The enemy is tough, but God is strong
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The enemy is tough, but God is strong , the devil is tough too , but what God does holds together more firmly ( Russian Вражье лепко, а божье крепко , Vashje lepko, a boschje krepko ), is a short story by Lev Tolstoy , the middle It was completed in April 1885 and was published by Posrednik in February 1886 . The Auor has the little folk tale from the circle of the Bashkirs, who are well known to him . In 1982 the text in the 4th reader of the 10th volume Powesti und Erzählungen 1872–1886 came out in the 22-volume Tolstoy edition in the publishing house for artistic literature in Moscow .
content
The shepherd Aleb looks after the valuable breeding animals. When he is with the other servants, they are all full of praise for the common master. Aleb, possessed by the devil, listens to this and grumbles that Satan is also kind if one has his will. The resulting dispute culminates in a bet between the parties. If Aleb can really upset the boss, he gets his festive robe from every servant who bets, otherwise he has to give his.
When the employer wants to show his best ram to guests, the first opportunity arises. The devil takes his place as an observer on the tree above the pen . At the behest of the boss, Aleb is to grab the best animal from among several goats by the horns to show. Guests and servants cry out when Aleb intentionally breaks the goat's front leg while carrying out the instructions. The devil on the tree is content with his subject. The employer is silent for a while. Aleb awaits the punishment. The boss finally angered the devil by not punishing Aleb, but calmly and calmly with the reprimand that God is stronger than the devil, gives him freedom. Aleb should go his way and take his festive garb with him. The devil grinds his teeth into the earth.
German-language editions
- The devil is tough, but what God does holds together tighter. German by Arthur Luther . Pp. 149–151 in: Gisela Drohla (Ed.): Leo N. Tolstoj. All the stories. Fifth volume. Insel, Frankfurt am Main 1961 (2nd edition of the edition in eight volumes 1982)
Web links
- The text
- The enemy is tough, but God is strong in Leo Tolstoy: folk tales, fairy tales and sketches online in the Gutenberg-DE project (Verlag von Josef Habbel, translator: Hanny Brentano )
- Wikisource Вражье лепко, а божье крепко (Толстой) (Russian)
- online at rvb.ru (Russian)
- online at tolstoy-lit.ru (Russian)
- Entry in the list of works of folk tales (1872–1887)
- Entry at fantlab.ru (Russian)
- Lidija Opulskaja : Comments on RVB.ru (Russian)