Leo Tolstoy Archive
Written: 1862
Source: From RevoltLib.com
Transcription/Markup: Andy Carloff
Online Source: RevoltLib.com; 2021
In our school the best test of how much the pupils remember of these recitations are the exercises which they themselves write out from memory, and merely with the correction of faults in 'spelling. Here is an extract from the copy-book of the ten-year-old M .
The Story of Isaac: God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham took two servants, Isaac carried the wood and the fire, and Abraham carried a knife. When they came to the mountain Horeb, Abraham left his servants there, and he went up on the mountain with Isaac. Isaac said, "Batyushka, we have everything, but where is the victim?"
Abraham said, "God commanded me to bring you."
Then Abraham set fire to the pile and put his son on it. Isaac said:
"Bind me, or else I shall jump down and kill you."
Abraham took him and bound him. Just . as he was raising his arm an angel flew down from heaven and held him back and said:
"Abraham, do not lay your hand on your own son: God sees your faith." Then the Angel said, "Go to that bush; there a ram is entangled, take him in place of your son."
And Abraham offered the sacrifice to God.
Then the time came for Abraham to marry his son. They had a man named Eliezer. Abraham called this man and said:
"Swear that you will not choose a bride from our city, but that you will go where I send you."
Abraham sent him to the land of Mesopotamia to Nachor. Eliezer took camels and departed. When he reached a well, he began to say:
"Lord, give me a maiden who shall come out and give me and my camels water to drink, and she shall be the bride of my master Isaac."
No sooner had Eliezer said these words, than a maiden appeared. Eliezer began to ask her for a drink. Eliezer said, "Please give me to drink."
She gave him to drink, and said:
"Would n't your camels like to drink?"
Eliezer said, "Yes, please give them some water." So she gave also the camels; and then Eliezer presented her with a necklace, and said:
"Could n't I spend the night at your house?"
She said: "Yes."
When they reached the house her folks were eating supper, and they urged Eliezer to sit down and have supper with them. Eliezer said: "I will not eat until I speak a word to you." Eliezer told them his errand.
They said: "We consent, but how about her?"
They asked her she was willing. Then the father and mother blessed Rebecca; Eliezer placed her on the camel, and they departed; but Isaac was walking in the field. Rebecca saw Isaac, and covered herself with a towel. Isaac came to her, took her by the hand and led, her to his home, and they were married.
The story of Jacob: [35] Rebecca had been barren nineteen years, then she brought forth twins, Esau and Jacob. [36] Esau devoted himself to hunting, but Jacob helped his mother. One time Esau went out to hunt wild beasts, but killed nothing, and he came home disgusted; now Jacob was making a soup of lentils. Esau came in and said:
"Give me those lentils."
Jacob said: "Give me your birthright."
Esau said: "Take it."
"Swear."
Esau swore. Then Jacob gave Esau the lentils.
When Isaac grew blind he said one day:
"Esau, go and kill me some kind of game."
Esau went. Rebecca heard it, and said to Jacob:
"Go out and kill two kids."
Jacob went and killed two kids and carried them to his mother. She roasted them, and clothed Jacob with the skins; and Jacob took the meat to his father and said:
"I have brought you your favorite dish."
Isaac said: "Come nearer to me." Jacob approached him. Isaac began to feel of his body, and he said:
"It is Jacob's voice, but Esau's body."
Then he gave Jacob his blessing. Jacob was just going out of the room as Esau came in, and said:
"Here, father, [37] is your favorite meat."
Isaac said: "Esau has just been to me."
"No, father; Jacob has deceived you in this."
And he went out of the house and wept, and said:
"Wait till father is dead, then I'll have my revenge on you."
Rebecca said to Jacob:
"Go and ask a blessing from your father, and hasten to your uncle Laban. Isaac blessed Jacob and he went to his uncle Laban. Then the night came upon him. He proceeded to sleep in the open air; he found a stone, put it under his head and went to sleep. Suddenly he saw in his dream that a ladder seemed to reach from the earth to the sky, and angels were going up and down on it, and at the top the Lord Himself was standing and saying:
"Jacob! the land where thou liest I give to thee, and to thy descendants."
