FirstwehaveTalesforChildren,publishedabouttheyear1872,andremindingusofthetimewhenTolstoywasabsorbedineffortstoeducatethepeasantchildren。ThissectionofthebookcontainsthetwostorieswhichofallthathehaswrittenTolstoylikesbest。InWhatisArt?heclaimsnoplaceamongexamplesofgoodartforanyofhisownproductions’exceptforthestoryGodseestheTruth,butWaits,whichseeksaplaceinthefirstclassreligiousart,andAPrisonerintheCaucasus,whichbelongstotheseconduniversalart。’InthefirstofthesethesubjectafavouriteonewithTolstoyistheforgivenessofinjuries。
Theseconddealswiththesimplestfeelingscommontoallmen:fearandcourage,pity,endurance,&;c。’expressedwiththatindividuality,clearness,andsincerity,whichTolstoysaysarethesignsoftrueart。
containsaseriesofstorieswrittenforthepeople;andamongthemWhatMenLiveBy,probablythemostwidelycirculatedofallTolstoy’stales。Itisfoundedontheoft-repeatedlegendofanangelsentbyGodtoliveforawhileamongmen。
consistsofaFairyTale,Ivá;ntheFool,whichcontainsinpopularformTolstoy’sindictmentofmilitarismandcommercialism。
containsthreeshortstorieswrittentohelpthesaleofcheapreproductionsofsomegooddrawings;Tolstoyhavingformanyyearsbeenanxiousbyallmeansinhispowertofurtherthecirculation,atacheapprice,ofgoodworksofpictorialaswellasliteraryart。
InwehaveaseriesofRussianFolk-Tales。Thegemsofthiscollectionarethetemperancestory,TheImpandtheCrust,theanti-warstory,TheEmptyDrum,andanotherstory,HowMuchLanddoesaManNeed?whichdealswithapeasant’sgreedforland。AGrainasbigasaHen’sEggandTheGodsonarehighlycharacteristicofthespiritoftheRussianpeasantry,andsupplyaglimpseofthesourcesfromwhenceTolstoyimbibedmanyofhisownspiritualsympathiesandantipathies。
givestwoadaptationsfromtheFrenchwhichhaveappearedinnopreviousEnglisheditionofTolstoy’sworks。Theyarenotmerelytranslations,fortosomeextentTolstoywhentranslatingthem,modifiedthemandmadethemhisown。
consistsofstoriesTolstoycontributedinaidoftheJewsleftdestituteafterthemassacresandoutragesinKishiné;fandelsewhereinRussiain1903,——outrageswhichwereforerunnersoftheyetmoreterribleJewishmassacresof1905。
TheimportanceTolstoyattributestoliteratureofthekindcontainedinthisvolume,isshownbythefollowingpassageinWhatisArt?——
’Theartistofthefuturewillunderstandthattocomposeafairytale,alittlesongwhichwilltouchalullabyorariddlewhichwillentertain,ajestwhichwillamuse,ortodrawasketchsuchaswilldelightdozensofgenerationsormillionsofchildrenandadults,isincomparablymoreimportantandmorefruitfulthantocomposeanovel,orasymphony,orpaintapicture,ofthekindwhichdivertssomemembersofthewealthyclassesforashorttimeandisthenforeverforgotten。Theregionofthisartofthesimplestfeelingsaccessibletoallisenormous,anditisasyetalmostuntouched。’
Thesectionsofthebookhavebeenarrangedinchronologicalorder。
Thedatewheneachstorywaspublishedisgiven。Thetranslationsarenewones,andforthefootnotesIamresponsible。
godseesthetruth,butwaitsGODSEESTHETRUTH,BUTWAITS
INthetownofVladí;mirlivedayoungmerchantnamedIvá;nDmí;tritchAksyó;nof。Hehadtwoshopsandahouseofhisown。
Aksyó;nofwasahandsome,fair-haired,curly-headedfellow,fulloffun,andveryfondofsinging。Whenquiteayoungmanhehadbeengiventodrink,andwasriotouswhenhehadhadtoomuch,butafterhemarriedhegaveupdrinking,exceptnowandthen。
OnesummerAksyó;nofwasgoingtotheNí;zhnyFair,andashebadegood-byetohisfamilyhiswifesaidtohim,’Ivá;nDmí;tritch,donotstartto-day;Ihavehadabaddreamaboutyou。’
Aksyó;noflaughed,andsaid,’YouareafraidthatwhenIgettothefairIshallgoonthespree。’
Hiswifereplied:’IdonotknowwhatIamafraidof;allIknowisthatIhadabaddream。Idreamtyoureturnedfromthetown,andwhenyoutookoffyourcapIsawthatyourhairwasquitegrey。’
