The Complete Works of Count Tolstoy Volume 25

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 edition. Excerpt: ... ON RELIGION. Boy. Why is Nurse so nicely dressed to-day, and why did she make me wear that new shirt? Mother. Because this is a holiday, and we are going to church. Boy. What holiday? Mother. Ascension day. Boy. What does Ascension mean? Mother. It means that Jesus Christ has ascended to heaven. Boy. What does that mean: ascended? Mother. It means that He flew up to heaven. Boy. How did he fly? With his wings? Mother. Without any wings whatever. He simply flew up because He is God, and God can do anything. Boy. But where did he fly to? Father told me there was nothing in heaven at all, and we only think we see something; that there's nothing but stars up there, and behind them more stars still, and that there is no end to it. Then where did He fly to? Mother. (smiling.) You are unable to understand everything. You must believe. Boy. What must I believe? Mother. What you are told by grown-up people. Boy. But when I said to you that somebody was going to die because some salt had been spilt, you said I was not to believe in nonsense. Mother. Of course you are not to believe in nonsense. Boy. But how am I to know what is nonsense and what is not? Mother. You must believe what the true faith says, and not in nonsense. Boy. Which is the true faith then? Mother. Our faith is the true one. (To herself.) I am afraid I am talking nonsense. (Aloud.) Go and tell father we are ready for church, and get your coat. Boy. And shall we have chocolate after church? ON WAR Karlchen Schmidt, nine years; Petia Orlov, ten years; and Masha Orlov, eight years. Karlchen. . . . Because we Prussians will not allow Russia to rob us of our land. Petia. But we say this land belongs to us; we conquered it first. Masha. To whom? Is it ours? Petia. You are a child, and...