The three old men
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The three old men , also Die drei Starzen ( Russian Три старца , Tri starza ), is a pious legend of Lev Tolstoy , which originated in 1886 and appeared in the same year in No. 13 of the weekly Niwa . In 1982 the text was published in Vol. 10 Powesti and Stories 1872–1886 of the 22-volume Tolstoy edition in the Verlag für Künstlerische Literatur in Moscow . Presumably Vasily Petrovich Shchegolyonok told the author the legend. Tolstoy initially quotes his narrative intention according to Matthew .
content
Together with a crowd of pilgrims, the bishop goes on the sailing ship to the monastery on the Solovetsky Islands . On the way, one of the passengers draws attention to an island on the horizon. The bishop lets the captain pass him the binoculars and over time makes out three old hermits standing side by side, who seem to be praying to God on the bank. The captain fulfills the bishop's wish for pastoral care for the three and lets a dinghy into the water. Rowing ashore, the bishop hears the wording of that prayer to God: “You are three, we are three, have mercy on us.” Although the bishop smilingly appreciates the Trinitarian prayer formula, he must teach these Christians to worship God properly. When, after auditioning for hours, he taught the three old men the Lord's Prayer , the evening fell down. The bishop says goodbye and the voyage can finally continue towards the Solovetsky Islands. In the darkness something like a faint halo lights up stern over the waters . This comes from the three old men who hurry across the lake after the bishop on foot - as sure as if they were walking on a solid road. The three of them have lost the “new” prayer text and ask for it to be repeated. The bishop waves it away, bows and says: “Your prayer also comes to God, you holy old men. I don't have to teach you. Pray for us who are sinful! "
German-language editions
- The three old men . Pp. 175–182 in: Tilly Bergner, Marina Renner: Tolstoi. A reader for our time . Thüringer Volksverlag, Weimar 1952 (used edition)
- The three old men. German by Alexander Eliasberg . Pp. 137–145 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 three old men in Leo Tolstoy: folk tales, fairy tales and sketches online in Project Gutenberg-DE , Verlag Josef Habbel, translator: Hanny Brentano
- Wikisource Три старца (Толстой) (Russian)
- online at tolstoy-lit.ru (Russian)
- online at RVB.ru (Russian)
- Entry in the list of works of folk tales (1872–1887)
- Entry at fantlab.ru (Russian)