点击下载App，搜索"TWENTY-THREE TALES",免费读到尾

　　FirstwehaveTalesforChildren，publishedabouttheyear1872，andremindingusofthetimewhenTolstoywasabsorbedineffortstoeducatethepeasantchildren。ThissectionofthebookcontainsthetwostorieswhichofallthathehaswrittenTolstoylikesbest。InWhatisArt？heclaimsnoplaceamongexamplesofgoodartforanyofhisownproductions’exceptforthestoryGodseestheTruth，butWaits，whichseeksaplaceinthefirstclassreligiousart，andAPrisonerintheCaucasus，whichbelongstotheseconduniversalart。’InthefirstofthesethesubjectafavouriteonewithTolstoyistheforgivenessofinjuries。

　　Theseconddealswiththesimplestfeelingscommontoallmen:fearandcourage，pity，endurance，&amp；c。’expressedwiththatindividuality，clearness，andsincerity，whichTolstoysaysarethesignsoftrueart。

　　containsaseriesofstorieswrittenforthepeople；andamongthemWhatMenLiveBy，probablythemostwidelycirculatedofallTolstoy’stales。Itisfoundedontheoft-repeatedlegendofanangelsentbyGodtoliveforawhileamongmen。

　　consistsofaFairyTale，Iv&aacute；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。

　　consistsofstoriesTolstoycontributedinaidoftheJewsleftdestituteafterthemassacresandoutragesinKishin&eacute；fandelsewhereinRussiain1903，——outrageswhichwereforerunnersoftheyetmoreterribleJewishmassacresof1905。

　　TheimportanceTolstoyattributestoliteratureofthekindcontainedinthisvolume，isshownbythefollowingpassageinWhatisArt？——

　　’Theartistofthefuturewillunderstandthattocomposeafairytale，alittlesongwhichwilltouchalullabyorariddlewhichwillentertain，ajestwhichwillamuse，ortodrawasketchsuchaswilldelightdozensofgenerationsormillionsofchildrenandadults，isincomparablymoreimportantandmorefruitfulthantocomposeanovel，orasymphony，orpaintapicture，ofthekindwhichdivertssomemembersofthewealthyclassesforashorttimeandisthenforeverforgotten。Theregionofthisartofthesimplestfeelingsaccessibletoallisenormous，anditisasyetalmostuntouched。’

　　Thesectionsofthebookhavebeenarrangedinchronologicalorder。

　　Thedatewheneachstorywaspublishedisgiven。Thetranslationsarenewones，andforthefootnotesIamresponsible。

　　godseesthetruth，butwaitsGODSEESTHETRUTH，BUTWAITS

　　INthetownofVlad&iacute；mirlivedayoungmerchantnamedIv&aacute；nDm&iacute；tritchAksy&oacute；nof。Hehadtwoshopsandahouseofhisown。

　　Aksy&oacute；nofwasahandsome，fair-haired，curly-headedfellow，fulloffun，andveryfondofsinging。Whenquiteayoungmanhehadbeengiventodrink，andwasriotouswhenhehadhadtoomuch，butafterhemarriedhegaveupdrinking，exceptnowandthen。

　　OnesummerAksy&oacute；nofwasgoingtotheN&iacute；zhnyFair，andashebadegood-byetohisfamilyhiswifesaidtohim，’Iv&aacute；nDm&iacute；tritch，donotstartto-day；Ihavehadabaddreamaboutyou。’

　　Aksy&oacute；noflaughed，andsaid，’YouareafraidthatwhenIgettothefairIshallgoonthespree。’

　　Hiswifereplied:’IdonotknowwhatIamafraidof；allIknowisthatIhadabaddream。Idreamtyoureturnedfromthetown，andwhenyoutookoffyourcapIsawthatyourhairwasquitegrey。’

　　Aksy&oacute；noflaughed。’That’saluckysign，’saidhe。’SeeifIdon’tselloutallmygoods，andbringyousomepresentsfromthefair。’

