Short Fiction, Leo Tolstoy [general ebook reader .txt] 📗

come, I only rejoice because they praise my holiness. That is not how one should live. I have been led astray by love of praise. I have not atoned for my past sins, but have added fresh ones. I will go to another part of the forest where people will not find me; and I will live so as to atone for my old sins and commit no fresh ones.”

Having come to this conclusion the godson filled a bag with dried bread and, taking a spade, left the cell and started for a ravine he knew of in a lonely spot, where he could dig himself a cave and hide from the people.

As he was going along with his bag and his spade he saw the robber riding towards him. The godson was frightened, and started to run away, but the robber overtook him.

“Where are you going?” asked the robber.

The godson told him he wished to get away from the people and live somewhere where no one would come to him. This surprised the robber.

“What will you live on, if people do not come to see you?” asked he.

The godson had not even thought of this, but the robber’s question reminded him that food would be necessary.

“On what God pleases to give me,” he replied.

The robber said nothing, and rode away.

“Why did I not say anything to him about his way of life?” thought the godson. “He might repent now. Today he seems in a gentler mood, and has not threatened to kill me.” And he shouted to the robber:

“You have still to repent of your sins. You cannot escape from God.”

The robber turned his horse, and drawing a knife from his girdle threatened the hermit with it. The latter was alarmed, and ran away further into the forest.

The robber did not follow him, but only shouted:

“Twice I have let you off, old man, but next time you come in my way I will kill you!”

Having said this, he rode away. In the evening when the godson went to water his stumps⁠—one of them was sprouting! A little apple tree was growing out of it.

XII

After hiding himself from everybody, the godson lived all alone. When his supply of bread was exhausted, he thought: “Now I must go and look for some roots to eat.” He had not gone far, however, before he saw a bag of dried bread hanging on a branch. He took it down, and as long as it lasted he lived upon that.

When he had eaten it all, he found another bagful on the same branch. So he lived on, his only trouble being his fear of the robber. Whenever he heard the robber passing, he hid, thinking:

“He may kill me before I have had time to atone for my sins.”

In this way he lived for ten more years. The one apple-tree continued to grow, but the other two stumps remained exactly as they were.

One morning the godson rose early and went to his work. By the time he had thoroughly moistened the ground round the stumps, he was tired out and sat down to rest. As he sat there he thought to himself:

“I have sinned, and have become afraid of death. It may be God’s will that I should redeem my sins by death.”

Hardly had this thought crossed his mind when he heard the robber riding up, swearing at something. When the godson heard this, he thought:

“No evil and no good can befall me from anyone but from God.”

And he went to meet the robber. He saw the robber was not alone, but behind him on the saddle sat another man, gagged, and bound hand and foot. The man was doing nothing, but the robber was abusing him violently. The godson went up and stood in front of the horse.

“Where are you taking this man?” he asked.

“Into the forest,” replied the robber. “He is a merchant’s son, and will not tell me where his father’s money is hidden. I am going to flog him till he tells me.”

And the robber spurred on his horse, but the godson caught hold of his bridle, and would not let him pass.

“Let this man go!” he said.

The robber grew angry, and raised his arm to strike.

“Would you like a taste of what I am going to give this man? Have I not promised to kill you? Let go!”

The godson was not afraid.

“You shall not go,” said he. “I do not fear you. I fear no one but God, and He wills that I should not let you pass. Set this man free!”

The robber frowned, and snatching out his knife, cut the ropes with which the merchant’s son was bound, and set him free.

“Get away both of you,” he said, “and beware how you cross my path again.”

The merchant’s son jumped down and ran away. The robber was about to ride on, but the godson stopped him again, and again spoke to him about giving up his evil life. The robber heard him to the end in silence, and then rode away without a word.

The next morning the godson went to water his stumps and lo! the second stump was sprouting. A second young apple-tree had begun to grow.

XIII

Another ten years had gone by. The godson was sitting quietly one day, desiring nothing, fearing nothing, and with a heart full of joy.

“What blessings God showers on men!” thought he. “Yet how needlessly they torment themselves. What prevents them from living happily?”

And remembering all the evil in men, and the troubles they bring upon themselves, his heart filled with pity.

“It is wrong of me to live as I do,” he said to himself. “I must go and teach others what I have myself learnt.”

Hardly had he thought this, when he heard the robber approaching. He let him pass, thinking:

“It is no good talking to him, he will not understand.”

That was his first thought, but he changed his mind and went out into the road.