The Treasure
by W. R. S. Ralston · from Russian Folk Tales
Original Story
The Treasure
THE TREASURE.[31]
In a certain kingdom there lived an old couple in great poverty.
Sooner or later the old woman died. It was in winter, in severe
and frosty weather. The old man went round to his friends and
neighbors, begging them to help him to dig a grave for the old
woman; but his friends and neighbors, knowing his great poverty,
all flatly refused. The old man went to the pope,[32] (but in that
village they had an awfully grasping pope, one without any
conscience), and says he:--
"Lend a hand, reverend father, to get my old woman buried."
"But have you got any money to pay for the funeral? if
so, friend, pay up beforehand!"
"It's no use hiding anything from you. Not a single copeck
have I at home. But if you'll wait a little, I'll earn some, and
then I'll pay you with interest--on my word I'll pay you!"
The pope wouldn't so much as listen to the old man.
"If you haven't any money, don't you dare to come here,"
says he.
"What's to be done?" thinks the old man. "I'll go to the
graveyard, dig a grave as I best can, and bury the old woman
myself." So he took an axe and a shovel, and went to the graveyard.
When he got there he began to prepare a grave. He
chopped away the frozen ground on the top with the axe, and
then he took to the shovel. He dug and dug, and at last he dug
out a metal pot. Looking into it he saw that it was stuffed full
of ducats that shone like fire. The old man was immensely delighted,
and cried, "Glory be to Thee, O Lord! I shall have
wherewithal both to bury my old woman, and to perform the
rites of remembrance."
He did not go on digging the grave any longer, but took the
pot of gold and carried it home. Well, we all know what money
will do--everything went as smooth as oil! In a trice there
were found good folks to dig the grave and fashion the coffin.
The old man sent his daughter-in-law to purchase meat and
drink and different kind of relishes--everything there ought to
be at memorial feasts--and he himself took a ducat in his hand
and hobbled back again to the pope's. The moment he reached
the door, out flew the pope at him.
"You were distinctly told, you old lout, that you were not to
come here without money; and now you've slunk back again."
"Don't be angry, batyushka,"[33] said the old man imploringly.
"Here's gold for you. If you'll only bury my old woman, I'll
never forget your kindness."
The pope took the money, and didn't know how best to
receive the old man, where to seat him, with what words to
smooth him down. "Well now, old friend! Be of good cheer;
everything shall be done," said he.
The old man made his bow, and went home, and the pope
and his wife began talking about him.
"There now, the old hunks!" they say. "So poor, forsooth,
so poor! And yet he's paid a gold piece. Many a defunct
person of quality have I buried in my time, but I never got so
from anyone before."
The pope got under weigh with all his retinue, and buried
the old crone in proper style. After the funeral the old man
invited him to his house, to take part in the feast in memory of
the dead. Well, they entered the cottage, and sat down to table--and
there appeared from somewhere or other meat and drink
and all sorts of snacks, everything in profusion. The (reverend)
guest sat down, ate for three people, looked greedily at what
was not his. The (other) guests finished their meal, and separated
to go to their homes; then the pope also rose from the
table. The old man went to speed him on his way. As soon
as they got into the farmyard, and the pope saw they were alone
at last, he began questioning the old man: "Listen, friend!
confess to me, don't leave so much as a single sin on your soul--it's
just the same before me as before God! How have you
managed to get on at such a pace? You used to be a poor
moujik, and now--marry! where did it come from? Confess,
friend, whose breath have you stopped? whom have you
pillaged?"
"What are you talking about, batyushka? I will tell you the
exact truth. I have not robbed, nor plundered, nor killed anyone.
A treasure tumbled into my hands of its own accord."
And he told him how it all happened. When the pope
heard these words he actually shook all over with greediness.
Going home, he did nothing by night and by day but think,
"That such a wretched lout of a moujik should have come in
for such a lump of money! Is there any way of tricking him
now, and getting this pot of money out of him?" He told his
wife about it, and he and she discussed the matter together, and
held counsel over it.
"Listen, mother," says he; "we've a goat, haven't we?"
"Yes."
"All right, then; we'll wait until it's night, and then we'll do
the job properly."
Late in the evening the pope dragged the goat indoors, killed
it, and took off its skin--horns, beard, and all complete. Then
he pulled the goat's skin over himself and said to his wife:
"Bring a needle and thread, mother, and fasten up the skin
all round, so that it mayn't slip off."
So she took a strong needle, and some tough thread, and
sewed him up in the goatskin. Well, at the dead of night, the
pope went straight to the old man's cottage, got under the window,
and began knocking and scratching. The old man hearing
the noise, jumped up and asked:
"Who's there?"
"The Devil!"
"Ours is a holy spot![34]" shrieked the moujik, and began
crossing himself and uttering prayers.
