Christmas Eve

Heaps of girls with sacks broke into Chub's hut, surrounded Oksana. Shouts, laughter, stories deafened the blacksmith. Everyone vied with each other in a hurry to tell the beauty something new, unloaded the sacks and boasted of pastries, sausages, dumplings, which they had already managed to collect for their carols. Oksana, it seemed, was in perfect pleasure and joy, chatting now with the one, now with the other, and laughed incessantly. With some vexation and envy the blacksmith looked at such gaiety and this time cursed the carols, although he himself was crazy about them.
- Eh, Odarka! - said the cheerful beauty, turning to one of the girls, - you have new shawls! Oh, how good! and with gold! It's good for you, Odarka, you have a person who buys everything for you; and I have no one to get such glorious cribs.
- Do not grieve, my beloved Oksana! - picked up the blacksmith, - I will get you such shanks, which a rare lady wears.
- You? - said, quickly and haughtily looking at him, Oksana. - I'll see where you can get the slippers that I could put on my leg. Can't you bring the ones worn by the queen?
- You see what you wanted! Shouted the maiden crowd with a laugh.
“Yes,” the beautiful woman continued proudly, “be all of you witnesses: if the blacksmith Vakula brings the very shanks worn by the queen, then here is my word that I will marry him the same hour.
The girls took the capricious beauty with them.