Chapter 3 03. The necessary prelude

A young couple who had just held their wedding came from the church to their home in a carriage. "Hey, Varya," said the husband, "take my beard and pull it hard." "God knows what you came up with!" "No, no, please! I beg you! Grab it, pull it hard, don't be shy..." "Come on, why are you bothering?" "Valya, I ask you... I command you! If you love me, grab my beard and pull it... This is my beard, pull it!" "Nothing! It's painful, and the man I love more than my own life... No, I'll never do it!" "But I beg you!" the newlywed husband was annoyed. "Do you understand me, I beg you, and... order you!"

Finally, after a long dispute, the bewildered wife put her little hand into her husband's beard and pulled it with all her strength... The husband didn't even frown... "Look, I don't feel any pain at all!" he said, "Really, no pain! Well, wait a minute, now it's time for me to get you..." The husband grabbed a few strands of hair from his wife's sideburns and pulled them vigorously.The wife screamed loudly. "Now, my dear," concluded the husband, "you must know that I am many times stronger than you, and have more stamina than you. From now on, if you throw your fist at me, or threaten to gouge out my eyes You must keep this in mind...in a word: Wives should be afraid of their husbands!"