A wedding in the olden times was not like one of the present day. My grandfather`s aunt used to tell how the maidens in festive headdresses, of yellow, blue and pink ribbons, above which they bound gold braid; in thin chemisettes embroidered on all the seams with red silk, and strewn with tiny silver flowers; in morocco shoes, with high iron heels danced the gorlitza as swimmingly as peacocks, and as wildly as the whirlwind; how the youths with their ship-shaped caps upon their heads, the crowns of gold brocade, and two horns projecting, one in front and another behind, of the very finest black lambskin; in tunics of the finest blue silk with red borders stepped forward one by one, their arms akimbo in stately form, and executed the gopak; how the lads in tall Cossack caps, and light cloth gaberdines, girt with silver embroidered belts, their short pipes in their teeth skipped before them and talked nonsense.
Even Korzh as he gazed at the young people could not help getting gay in his old age. Guitar in hand, alternately puffing at his pipe and singing, a brandy-glass upon his head, the gray beard began the national dance amid loud shouts from the merrymakers.
Another as the devil
What will not people devise in merry mood? They even began to disguise their faces till they did not look like human beings. On such occasions one would dress himself as a Jew, another as the devil; they would begin by kissing each other, and end by seizing each other by the hair. God be with them! you laughed till you held your sides. ‘I’hey dressed themselves in Turkish and Tatar garments. All upon them glowed like a conflagration, and then they began to joke and play pranks.
An amusing thing happened to my grandfather`s aunt, who was at this wedding. She was wearing an ample Tatar robe, and, wineglass in hand, was entertaining the company. The Evil One instigated one man to pour vodka over her from behind. Another, at the same moment, evidently not by accident, struck a light, and held it to her. The flame Unshed up, and poor aunt, in terror, flung her dress off, before them all. Screams, laughter, jests arose as if at a fair. In a word, the old folks could not recall so merry a wedding.
Pidorka and Peter began to live like a gentleman and lady. There wus plenty of everything and everything was fine.
But honest folk shook their heads when they marked their way of living. “From the devil no good can come,” they unanimously agreed. “Whence, except from the tempter of orthodox people, came this wealth? Where else could he have got such a lot of gold? Why, on the very day that he got rich, did Basavriuk vanish as if into thin air?”
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