"Listen, old man," says the pope, "From me thou will not
escape, although thou may'st pray, although thou may'st cross
thyself; much better give me back my pot of money, otherwise I
will make thee pay for it. See now, I pitied thee in thy misfortune,
and I showed thee the treasure, thinking thou wouldst
take a little of it to pay for the funeral, but thou hast pillaged it
utterly."
The old man looked out of window--the goat's horns and
beard caught his eye--it was the Devil himself, no doubt of it.
"Let's get rid of him, money and all," thinks the old man;
"I've lived before now without money, and now I'll go on living
without it."
So he took the pot of gold, carried it outside, flung it on the
ground, and bolted indoors again as quickly as possible.
The pope seized the pot of money, and hastened home.
When he got back, "Come," says he, "the money is in our
hands now. Here, mother, put it well out of sight, and take a
sharp knife, cut the thread, and pull the goatskin off me before
anyone sees it."
She took a knife, and was beginning to cut the thread at the
seam, when forth flowed blood, and the pope began to howl:
"Oh! it hurts, mother, it hurts! don't cut mother, don't
cut!"
She began ripping the skin open in another place, but with
just the same result. The goatskin had united with his body all
round. And all that they tried, and all that they did, even to taking
the money back to the old man, was of no avail. The goatskin
remained clinging tight to the pope all the same. God evidently
did it to punish him for his great greediness.
A somewhat less heathenish story with regard to money is the
following, which may be taken as a specimen of the Skazkas which bear
the impress of the genuine reverence which the peasants feel for their
religion, whatever may be the feelings they entertain towards its
ministers. While alluding to this subject, by the way, it may be as
well to remark that no great reliance can be placed upon the evidence
contained in the folk-tales of any land, with respect to the relations
between its clergy and their flocks. The local parson of folk-lore is,
as a general rule, merely the innocent inheritor of the bad reputation
acquired by some ecclesiastic of another age and clime.
Story DNA
Moral
Greed and hypocrisy will ultimately lead to a just and often ironic punishment.
Plot Summary
An impoverished old man's wife dies, and he is refused help for her burial by his greedy neighbors and the local priest. While digging the grave himself, he unearths a pot of gold, which he uses to pay for a lavish funeral. The priest, consumed by avarice upon learning of the treasure, disguises himself as the Devil in a goatskin to trick the old man into returning the gold. The terrified old man complies, but when the priest tries to remove the disguise, the goatskin has miraculously fused to his body as a permanent, painful punishment for his greed.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story reflects a common folk perception of corrupt or greedy clergy, a theme found in many cultures' folklore, often as a critique of institutional power rather than a specific historical event.
Plot Beats (13)
- An old, poor man's wife dies in winter, and he seeks help for her burial.
- Neighbors and the local pope refuse to help due to his poverty and inability to pay.
- The old man goes to the graveyard to dig the grave himself.
- While digging, he discovers a pot filled with gold ducats.
- The old man uses the gold to pay for a proper funeral and memorial feast.
- The pope, now eager to serve, conducts the funeral and attends the feast.
- After the feast, the pope questions the old man about his sudden wealth, learning about the treasure.
- Consumed by greed, the pope plots to steal the treasure from the old man.
- The pope kills his goat, skins it, and has his wife sew him into the goatskin to impersonate the Devil.
- The pope, disguised as the Devil, goes to the old man's house at night and demands the treasure back, claiming it was his to begin with.
- The old man, terrified and believing it's the Devil, throws the pot of gold outside.
- The pope retrieves the gold and returns home, instructing his wife to cut him out of the goatskin.
- The wife attempts to cut the skin, but it has miraculously fused with the pope's body, causing him pain and remaining permanently attached as divine punishment.
Characters
The Old Man ★ protagonist
Impoverished, likely frail from age and hardship.
Attire: Simple, worn peasant clothing, appropriate for a poor man in a cold climate.
Resourceful, honest, devout, initially desperate but later content.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly man with a long, flowing white beard and deep wrinkles etched by time. His kind, blue eyes hold a spark of determination. He wears a simple, earth-toned tunic and a worn, hooded cloak, secured with a leather belt. One hand rests on a tall, gnarled wooden walking staff. He stands tall with a posture of quiet resolve, a gentle smile on his weathered face. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Woman ○ minor
Deceased at the story's opening.
Attire: Not described, but implied to be simple peasant clothing.
Not explicitly shown, as she is deceased.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly woman in her late 70s with deep wrinkles, kind grey eyes, and a gentle, wise expression. Her long silver hair is neatly braided and pinned up beneath a simple linen headscarf. She wears a faded blue woolen dress with a patched apron, sturdy leather boots, and a small silver locket around her neck. Her posture is slightly stooped but dignified, holding a wooden walking stick in one hand and a woven basket of herbs in the other. She stands in a relaxed, welcoming pose with a faint smile. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Pope ⚔ antagonist
No specific description, but implied to be robust enough to wear a goatskin.
