly adapted not to allow them to itself (himself).
Sometimes both, сцепясь, as if not in forces were to be uncoupled and then, having jumped aside, again went around as the fighting cockerels.
From crowd remarks poured: all wanted that “the” fighter knocked down “beginner”, but Vukol, by sight thin less than the opponent, did not give in.
– Add to it, Vanka!
– Pour to the dolgoushy Tatar!
– To Gololoby!
– Give not to the peasant! To Strannem!
Strannimi in the village called strangers to peasants, visitors, landless, the poor people, farm laborers and handicraftsmen working on hiring. Each of small kandalinets got used, imitating seniors, to despise “strange”.
Having uncoupled, they were again linked. Vukol was more flexible, managed to jerk unexpectedly Vanka on himself why that suddenly fell on knees, and, falling, unintentionally hit the opponent with an elbow in a face. Furious Vukol crushed the athlete under himself.
They were separated. Hubbub began. Shouted that Vukol incorrectly struck. But at it under an eye bruise was blown up: was considered to beat “snouts” unlawful too.
Then Vanka zavorotit a sleeve of a shirt and showed bruise on a hand – a trace of “handshake” of a hand of Vukol.
It immediately changed a general view to the beginner.
– Here it is what! Only once zhamknut – and printed all hand!
– Silence! – Vanka cried, shaking off and putting on an undergarment – fight was in a draw! – And suddenly, having friendly smiled, gave a hand to Vukol: – Do not become angry! We have a custom – beginners in fight to test! I am Ivan Chelyak, the son of the miller Amos! Still nobody from legs knocked down me: I love such though you and stranniya! How call?
– Vukol! – the beginner answered, accepting the given hand.
Explosion of the general laughter sounded.
– Vukol! in a corner! knocked!
Rang out in a bell. All rushed in places. Vukola covered with chalk a black eye.
The teacher entered. In a class there came the silence. The teacher attentively looked round pupils and suddenly approached the beginner.
– It that at you under an eye? Plaid pranks?
Vukol flashed and got up.
– Plaid pranks! – he confessed.
– Perhaps, struck who?
– No! – firmly, but Vukol said in low tones – hurt!
– About a door! – someone prompted.
– Yes, about a door! – the beginner confirmed.
The teacher passed to department, developed the book and, having stroke-oared white the golden beard, told lingeringly and loudly:
– On – ачнем – those!
VII
To Vukol’s brother Vovka there were only four years. On the middle of a forehead it from a scrofula still had scar with wrinkles extensively in the form of a radiant star. It was very beautiful – a star in a forehead – and Vovka was proud of it. In general after a disease during which it as to the patient in everything in a family was given preference, any privileges and advantages it became very ambitious, including itself (himself) the chosen nature.
Thanks to sunny days of windy fall he also down the street ran without cap, in one shirt, barefoot, in the short panties which hardened on a lap and took a motionless and curved form. Such suit and whitish hair a cap did not distinguish it from the other rural children all day long spinning about church under construction at all. He saw many chips and the shavings dumped in one big heap there. Every evening mothers sent children behind church chips. Nobody forbade to make them it: the church was under construction on public country money. Elizar had many chips near the house, but Vovka in imitation companions gathered several chips in a shirt hem once and was only going to carry them mothers as suddenly behind the back of it the severe voice was distributed:
– You what you do it?
Vovka looked back. Behind there was a low priest with a long gray-haired beard, with a staff in a hand. Other children abandoned chips and ran up, having hardly caught sight of the priest, but Vovka was less, it is sillier and more self-confident: and did not come to its mind to run.
– Throw chips! – imperatively the old man ordered.
Vovka threw, having taken offense.
– Where there lives your father?
– And! – Vovka pointed to a fatherly log hut.
– Well! Go!.
The priest slightly knocked him the cane, turned away and went by church to the popovsky house, this time quickly walking small steps and swinging full sleeves of a cassock.
Vovka skipping rushed home, sparkling barefoot heels, but told nothing the house about the meeting: all family sat at supper.
In a few minutes the church watchman came, greeted, told: “bread yes salt”, sighed then and, having lowered a voice, added, addressing Elizar:
– Tyatenka sent for you: ordered to come now!
Elizar was surprised:
– What for?
– Do