IN the town of Vladímir lived a young merchant named Iván Dmítritch Aksyónof.He had two shops and a house of his own.
Aksyonof was a handsome, fair-haired, curly-headed fellow, full of fun, andvery fond of singing. When quite a young man he had been given to drink, andwas riotous when he had had too much, but after he married he gave up drinking,except now and then.
One summer Aksyónof was going to the Nízhny Fair, and as he bade good-bye tohis family his wife said to him:
'Iván Dmítritch, do not start to-day; I have had a bad dream about you.'
Hahaha, 'You are afraid that when I get to the fair I shall go on the spree.’
'I do not know what I am afraid of; all I know is that I had a baddream. I dreamt you returned from the town, and when you took off your cap Isaw that your hair was quite grey.’
So he said good-bye to his family, and drove away.
'That's a lucky sign,' said he. 'See if I don't sell out all my goods,and bring you some presents from the fair.’