Attire: Initially clerical vestments, later a goatskin sewn onto his body.
Greedy, cunning, hypocritical, manipulative.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly stern-faced man in his 70s wearing an ornate tall golden mitre hat adorned with dark red gemstones and black embroidery. He has sharp cold grey eyes, a gaunt pale face with deep wrinkles, thin pursed lips, and a long pointed silver beard. He wears a flowing crimson and black velvet robe with gold trim, an elaborate jeweled pectoral cross necklace, and carries a twisted black staff topped with a coiled serpent. His posture is rigid and imposing, standing tall with a sinister downward gaze and hands clasped over the staff. Dark shadows cast across his face suggesting menace and authority. The robes billow slightly as if caught in an ominous wind. Rich textures of silk, velvet, and gold throughout the costume. Expression is cold, calculating, and villainous. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature
The Pope's Wife ◆ supporting
No specific description.
Attire: Implied to be peasant or modest clerical wife's attire.
Complicit, supportive of her husband's schemes, practical.
Image Prompt & Upload
A mature woman in her late 40s with a kind, serene expression and gentle smile. She has elegant silver-streaked hair pinned up in a sophisticated bun. She wears a magnificent, floor-length gown of deep crimson velvet, intricately embroidered with gold thread patterns of vines and doves. A delicate golden circlet rests upon her head. She stands with a posture of quiet strength and grace, one hand resting on a large, ancient-looking book held against her waist, the other hand open in a welcoming gesture. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Graveyard
A frozen, frosty graveyard where the old man attempts to dig a grave for his wife. The ground is hard and requires an axe to break through.
Mood: desolate, cold, initially despairing, then surprisingly fortunate
The old man discovers the pot of gold while digging his wife's grave.
Image Prompt & Upload
A frozen graveyard at the edge of dusk, under a heavy, colorless sky. The ground is a solid, unforgiving sheet of gray ice and hard-packed earth, frosted with a brittle, crystalline layer. Ancient, leaning tombstones of weathered granite and marble jut from the frozen soil, their inscriptions obscured by rime. Skeletal, black trees with frost-laden branches claw at the sky. A single, gnarled dead oak stands sentinel, its trunk split. The air is still and bitterly cold, with a faint, blue-tinged mist clinging to the ground. The only light is the weak, diffused glow from the overcast heavens, casting long, sharp shadows. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Old Man's Cottage
A humble dwelling, initially poor, but transformed by the discovery of the treasure. Later, it becomes the scene of a memorial feast and the pope's attempted deception.
Mood: initially impoverished, then festive and abundant, later tense and fearful
The old man hosts a memorial feast, and later, the pope attempts to scare him into giving up the treasure while disguised as the Devil outside the window.
Image Prompt & Upload
Evening light casts long shadows across a humble stone cottage, its thatched roof now neatly repaired and walls whitewashed. Golden light spills from small, mullioned windows, illuminating a garden bursting with colorful flowers and a newly built stone well. A weathered oak tree stands sentinel nearby, its branches heavy with moss. The air is still, with a hint of mist gathering at the forest's edge, and the last rays of the sun paint the sky in hues of amber and deep purple. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Pope's House
The residence of the grasping pope, where he initially refuses the old man and later plots to steal his treasure.
Mood: unwelcoming, greedy, scheming
The pope and his wife conspire to steal the treasure, and the pope is sewn into a goatskin here.
Image Prompt & Upload
A grand, imposing Baroque residence at the end of a long, gravel drive under a brooding late-afternoon sky. The opulent facade features dark stone, ornate gold-leafed carvings, and tall, arched stained-glass windows glowing faintly from within. The atmosphere is heavy and foreboding, with long shadows stretching from twisted, skeletal trees lining the path. The color palette is dominated by deep blues, purples, and the cold gleam of gold. An intricate wrought-iron gate stands slightly ajar, leading to an overgrown courtyard with a dry, ornate fountain. The air feels still and heavy, charged with unspoken greed and secrets. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Farmyard (Old Man's)
The outdoor area surrounding the old man's cottage, where the pope questions him about the treasure after the feast.
Mood: private, suspicious, revealing
The pope corners the old man and extracts the truth about the treasure's origin.
Image Prompt & Upload
Late golden hour light spills across a rustic farmyard, casting long shadows from a weathered thatched-roof cottage. A crumbling stone well sits center, surrounded by a low, mossy fence. Chickens peck near a wooden wheelbarrow overflowing with hay. Wildflowers dot the lush green grass, and a dirt path winds toward the cottage's open wooden door. Warm amber and soft purple hues color the sky, with the first stars just appearing. A gentle, peaceful atmosphere of a quiet evening after a feast. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
