第1章

FirstwehaveTalesforChildren，publishedabouttheyear1872，andremindingusofthetimewhenTolstoywasabsorbedineffortstoeducatethepeasantchildren。ThissectionofthebookcontainsthetwostorieswhichofallthathehaswrittenTolstoylikesbest。InWhatisArt？heclaimsnoplaceamongexamplesofgoodartforanyofhisownproductions’exceptforthestoryGodseestheTruth，butWaits，whichseeksaplaceinthefirstclass(religiousart)，andAPrisonerintheCaucasus，whichbelongstothesecond(universalart)。’Inthefirstofthesethesubject(afavouriteonewithTolstoy)istheforgivenessofinjuries。

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。

Thenhemadehiswayacrosstothelandlordoftheinn(wholivedinacottageattheback)，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。