　　Sohesaidgood-byetohisfamily，anddroveaway。

　　Whenhehadtravelledhalf-way，hemetamerchantwhomheknew，andtheyputupatthesameinnforthenight。Theyhadsometeatogether，andthenwenttobedinadjoiningrooms。

　　ItwasnotAksy&oacute；nof’shabittosleeplate，and，wishingtotravelwhileitwasstillcool，hearousedhisdriverbeforedawn，andtoldhimtoputinthehorses。

　　Thenhemadehiswayacrosstothelandlordoftheinnwholivedinacottageattheback，paidhisbill，andcontinuedhisjourney。

　　Whenhehadgoneabouttwenty-fivemiles，hestoppedforthehorsestobefed。Aksy&oacute；nofrestedawhileinthepassageoftheinn，thenhesteppedoutintotheporchand，orderingasamov&aacute；r[1]

　　tobeheatedgotouthisguitarandbegantoplay。

　　Suddenlyatr&oacute；yka[2]droveupwithtinklingbells，andanofficialalighted，followedbytwosoldiers。HecametoAksy&oacute；nofandbegantoquestionhim，askinghimwhohewasandwhencehecame。Aksy&oacute；nofansweredhimfully，andsaid，’Won’tyouhavesometeawithme？’Buttheofficialwentoncross-questioninghimandaskinghim，’Wheredidyouspendlastnight？Wereyoualone，orwithafellow-merchant？Didyouseetheothermerchantthismorning？Whydidyouleavetheinnbeforedawn？’

　　Aksy&oacute；nofwonderedwhyhewasaskedallthesequestions，buthedescribedallthathadhappened，andthenadded，’Whydoyoucross-questionmeasifIwereathieforarobber？Iamtravellingonbusinessofmyown，andthereisnoneedtoquestionme。’

　　Thentheofficial，callingthesoldiers，said，’Iamthepolice-officerofthisdistrict，andIquestionyoubecausethemerchantwithwhomyouspentlastnighthasbeenfoundwithhisthroatcut。Wemustsearchyourthings。’

　　Theyenteredthehouse。Thesoldiersandthepolice-officerunstrappedAksy&oacute；nof’sluggageandsearchedit。Suddenlytheofficerdrewaknifeoutofabag，crying，’Whoseknifeisthis？’

　　Aksy&oacute；noflooked，andseeingablood-stainedknifetakenfromhisbag，hewasfrightened。

　　’Howisitthereisbloodonthisknife？’

　　Aksy&oacute；noftriedtoanswer，butcouldhardlyutteraword，andonlystammered:’I——Idon’tknow——notmine。’

　　Thenthepolice-officersaid，’Thismorningthemerchantwasfoundinbedwithhisthroatcut。Youaretheonlypersonwhocouldhavedoneit。Thehousewaslockedfrominside，andnooneelsewasthere。Hereisthisbloodstainedknifeinyourbag，andyourfaceandmannerbetrayyou！Tellmehowyoukilledhim，andhowmuchmoneyyoustole？’

　　Aksy&oacute；nofsworehehadnotdoneit；thathehadnotseenthemerchantaftertheyhadhadteatogether；thathehadnomoneyexcepteightthousandroubles[3]ofhisown，andthattheknifewasnothis。Buthisvoicewasbroken，hisfacepale，andhetrembledwithfearasthoughhewereguilty。

　　Thepolice-officerorderedthesoldierstobindAksy&oacute；nofandtoputhiminthecart。Astheytiedhisfeettogetherandflunghimintothecart，Aksy&oacute；nofcrossedhimselfandwept。Hismoneyandgoodsweretakenfromhim，andhewassenttothenearesttownandimprisonedthere。EnquiriesastohischaracterweremadeinVlad&iacute；mir。Themerchantsandotherinhabitantsofthattownsaidthatinformerdaysheusedtodrinkandwastehistime，butthathewasagoodman。Thenthetrialcameon:hewaschargedwithmurderingamerchantfromRyaz&aacute；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。