Transcriber's Note:
This e-book belongs to Tolstoy's Plays (Complete Edition).The front matter, including the table of contents, can be found in aseparate e-book;it links to the other plays in the collection.
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(1886)
A PEASANT.
| HIS | WIFE. | ||
| MOTHER. | |||
| GRANDFATHER. | |||
| LITTLE DAUGHTER. |
A NEIGHBOUR.
FOUR VILLAGE ELDERS.
OLD WOMEN, WOMEN, GIRLS AND LADS.
THE CHIEF OF THE DEVILS.
HIS SECRETARY.
A DANDY IMP.
THE OFFICIALS' IMP.
THE PEASANTS' IMP.
SENTINELS, DOORKEEPERS AND IMPS.
THE FIRST DISTILLER
A COMEDY
PEASANT [ploughing. Looks up] It's noon. Time to unharness.Gee up, get along! Fagged out? Poor oldbeast! One more turn and back again, that will be thelast furrow, and then dinner. It was a good idea to bringthat chunk of bread with me. I'll not go home, but sitdown by the well and have a bite and a rest, and Peggycan graze awhile. Then, with God's help, to work again,and the ploughing will be done in good time.
Enter Imp; hides behind a bush.
IMP. See what a good fellow he is! Keeps calling onGod. Wait a bit, friend,—you'll be calling on the Devilbefore long! I'll just take away his chunk. He'll missit before long, and will begin to hunt for it. He'll behungry, and then he'll swear and call on the Devil.
Takes the chunk of bread and sits down behind the bushwatching to see what the Peasant will do.
PEASANT [unharnesses the horse] With God's blessing![Lets the horse loose, and goes towards the place where hiscoat is lying] I'm awfully hungry. The wife cut a bigchunk, but see if I don't eat it all. [Coming up to the coat]Gone! I must have put it under the coat. [Lifting thecoat] No, it's not here either! What has happened?[Shakes the coat].
100IMP [behind the bush] Go on, go on, s