The bear-tamer praised God in greeting, then crowed like a cockerel, bleated like a sheep, neighed like a fiery stallion and proclaimed: ‘Bear-tamers are we from a distant land, across the wide sea, from beyond the great forest. Where people walk upside down, where fences are made of sausages and where they cool themselves by fires. Where they put cooking pots out in the sun, the pigs swim in ponds and it rains vodka. We’re told they’re rich farmers in this village, generous farmers, beautiful lasses, so we have come from a distant land, beyond the wide river, to find provision, gracious welcome and something for the road. Amen.’
Władysław Reymont, “The Peasants”, 1909
Photo: R. Kennedy Stephen
