ANANY EGOROVICH BIT HIS LOWER LIP . HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT 
TO DO . EIGHT YEARS AGO HE WOULD HAVE TAKEN THESE 
WOMEN BY THE SCRUFF OF THEIR NECKS AND THROWN THEM INTO 
THE FIELDS . BUT NOW . . . " A WIFE 
WITH A JOB . MYSOVSKY VISITS A FATHER AND SON WHO 
DO NOT WORK REGULARLY FOR THE KOLKHOZ, YET OCCUPY A GOOD 
HOUSE . HOW DO THEY DO IT ? " WHAT ARE 
THE MEANS ? ANANY EGOROVICH ASKED HIMSELF . THE KOLKHOZ WAGES 
? CERTAINLY NOT, SADLY ENOUGH . WHO COULD BUILD THEMSELVES A 
HOUSE ? THOSE WHO HAVE EARNINGS ON THE SIDE . THERE 
IS A CUSTOM IN THE VILLAGE : IF YOU WORK IN 
A KOLKHOZ, LOOK FOR A WIFE WHO HAS A REGULAR JOB 
IN TOWN . " EVERYONE WOULD RATHER WORK FOR HIMSELF AND 
EARN MORE THAN WORK FOR THE COLLECTIVE, HE LAMENTS . " 
IT'S THE SAME OLD STORY . A REAL VICIOUS CIRCLE . 
IN ORDER TO BE PAID WELL, PEOPLE SHOULD WORK FULL STEAM, 
SINCE THE KOLKHOZ HAS NO OTHER RESOURCES BUT THEIR WORK . 
BUT PEOPLE WILL NOT WORK FOR THE KOLKHOZ BECAUSE THEY ARE 
NOT WELL PAID . HOW CAN I BREAK THE CIRCLE ? 
PARTY OFFICIALS TELL ME, " YOU'RE NOT A GOOD LEADER . 
YOUR AGITATION-EDUCATIONAL WORK IS SLACK.' BUT HOW DO YOU PROPAGANDIZE TODAY'S 
KOLKHOZNIK ? WITHOUT THE RUBLE THE AGITATION DOESN'T REACH HIM . 
. . THAT'S THE WHOLE QUESTION . " WHY BOTHER ? 
CONTINUING HIS TOUR, MYSOVSKY STOPS OFF AT THE NEW HOME OF 
A RELEASED INMATE OF A SLAVE LABOR CAMP . THE FELLOW 
HAS A DOCTOR'S CERTIFICATE THAT HE IS TOO ILL TO WORK, 
LIVES LAVISHLY BY SELLING PRODUCE FROM HIS PRIVATE PLOT . " 
EVERYTHING AT PETUNYA'S PLACE WAS GEARED TO MARKET NEEDS . INSTEAD 
OF A SMALL ONION BED HE HAD A REAL ONION PLANTATION, 
MUCH BETTER THAN THE ONES ON THE KOLKHOZ . THEN THERE 
WERE CUCUMBERS, POTATOES . . . EVERY INCH WAS USED . 
" NATURALLY PETUNYA REFUSES TO HELP BRING IN THE HARVEST . 
" IF I HAD A COW I MIGHT, BUT OTHERWISE, WHY 
BOTHER ? ' THE CHAIRMAN UNDERSTANDS . . . EVERY YEAR 
THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF HAY ARE LOST BECAUSE KOLKHOZNIKI GET ONLY 
10 PER CENT OF THE HAY THEY HARVEST . IN ORDER 
TO FEED HIS OWN COW HE WOULD HAVE TO HARVEST ENOUGH 
FOR EIGHT OR NINE AND THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE . EACH YEAR IT 
GETS HARDER AND HARDER TO FIND WORKERS FOR THE KOLKHOZ SILO 
. " MEETING HIS FATE . AT THE END OF HIS 
ROUNDS MYSOVSKY IS DOG-TIRED AND DEPRESSED, STOPS OFF AT THE RECREATION 
HALL FOR A DRINK, AND PROMPTLY GETS PLASTERED . WHILE DRUNK 
HE PROMISES THE WORKERS 30 PER CENT OF THE HARVEST INSTEAD 
OF THE REGULATION 10 PER CENT , AND LO AND BEHOLD, 
WITH THAT INCENTIVE, THEY ARE OUT IN THE FIELDS EARLY NEXT 
DAY . NEXT MORNING, MYSOVSKY WAKES UP WITH A HANGOVER, RUBS 
HIS EYES AT THE SIGHT OF WORKERS' KERCHIEFS BOBBING LIKE DAISIES 
IN THE FIELDS . THEN HE REMEMBERS . . . " 
THIRTY PERCENT ? HOW COULD HE HAVE SAID ANYTHING OF THE 
SORT ? HIS HEAD MIGHT FALL FOR THAT . HE COULD 
IMAGINE THE CRIES OF THE PARTY BOSSES : " YOU HAVE 
UNLEASHED PROPERTY-POSSESSING IDEAS . YOU LET YOURSELF BE LED BY BACKWARD 
ELEMENTS.' JUST THE SAME, THOUGHT THE CHAIRMAN, THE WORKERS WERE OUT 
IN THE FIELDS JUST BECAUSE OF THE PROMISE OF 30 PER 
CENT WITHOUT SHOUTING, DEMANDS OR DISCUSSION . " MYSOVSKY HASTILY WALKED 
TOWARD THE HOME OF THE LOCAL PARTY BOSS TO EXPLAIN THINGS 
BEFORE THEY PUT HIM ON TRIAL . THE CLOSER HE GOT 
TO THE HOUSE, THE MORE FRIGHTENED HE BECAME . ON THE 
WAY, AN ASSISTANT STOPPED HIM, ASKED WHETHER HE WANTED TO SEND 
ADDITIONAL WORKERS TO OUTLYING FIELDS NATURALLY FOR THE SAME 30 PER 
CENT . " MYSOVSKY NERVOUSLY LICKED HIS LIPS, THEN AGREED . 
NOW THAT I AM 55, I SHOULD BE COURAGEOUS, HE SAID 
TO HIMSELF . HE STRAIGHTENED HIMSELF UP, AND WENT INSIDE TO 
MEET HIS FATE . / 