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For both Levin and the young peasant behind him, such changes of

position were difficult. Both of them, repeating over and over

again the same strained movement, were in a perfect frenzy of

toil, and were incapable of shifting their position and at the

same time watching what was before them.

Levin did not notice how time was passing. If he had been asked

how long he had been working he would have said half an hour-and

it was getting on for dinner time. As they were walking back over

the cut grass, the old man called Levin's attention to the little

girls and boys who were coming from different directions, hardly

visible through the long grass, and along the road towards the

mowers, carrying sacks of bread dragging at their little hands

and pitchers of the sour rye-beer, with cloths wrapped round

them.

"Look'ee, the little emmets crawling!" he said, pointing to them,

and he shaded his eyes with his hand to look at the sun. They

mowed two more rows; the old man stopped.