THE THREE COMRADES

_by Kristina Roy_

of Stara Tura, Slovakia.

Translated by Charles Lukesh

First Edition, 3,000--November, 1941




THE THREE COMRADES




CHAPTER ONE


In the whole wide world there were no comrades who loved each other
better than Petrik,[1] Ondrejko,[2] and Fido. All three were orphans
and had had a hard time in the world thus far. Both parents of Petrik
had died of a malignant fever. He became a public charge and was
sent from place to place, till finally he was placed in charge of
"Bacha"[3] Filina, who was his father's uncle, and had charge of the
sheep pasturing on the mountain clearings of the estate of Lord Gemer.
There was but a poor hut, but to mistreated Petrik it was like a
paradise. Ondrejko, whom they called at home Andreas de Gemer, came