Atondido Stories
“Not a soul has passed while I’ve been reaping, but I do re-
member that while I was planting this field two such people did
pass.”
The old man shook his head, mounted his steed, and flew
home again on the black cloud.
“Well, old wiseacre,” said Yezibaba, “what brings you back
so soon?”
“No use my going on,” the old man said. “The only person I
saw was a reaper in a field of rye.”
“You booby!” cried Yezibaba, “not to know that Raduz was
the reaper and Ludmila the rye! How they fooled you! And did-
n’t you bring me back just one stalk of rye? Go after them again
and this time don’t let them fool you!”
In the meantime Raduz and Ludmila were hurrying on. Sud-
denly Ludmila said:
“I wonder why my left cheek burns? Look back, dear Raduz,
and see if there is any one following us.”
Raduz turned and looked. “There’s nothing following us but
a gray cloud in the sky.”
“A gray cloud? That’s the old man on the gray horse that
rides on the clouds. But don’t be afraid. Only have ready a cun-
ning answer.”
Ludmila struck her hat with the wand and changed it into a
chapel. Herself she changed into a fly that attracted a host of oth-
er flies. She changed Raduz into a hermit. All the flies flew into
the chapel and Raduz began preaching to them.
Suddenly the gray cloud descended on the chapel with a
flurry of snow and such cold that the shingles of the roof crack-
led.
The old man alighted from the gray steed and entered the
chapel.
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