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Unit 5: The Spark Neglected Burns the House by Leo Tolstoy

one another and get more and more furious the longer they fight. You strike one dog from Notes
behind, and it thinks it’s the other dog biting him, and gets still fiercer. So these peasants: they
went to law, and one or other of them was fined or locked up, but that only made them more
and more angry with each other. ‘Wait a bit,’ they said, ‘and I’ll make you pay for it.’ And so
it went on for six years. Only the old man lying on the top of the oven kept telling them again
and again: ‘Children, what are you doing? Stop all this paying back; keep to your work, and
don’t bear malice -- it will be better for you. The more you bear malice, the worse it will be.’
But they would not listen to him.
In the seventh year, at a wedding, Ivan’s daughter-in-law held Gabriel up to shame, accusing
him of having been caught horse-stealing. Gabriel was tipsy, and unable to contain his anger,
gave the woman such a blow that she was laid up for a week; and she was pregnant at the
time. Iván was delighted. He went to the magistrate to lodge a complaint. ‘Now I’ll get rid of
my neighbour! He won’t escape imprisonment, or exile to Siberia.’ But Ivan’s wish was not
fulfilled. The magistrate dismissed the case. The woman was examined, but she was up and
about and showed no sign of any injury. Then Ivan went to the Justice of the Peace, but he
referred the business to the District Court. Ivan bestirred himself: treated the clerk and the
Elder of the District Court to a gallon of liquor and got Gabriel condemned to be flogged. The
sentence was read out to Gabriel by the clerk: ‘The Court decrees that the peasant Gabriel
Gordéyef shall receive twenty lashes with a birch rod at the District Court.’
Ivan too heard the sentence read, and looked at Gabriel to see how he would take it. Gabriel
grew as pale as a sheet, and turned round and went out into the passage. Ivan followed him,
meaning to see to the horse, and he overheard Gabriel say, ‘Very well! He will have my back
flogged: that will make it burn; but something of his may burn worse than that!’
Hearing these words, Ivan at once went back into the Court, and said: ‘Upright judges! He
threatens to set my house on fire! Listen: he said it in the presence of witnesses!’
Gabriel was recalled. ‘Is it true that you said this?’
‘I haven’t said anything. Flog me, since you have the power. It seems that I alone am to suffer,
and all for being in the right, while he is allowed to do as he likes.’
Gabriel wished to say something more, but his lips and his cheeks quivered, and he turned
towards the wall. Even the officials were frightened by his looks. ‘He may do some mischief
to himself or to his neighbour,’ thought they.
Then the old Judge said: ‘Look here, my men; you’d better be reasonable and make it up. Was
it right of you, friend Gabriel, to strike a pregnant woman? It was lucky it passed off so well,
but think what might have happened! Was it right? You had better confess and beg his
pardon, and he will forgive you, and we will alter the sentence.’
The clerk heard these words, and remarked: ‘That’s impossible under Statute 117. An agreement
between the parties not having been arrived at, a decision of the Court has been pronounced
and must be executed.’

But the Judge would not listen to the clerk.
‘Keep your tongue still, my friend,’ said he. ‘The first of all laws is to obey God, Who loves
peace.’ And the Judge began again to persuade the peasants, but could not succeed. Gabriel
would not listen to him.
‘I shall be fifty next year,’ said he, ‘and have a married son, and have never been flogged in
my life, and now that pockmarked Ivan has had me condemned to be flogged, and am I to go
and ask his forgiveness? No; I’ve borne enough. . . . Ivan shall have cause to remember me!’

Again Gabriel’s voice quivered, and he could say no more, but turned round and went out.

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