Tolstoi for the young: Select tales from Tolstoi

I

A son was born to a poor peasant. He rejoiced and went to a neighbour to ask him to stand as godfather to the boy. The neighbour refused. He did not want to be godfather to a poor man’s son. So the peasant went to another neighbour and he, too, refused. He walked from house to house, but could find no one who would be godfather to his son, so he set out to another village. On his way he met a stranger, who stopped him and said, “Good day, peasant; where are you going to?”

“God has given me a child,” the peasant said, “to gladden my sight in my youth, to comfort me in my old age and to pray for my soul when I die. No one in our village will be godfather to him, so I am going to seek one elsewhere.”

“When is the christening?”

“What do you want?” he asked.

“Very well; go, in God’s name. To-morrow my daughter will be at the church.”

“To-morrow morning.”

“That won’t be your fault; go and ask him. Have everything ready by the morning and I’ll come to the christening.”

“Let me be his godfather,” the stranger said.

“God has given me a child,” the peasant said, “to gladden my sight in my youth, to comfort me in my old age and to pray for my soul when I die. Will you be kind enough to let your daughter come and be godmother to the child?”

“Go into the town,” the stranger said; “in the square you will see a stone house with shop windows; go in and ask the merchant to let his daughter stand as godmother to your son.”

“But how can I ask a rich merchant? He will be too proud to let his daughter come to a poor man like me.”

The peasant went home, then drove into the town to the merchant. He had no sooner stopped in the yard than the merchant came out.

The peasant was doubtful.

The peasant rejoiced. He thanked the stranger and said, “But whom shall I ask to be his godmother?”

The next day the godmother and godfather came; the child was christened, but directly after the christening the godfather disappeared. No one knew who he was and no one saw him from that day.