PELAGEYA EGOROVNA.  Ask them in. [EGORUSHKA goes out; the girls come in. 
ARINA brings in a dish and covers it] Sit down and sing the dish songs;
I’m so fond of them.

LYUBOV GORDEYEVNA, MASHA, LIZA, and ANNA IVANOVNA take off their rings and put them into the dish; the girls sing.

    “Sow the wheat, my mother, and bake the cake for me. 
    Glory! 
    Many guests are coming, my lovers for to be.  Glory!

Your guests will wear bast slippers, but mine have boots of hide.  Glory!  The girl of whom the song is sung, much good it doth betide.  Glory!

    The girl whose ring is taken out, will find it so without a
    doubt.  Glory!”

RAZLYULYAYEV rolls up his sleeves, takes out a ring and gives it to LYUBOV GORDEYEVNA.

PELAGEYA EGOROVNA.  High time, high time!

GIRLS. [Sing]

    “In Belgorod a sparrow small, Glory! 
    In Belgorod sits on a wall.  Glory!

    In a strange land he looks about.  Glory! 
    Her ring and fortune will come out.  Glory!”

ARINA. [Enters] The mummers have come; shall I let them in?

PELAGEYA EGOROVNA.  Yes, let them in; let them have a dance.  And you girls can sing afterwards.

SCENE VI

The same and mummers; an OLD MAN with a balalaika or guitar, a TRAINER with a bear and goat, EGORUSHKA with molasses.

OLD MAN. [Bowing] To all this honest company, greeting!

TRAINER.  Make a bow, Mishka! [The bear bows.

OLD MAN.  Do you wish me to sing and dance and amuse you, and to limber up my old bones?

PELAGEYA EGOROVNA.  That’s all right; yes, dance!  Give them some wine,
Arinushka.

ARINA serves the wine; some of them drink.

OLD MAN.  Thank you humbly for your kind words, and for the entertainment. [Sings.

    “Our lads, though stripped unto the buff,
    Even so are bold enough. 
    Their twelve hands go weaving on;
    Now the web of cloth is done. 
    They made kaftans for us here;
    Kaftans do not cost you dear
    When you’ve grist within your hopper. 
    In our purses silver bright
    Will not let us sleep at night. 
    And the jingling coins of copper
    For the tavern raise the call. 
    Tapster Andrew, quick undo
    The inn-door.  We’ve a kaftan new
    Here to put in pawn with you;
    We won’t take it home at all.”

[Goes to one side.

EGORUSHKA. [Dances with the molasses]

    “Molasses!  Molasses! 
    It simmers so sweet. 
    Oh, winter is bitter,
    The frost and the sleet. 
    Stormy and snowy, oh, ways choked with snow,
    Unto my darling there’s no way to go.