Jacob got up and said:
"How terrible it is here! This must be the house of God: I will come back and build a church here."
Then he lighted a shrine lamp, and went on his way. And he saw herdsmen guarding cattle. Jacob went and asked them whereabouts his uncle Laban lived. The herdsmen answered:
"There is his daughter driving sheep to water."
Jacob went to her; she was finding it impossible to lift the stone from the well. Jacob lifted off the stone and gave the sheep water, and said:
"Whose daughter are you?"
She replied: "Laban's."
"I am your cousin."
They exchanged kisses and went home together. His uncle Laban received him and said:
"Jacob, live with me and I will pay you money."
Jacob said: "I will not serve for money; but give me your youngest daughter Rachel."
Laban said: "Live with me seven years and I will give you my daughter Rachel."
Jacob served seven years, and his uncle Laban gave Jacob Leah instead of Rachel. And Jacob said:
"Uncle Laban, why have you cheated me?"
Laban said:
"Live with me seven years longer, then I will give you my youngest daughter Rachel; but it is not our custom to give the youngest daughter first."
Jacob lived with his uncle seven years longer, and then Laban gave him Rachel.
About Joseph.[38] - Jacob had twelve sons. He loved Joseph best of them all, and he made for him a coat of many colors. Then Joseph had two dreams, and told them to his brothers:
"Methought we were reaping rye in the field, and we bound up twelve sheaves. My sheaf stood up straight, but the eleven sheaves bowed before my sheaf."
And his brothers said: "Shall we ever bow down before you?"
And he had another dream:
"Methought eleven stars in the sky and the sun and the moon worshiped my star."
His father and mother said: "Shall we worship you?"
The brothers went away to pasture their cattle, and their father sent Joseph to carry food to them; his brothers saw him, and said:
"Here comes our dreamer. Let us throw him into a deep well."
But Reuben l thought to himself:
"As soon as they have gone off, I will pull him out. But here come the merchants!"
Reuben said:
"Let us sell him to the Egyptian merchants."
So they sold Joseph, and the merchants sold him to the courtier Pentifri.[39] Pentifri loved him and his wife loved him. Pentifri went away somewhere, and his wife said to Joseph:
"Joseph, come let us kill my husband, and then you shall be my husband."
Joseph said: "If you say that a second time, I will tell your husband."
She seized him by his garment and cried out. The slaves heard her and came. Then Pentifri came. His wife told him that Joseph proposed to kill him and marry her. Pentifri ordered him taken off to prison. As Joseph was a good man he was made useful even there, and to him was entrusted the care of the prison. One day Joseph was walking along through the jail; he saw that two prisoners were sitting in deep sadness. Joseph went to them and asked:
"Why are you sad?"
And they said:
"We have had two dreams in one night, and no one can interpret them for us."
Joseph asked:
"What were they?"
The cupbearer began to tell his story:
"Methought I plucked three berries, squeezed the juice, and gave to the Czar."
Joseph said:
"In three days you will be back in your place."
Then the baker said:
"Methought I was carrying twelve loaves in a basket, and the birds came flying and pecked at the bread."
Joseph said:
"In three days you will be hanged, and the birds will come flying and will peck at your body."
This came true.
Once the Czar Pharaoh saw two dreams the same night, and he gathered all his wise men, and no one of them could interpret the dreams. The cupbearer remembered, and said: "I have a man who can explain it."
The Czar sent a carriage for him. When they brought him in the Czar began to tell his dream:
"Methought I was standing on the bank of the river, and there came seven fat cows and seven lean ones; and the lean ones threw themselves on the fat ones and ate them up, and did not become fat. And the other dream I saw was this: Methought seven full ears of corn and seven empty ears grew on one stalk: the empty ones threw themselves on the full ones and devoured them, and yet did not become full."
Joseph said:
"This is what it means: There will be seven years of plenty and then there will be seven years of famine."
The Czar put a golden chain around his neck and a ring on his right hand and ordered him to build granaries.