Ilyás (Tolstoy)
Short summary
Government of Oufá, Russian Empire. A Bashkir named Ilyás inherited little from his father but worked tirelessly with his wife.
Over thirty-five years, he accumulated 200 horses, 150 cattle, and 1,200 sheep. His children disappointed him: one son died in a brawl, another separated after marrying. Disease killed his sheep, harvests failed, and Kirghiz stole his horses. By age seventy, Ilyás had lost everything.
He and his elderly wife became laborers for their neighbor Muhammad-Shah. When guests visited and asked about their fall from wealth, the couple surprised everyone with their response.
For half a century we sought for happiness, and as long as we were rich we never found it. Now that we have nothing left...we have found such happiness.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
Ilyáss rise from poverty to great wealth
In the Government of Oufá lived a Bashkir named Ilyás, who began his adult life with modest means.
When his father died a year after finding him a wife, Ilyás inherited only seven mares, two cows, and about twenty sheep.
Despite this humble beginning, Ilyás proved to be an excellent manager. He and his wife worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk, rising earlier than others and going to bed later. Their dedication paid off as their possessions increased year by year. Through thirty-five years of diligent work, Ilyás accumulated extraordinary wealth: 200 horses, 150 head of cattle, and 1,200 sheep.
Life as a wealthy man: abundance and family troubles
Hired laborers tended Ilyás's flocks and herds, while hired women milked his mares and cows, making kumiss, butter, and cheese. He had abundance of everything, and everyone in the district envied him, saying that this world must be a pleasant place for such a fortunate man. His reputation spread far, and people of position sought his acquaintance. Visitors came from distant places, and Ilyás welcomed everyone generously, providing kumiss, tea, sherbet, and mutton. When guests arrived, he would slaughter a sheep or even a mare to honor them properly.
Ilyás had three children: two sons and a daughter, all of whom he married off. While poor, his sons had worked alongside him, tending the flocks and herds themselves. However, wealth spoiled them.
One son took to drink and was killed in a brawl. The younger son married a strong-willed woman and ceased to obey his father, making it impossible for them to live together. They parted ways, and Ilyás gave his son a house and some cattle, which diminished his wealth.
The gradual loss of everything
Soon after the family separation, misfortunes began to strike Ilyás one after another. A disease broke out among his sheep, killing many. This was followed by a bad harvest and failed hay crop, resulting in the death of many cattle during the harsh winter. Then the Kirghíz captured his best herd of horses, and Ilyás's property began to dwindle rapidly. As his wealth decreased, his physical strength also declined. By the time he reached seventy years old, he had begun selling his furs, carpets, saddles, and tents. Eventually, he had to part with his remaining cattle and found himself facing complete destitution.
Before he knew how it had happened, Ilyás had lost everything. In their old age, he and his wife had to go into service. Nothing remained except the clothes on their backs, a fur cloak, a cup, shoes, and his elderly wife.
Their neighbor Muhammad-Shah took pity on the old couple.
Remembering Ilyás's former hospitality, Muhammad-Shah offered them work and shelter. Ilyás would tend the melon garden in summer and feed cattle in winter, while Sham-Shemagi would milk mares and make kumiss. In return, Muhammad-Shah promised to feed and clothe them both.
Finding peace in service and simplicity
At first, their new position seemed hard, but Ilyás and his wife gradually adapted to their circumstances. They worked as much as their strength allowed, and Muhammad-Shah found their service valuable because, having been masters themselves, they knew how to manage and were not lazy. However, it grieved him to see people of such former high standing brought so low.
One day, relatives and a Mullah visited Muhammad-Shah. After the guests had eaten mutton prepared by Ilyás and were drinking kumiss, Muhammad-Shah pointed out the old man who had passed by.
The guest was astonished to learn that this laborer had once been the richest man among them. He clicked his tongue, shook his head, and observed:
Fortune turns like a wheel. One man it lifts, another it sets down! Does not the old man grieve over all he has lost?
The wisdom of true happiness
When the guest asked to speak with Ilyás about his life, Muhammad-Shah called the old couple to join them. After being offered kumiss, the guest expressed sympathy for Ilyás's losses. However, Ilyás smiled and deflected the question:
If I were to tell you what is happiness and what is misfortune, you would not believe me. You had better ask my wife.
Sham-Shemagi spoke from behind the curtain, explaining that she and her husband had sought happiness for fifty years without finding it, but only in their last two years as laborers had they discovered true contentment. She described how their former wealth had brought constant worries, disputes, and sins, leaving no time for each other, their souls, or prayer. Now they lived peacefully, worked willingly for their master, and had time to talk, think, and pray. The guests initially laughed, but Ilyás insisted this was the truth of life, not a jest. A Mullah validated their wisdom, saying it matched Holy Writ, and the guests became thoughtful.