The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-06-21
LESSON FRCM TOLSTOI.
One of the Great Russian Humanitarian'i
Popular Tales.

In playing children found in ravlne
something of the size of a hens egg,
with little hollow running along the
middle of it, and looking like grain.
This was noticed by traveller, who
bought it from the children for five
copecks
He took it over to the capital and
sold it to the ear as curiosity.
The car summoned the wise men
and gave orders to find out what the
thing is-an egg or grain.
The wise men thought and thought
over it and We're unable to give an an
swer.
The object was lying on the window
sill, when a hen flew into the room and
began to peck at it, and peclled through
it hole that proved to everybody that
it was a grain.
The wise men came then to the ear
and told him that the thing was grain
of rye.
The car was astounded and he or
dered the wise men to find out where
and when this grain was thriving. The
wise men thought and thought over 1t,
looked over the books, and could not
find any calculation.
They returned to the car and said:
eve cannot give any answer. In our
books we cannot find anything about it.
We must ask the mouzhiks (peasants).
Perhaps somebody has heard from their
forefathers where and when such grain
was thriving"
The car sent for and ordered to be
brought before him every old man of
the mouzhiks.
An elderly mouzhik was found and
brought before the car.
There came an old mouzhik. shriveled
and toothless, stepping in with diff
Guilty on two crutches.
The car showed him the grain, but
the old man is already without sight,
and only somehow could he examine it
by the touch of his fingers.
The car questioned him: ''Dost thou
not know, little grandfather, where
was such grain thriving? Hast thou
not sowed myself such grain on the
fields? Or hast thou not bought dur
ing thy lifetime somewhere such
grain?"
The old man is deaf, and with ex-
IRENE difficulty he could hear the ques-
ton, and also with extreme difficulty
comprehend it.
Then he answers. No! on my
fields | have never sOwed such grain,
never moved and never bought it.
when we bought our rye it was al
ways small grained. But | must ask
my father, perhaps he has heard where
such grain was thriving"
SO the car sent for the old mans
father to be brought before him.
The father of the Old man was found
and brought before the car. He was
an elderly man, walking with one
crutch.
The car showed him the grain. The
old man saw with his own eyes and
examined it thoroughly.
Then the car asked him: ''Dost not
thou know, little old man, where such
grain was thriving? Hast not thou
sowed myself such grain, or, perhaps,
hast thou bought somewhere such
grain?"
Though the old man was little hard
of hearing, he heard better than his son.
No said he. ION my fields | have
neither sown nor moved such grain, and
also | have never bought it, because in
my time money was not established.
Everybody subsisted on his own bread,
and in need we shared it each with an
other. do not know where such grain
was thriving, though our rye was of
larger grain and better yielding than
this of the present time. | have never
seen one of this size. | heard from my
father that in his time crops We're large
grained, better and better yielding in
thrashing. He must be questioned.
The ear sent for the father of this
old man, and the grandfather of the
first old man has been found and
brought before the ear.
This old man appeared before the
car without crutches. walking easily,
his eyes serene, hearing well, and
speaking distinctly and intelligibly.
The ear showed the grain to the
grandfather
The old fellow looked at it, turned it
over, and said:
1T is long time since 1 have seen
this olden-time grain He bit a small
piece off it, chewed it little, and said:
''Itself it is
Tell me, little grandfather, where
and when this grain was thriving?
Hast thou not sowed on thy field such
grain? or hast not thou bought in thine
age such grain from the people?" And
the old man answered..
such grain was thriving everywhere
in my time. With this grain | was fed
all my life, and have fed others with
it. This is the grain that have sowed,
moved and threshed.
Tell me, then" said the czar, little
grandfather, hast thou bought some
where this grain. or hast thou sowed it
on thine own tield?"
The old man smiled. In my time
said he. none could ever think of such
sin as to sell and buy bread, and of
money there was no idea; everybody had
plenty of bread
Then said the czar: Tell me, little
grandfather. where hast thou sowed
this grain and where was thy feld?"
And the grandfather answered: MY
field was Gods earth. Wherever we
plowed there is a field. The earth was
free. Nobody called it mine earth
Itoo v,-oc oa11a1 oJl, tho ItLap