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。
