Molasses!  Molasses! 
    It simmers so sweet. 
    Like a little quail my wife
    Sits on her seat. 
    And I love her for this, and her praises I tell,
    For she jaunts on so prettily, proudly and well.”

[Bows.

FIRST GUEST. Oh, what a fine boy!  Ah!

PELAGEYA EGOROVNA.  Why, yes, my friend, he’s still a child; but he does the best he can.  He’s young yet.  Come here, Egorushka. [EGORUSHKA comes] Here’s some gingerbread for you. [Gives it to him; EGORUSHKA bows and goes out] Yes, he’s still a child; you can’t expect much from him!

The TRAINEE leads the bear; the goat dances.

OLD MAN. [Sings]

    “We had a little billy-goat,
    And he was clever, too;
    He carried in the water,
    And set the mush to brew.

    He fed Grandpa and Grandma;
    But when he went one day
    To the dark forest seven wolves
    In waiting for him lay.

    And one of them was hungry,
    And many and many a year
    Had he roamed, forever asking
    For goat’s meat far and near.”

TRAINER. [To the bear] Ask for wine, in honor of the goat. [Bear bows.

PELAGEYA EGOROVNA.  Arinushka, bring some refreshments for the mummers.

ARINA brings them something to drink; they drink and bow.

TRAINER.  Now, then, amuse the honorable company.  Show how the fair young darlings, the fair young girls, pale and rosy ones, glance at the young men, and watch their suitors. [Bear shows off] And how the old woman goes to work, bending, shrivelled; old age has overcome her, the years have broken her down. [Bear shows off] Well, now bow to the honorable company.[1]

[Footnote 1:  Ostrovsky is of course reproducing actual Christmas customs.  Count Ilya Tolstoy, in his Reminiscences of Tolstoy, tells how his father played the part of the bear at the family Christmas party.]

They go out; the OLD MAN plays the guitar; the other mummers dance; all watch them.  GUSLIN and MITYA stand near LYUBOV GORDEYEVNA; MITYA whispers something to her, and kisses her.  RAZLYULYAYEV comes up.

RAZLYULYAYEV.  What are you doing?

MITYA.  What’s that to you?

RAZLYULYAYEV.  I’ll tell Pelageya Egorovna; just see if I don’t!

MITYA.  You just dare to tell!

GUSLIN. [Approaching him] Look out for me!  You see we’ll go away from here together; it’ll be dark and the alley is lonely—­just remember that!

RAZLYULYAYEV.  What are you meddling with me for?  What’s the use?  I want to marry her, and I’m going to make proposals.  What are you up to!  Yes, I mean to marry her!

MITYA.  We’ll see about that.

RAZLYULYAYEV.  Do you think they’ll marry her to you?  Not much!  Not if I know it—­I’ve got lots of money!