The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-10
A TALE.
A Russian Folk Lore Story, with
a Modern Application
BY LEO ToLsToI.
From Hep he S,drrirg.


| hitnobI trouuen. Jumpod up In front OF nlfn
Emelyan carefully stepped over It Suddenly
he heard some one call him. Emelyan turned
round and SAW beautiful girl standing be-
hind him. who said: why do you not marry.
| Emelyan2"
| How can marry, my grip I have nothing
except myself: no woman will go with mo-"
Marry me-"
The girl greatly pleased Emeiyan.
'1H' he replied with delight: but whore
shall we livep"
rs that worth bothering about2" said the
girl 1T only means that we shall have to
| work little moro. and sleep little less. and
then. wherever we are. we shall find ourselves
clothed and fed"
Very we'll. then. We will marry: but where
shall we go2"
| LET us 60 to the CITY,"
Emelyan and the girl wont to the city. Tho
girl led him to q small house at tho further end
| OF 1t: they were married. and started house,
keeping. Tho Governor drove out one day.
and. as he passed their house. Emeyans vito
ran out to look at him. When the Governor
saw hor he was struck with establishment at
her beauty. and said to himself. where can
such beauty have come from2" He stopped.
called to her. and began to question her
| Who nre you?"
The wife of the peasant Emelyan."
| How came such beauty as you to marry
peasant You should have been Princess"
Thank you for your kind words am we'll
content to be PEASANTS wife."
Tho Governor made few more remarks.
| drove away. and returned to his palace. He
| could not get the wife Of Emeyan out OF his
head. He did not sleep oil night. He thought
OF how no should take away Emelyan's vile
and get her for himself He could hit upon no
| way OF doing 1t. so he called his servants and
| ordered them to find n way.
The servants said to tho Governor: Take
Emelyan as one Of your laborers. We will
| then kill him with hard work. The wife will
| be left widow. and you can have her."
The Governor sent for Emelyan to become
man OF all work and to live with his wlfe In the
| palace. The messenger went and gave Emel-
| yam the message. The wife replied: THAT
! Is good. Co. You can work during the day
and at night you can return to me-"
Emelyan went He arrived at the palace.
Tho Governors foreman asked him: why
did you come alone. without your wife7"
why bring her? She has her house."
They gavo Emelyan work in the Governors
| yard that would have been Il hard task for two
mon. Emelyan set about his work. and was
afraid he would not DO abe to finish it: but
before night he had finished it oil. The fore
man saw that he had done all Of 1t and gave
him for the next day four times as much.
| Emelyan went home. There he found every
thing swept clean and tidy: the stove lit: the
baking and cooking all done. The wife was
sitting at tho table and sewing. while she
waited for her husband. She met him. laid
tho supper. gave him his meat and drink and.
when he had finished. began to ask him about
his work.
There is no uso talking: It Is bad. They
give you more than you can do They will kill
me with work"
But you-you must not think about the
work. Don't look to the ono side or to the
| other: how much you have done. or how much
is left. Only work. All will be done in time"
In the morning Emelyan returned to work.
He started working. never looking to one side.
10! by the evening it was all finished. and be-
fore it was dark he was at home. They put
moro and more work upon Emelyan. but he
always finished In time and went home.
Aweek has gone by. The Governors SER
wants see that they cannot kill the peasant
with rough work. They begin to give him
skilled tasks. but with this they cannot kill
Kim. Carpenters. mason'e roofers work-all
that they give him he finishes in time and
goes home to his wife and to sleep.
Another week goes by. The Governor calls
his servants and says: do feed you with
bread for nothing2 Two weeks have passed.
and as yet SEQ nothing from you. You wanted
to kill Emelyan with hard work. and from my
window observe him going homo every day.
singing. Did YOU intend to mako Jest Of me? ?"
The servants began to excuse themselves.
I'VE tried" they said. with all our might
to kill him with hard work. but We could not
do it. When he sweeps with broom he does
1t without fatigue. We then began to give him
skilled work. thinking no would be short Of
brains. but with that We could not break him
down. Where does he got it from2 Every
thing a n HAL a p,nc hot h,k
there is witchcraft in him or in his wife. We
ourselves arc tired Of him. We want to give
him task beyond his powers We thought OF
giving him an order to build n cathedral in a
day. Do you call Emelyan and command him
to build cathedral in front Of your palace in
n single day and then. il no fails to do it, his
head can be cut Off for disobedonce.'
The Governor sent for Emelyan.
"Now. then" he said. this is my order to
you. Build me new cathedral in front Of my
palace. in the square. 1t must be ready by
to morrow. II you build it will confer honor
on you; II you do not build it you will lose
your head"
Emelyan listened to tho order. turned round
and went home Now" he thinks to himself
my end is come" He went to his wife and
said: Get your things together. wife: We
must fly. Anywhere. II We do not we shall
be lost and all for nothing"
what she asked. Have you become SO
frightened that you want to run away"
How can l be otherwise than frightened?
The Governor has ordered me to build new
cathedral. and all In ono day. II do not
build it he threatened that he would cut or my
head Only ono thing Is left-to run away
while there Is time
The wife did not accept his suggestion.
The Governor has many servants. and
wherever We go we shall be caught" she
said You cannot escape him. and. 80 long
as We have power. we must obey"
But how to obey when it is beyond me2"
Little father! do not grieve. Take your
supper and go to bed In tho morning you will
get up. and everything will be all right"
Emelyan went to bed The wife woke him.
Go" she said. go quickly. and get your
cathedral built. Hero you have mills and q
hammer. and there is only a days work left
for you"
Emelyan went to tho city, arrived at the pal
and behOl1l fherp WAS n new cathadral