Aksyó;noflaughed。’That’saluckysign,’saidhe。’SeeifIdon’tselloutallmygoods,andbringyousomepresentsfromthefair。’
Sohesaidgood-byetohisfamily,anddroveaway。
Whenhehadtravelledhalf-way,hemetamerchantwhomheknew,andtheyputupatthesameinnforthenight。Theyhadsometeatogether,andthenwenttobedinadjoiningrooms。
ItwasnotAksyó;nof’shabittosleeplate,and,wishingtotravelwhileitwasstillcool,hearousedhisdriverbeforedawn,andtoldhimtoputinthehorses。
Thenhemadehiswayacrosstothelandlordoftheinnwholivedinacottageattheback,paidhisbill,andcontinuedhisjourney。
Whenhehadgoneabouttwenty-fivemiles,hestoppedforthehorsestobefed。Aksyó;nofrestedawhileinthepassageoftheinn,thenhesteppedoutintotheporchand,orderingasamová;r[1]
tobeheatedgotouthisguitarandbegantoplay。
Suddenlyatró;yka[2]droveupwithtinklingbells,andanofficialalighted,followedbytwosoldiers。HecametoAksyó;nofandbegantoquestionhim,askinghimwhohewasandwhencehecame。Aksyó;nofansweredhimfully,andsaid,’Won’tyouhavesometeawithme?’Buttheofficialwentoncross-questioninghimandaskinghim,’Wheredidyouspendlastnight?Wereyoualone,orwithafellow-merchant?Didyouseetheothermerchantthismorning?Whydidyouleavetheinnbeforedawn?’
Aksyó;nofwonderedwhyhewasaskedallthesequestions,buthedescribedallthathadhappened,andthenadded,’Whydoyoucross-questionmeasifIwereathieforarobber?Iamtravellingonbusinessofmyown,andthereisnoneedtoquestionme。’
Thentheofficial,callingthesoldiers,said,’Iamthepolice-officerofthisdistrict,andIquestionyoubecausethemerchantwithwhomyouspentlastnighthasbeenfoundwithhisthroatcut。Wemustsearchyourthings。’
Theyenteredthehouse。Thesoldiersandthepolice-officerunstrappedAksyó;nof’sluggageandsearchedit。Suddenlytheofficerdrewaknifeoutofabag,crying,’Whoseknifeisthis?’
Aksyó;noflooked,andseeingablood-stainedknifetakenfromhisbag,hewasfrightened。
’Howisitthereisbloodonthisknife?’
Aksyó;noftriedtoanswer,butcouldhardlyutteraword,andonlystammered:’I——Idon’tknow——notmine。’
Thenthepolice-officersaid,’Thismorningthemerchantwasfoundinbedwithhisthroatcut。Youaretheonlypersonwhocouldhavedoneit。Thehousewaslockedfrominside,andnooneelsewasthere。Hereisthisbloodstainedknifeinyourbag,andyourfaceandmannerbetrayyou!Tellmehowyoukilledhim,andhowmuchmoneyyoustole?’
Aksyó;nofsworehehadnotdoneit;thathehadnotseenthemerchantaftertheyhadhadteatogether;thathehadnomoneyexcepteightthousandroubles[3]ofhisown,andthattheknifewasnothis。Buthisvoicewasbroken,hisfacepale,andhetrembledwithfearasthoughhewereguilty。
Thepolice-officerorderedthesoldierstobindAksyó;nofandtoputhiminthecart。Astheytiedhisfeettogetherandflunghimintothecart,Aksyó;nofcrossedhimselfandwept。Hismoneyandgoodsweretakenfromhim,andhewassenttothenearesttownandimprisonedthere。EnquiriesastohischaracterweremadeinVladí;mir。Themerchantsandotherinhabitantsofthattownsaidthatinformerdaysheusedtodrinkandwastehistime,butthathewasagoodman。Thenthetrialcameon:hewaschargedwithmurderingamerchantfromRyazá;n,androbbinghimoftwentythousandroubles。
Hiswifewasindespair,anddidnotknowwhattobelieve。Herchildrenwereallquitesmall;onewasababyatherbreast。
Takingthemallwithher,shewenttothetownwhereherhusbandwasingaol。Atfirstshewasnotallowedtoseehim;but,aftermuchbegging,sheobtainedpermissionfromtheofficials,andwastakentohim。Whenshesawherhusbandinprison-dressandinchains,shutupwiththievesandcriminals,shefelldown,anddidnotcometohersensesforalongtime。
Thenshedrewherchildrentoher,andsatdownnearhim。Shetoldhimofthingsathome,andaskedaboutwhathadhappenedtohim。Hetoldherall,andsheasked,’Whatcanwedonow?’
’WemustpetitiontheTsarnottoletaninnocentmanperish。’
HiswifetoldhimthatshehadsentapetitiontotheTsar,butthatithadnotbeenaccepted。