The Forged Coupon (Tolstoy)

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The Forged Coupon
rus. Фальшивый купон · 1911
Summary of a Novella
The original takes ~146 min to read
Microsummary
A boy's forged coupon led to a peasant's false conviction, sparking a chain of crime. A soldier became a murderer, but after killing a saintly woman, he repented in prison and inspired others to good.

Short summary

Russia, early 20th century. When fifteen-year-old Mitia Smokovnikov needed money to pay a debt, his father gave him only two and a half roubles. Following his schoolmate's advice, Mitia forged the coupon by adding a "1" to make it worth twelve roubles fifty kopecks. The boys successfully used it at a photography shop, whose owner later passed the forged coupon to a peasant named Ivan Mironov as payment for firewood.

When Ivan tried to exchange the coupon, he was arrested for forgery. The shopkeeper denied giving it to him and bribed a yard-porter to support his lie in court. Ivan lost the case and, embittered by injustice, became a horse thief. The yard-porter, corrupted by his successful perjury, also turned to crime. Ivan was eventually caught stealing horses and beaten to death by angry peasants led by Stepan Pelageushkine.

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Stepan Pelageushkine — tall, stooping man with long arms, aquiline nose, gloomy face, former soldier, becomes murderer after losing horses, later converts to Christianity in prison.

After serving only one year in prison for killing Ivan, Stepan returned to find his wife dead and home destroyed. Filled with hatred, he became a wandering murderer, killing an innkeeper and his mistress for money. His worst crime came when he murdered an entire family, including the saintly widow Maria Semenovna. As he raised his axe, she pleaded with him.

How can you! Have mercy on yourself. To destroy somebody's soul... and worse, your own!...

Tormented by visions of Maria's face, Stepan surrendered to police. In prison, he met a religious dissenter who read him the Gospel. Through Christ's teachings about love and brotherhood, Stepan underwent complete transformation, becoming a holy man who helped other prisoners and inspired widespread moral awakening, breaking the chain of evil the forged coupon had started.

Detailed summary by parts

Part titles and their division into chapters are editorial.

Part 1. The spread of evil

The forged coupon and its first victims

On a gloomy day, Fedor Mihailovich Smokovnikov returned home from his office in a foul mood after receiving an insulting minute from the provincial governor. When his fifteen-year-old son Mitia asked for his monthly allowance of three roubles, the father grudgingly gave him a two-rouble-fifty-kopeck coupon and fifty kopecks in silver.

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Fedor Mihailovich Smokovnikov — president of local Income Tax Department, man of unswerving honesty, gloomy Liberal, freethinker, enemy to religious feeling.

Mitia needed more money to pay a debt to his friend and preserve his honor, but his father refused and angrily dismissed him. Desperate, the boy turned to his schoolmate Mahin, a worldly young man who suggested a solution: forge the coupon by adding a "1" before the "2.50" to make it worth twelve roubles fifty kopecks.

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Mitia Smokovnikov — boy of fifteen, son of Fedor Mihailovich, pupil of fifth class, needs money for debt, later becomes engineer in Siberian gold mines.
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Mahin — schoolfellow of Mitia, grown-up young man with moustache, gambles, has feminine acquaintance, teaches Mitia to forge coupon.

The boys successfully used the forged coupon at a photography shop, purchasing a picture frame and receiving change. The shopkeeper's wife, being shortsighted and trusting the well-dressed schoolboys, accepted the coupon without suspicion. When her husband Eugene Mihailovich discovered the forgery later, he was furious but decided to pass the false coupon to a peasant rather than absorb the loss.

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Eugene Mihailovich — owner of photography shop, accepts forged coupon from boys, later denies giving it to peasant Ivan Mironov.

Ivan Mironov, a peasant trying to make money by selling firewood, received the forged coupon as payment from Eugene Mihailovich. When he attempted to exchange it at a tavern, the manager declared it false and refused to return it. Ivan was arrested and charged with forgery, spending a night in jail with criminals and drunkards.

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Ivan Mironov — peasant who receives forged coupon for firewood, later becomes horse thief after being wronged, murdered by angry peasants.

A chain of deception and violence

When Ivan confronted Eugene Mihailovich about the coupon, the shopkeeper denied ever giving it to him. The yard-porter Vassily was bribed to support this lie in court, committing perjury for money. Ivan lost the case and was left with only seven roubles from his original twenty-five, his reputation ruined and his faith in justice destroyed.

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Vassily — yard-porter, strong, handsome, quick, cheerful, well-dressed man, commits perjury for money, becomes thief and robber.

Something had happened which was not noticed by anyone, but which was much more important than all that had been exposed to view.

The perjury corrupted Vassily's moral foundation. Having successfully lied under oath without consequence, he became convinced that no moral laws existed and that only personal gain mattered. He began stealing from his employer and was eventually dismissed. Unable to find honest work, he turned to crime and eventually robbed a wealthy merchant of a large sum.

Ivan Mironov, embittered by his treatment, began drinking heavily and plotting revenge against the wealthy. He became a horse thief, targeting landowners like Peter Nikolaevich Sventizky, whose estate he knew from previous work. Ivan organized the theft of three valuable horses, seeking to recover what he felt society owed him.

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Peter Nikolaevich Sventizky — short man in black spectacles, former customs official, estate owner, practical and strong-willed, murdered by peasants over cattle dispute.

Peter Nikolaevich suspected his worker Prokofy of helping the thieves and had him imprisoned on false charges. The injustice transformed Prokofy from a proud young man into a bitter criminal. Meanwhile, Peter Nikolaevich's harsh treatment of peasants on his new estate as manager created growing resentment among the local population.

Murder and moral collapse

Ivan Mironov was eventually caught stealing horses and beaten to death by angry peasants led by Stepan Pelageushkine, who had lost his own horses to Ivan's thievery. Stepan crushed Ivan's head with a stone, feeling no remorse for the killing. He was sentenced to only one year in prison, which further convinced him that the wealthy could commit any crime while the poor suffered for minor offenses.

Peter Nikolaevich's authoritarian management of the Liventsov estate led to violent confrontation with peasants over grazing rights. During a heated dispute, his gun accidentally discharged, killing a peasant. The enraged crowd murdered Peter Nikolaevich, dragging his mutilated body into a ravine. Two peasants were sentenced to death by hanging.

After his release from prison, Stepan found his wife dead and his home destroyed by fire. Completely destitute and filled with hatred for society, he became a wandering murderer. At an inn, he killed the innkeeper and his mistress with an axe, taking their money. His descent into violence seemed unstoppable.

The spiral of destruction

Stepan's final and most horrific crime occurred when he murdered an entire family, including the saintly Maria Semenovna, a widow who devoted her life to caring for others and helping the poor. She faced death with remarkable courage and compassion, asking Stepan to have mercy on his own soul rather than begging for her life.

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Maria Semenovna — wrinkled woman of fifty, widow, supports whole family on pension, does all housework, helps poor, murdered by Stepan.

The chain of evil continued to spread through society. A young examining magistrate named Mahin, who had been Mitia's corrupt schoolmate, encountered Stepan during his trial. The priest Father Michael, seeking revenge against Mitia's atheist father, falsely accused the boy of the coupon forgery, leading to his family's disgrace and the priest's own moral downfall.

Meanwhile, the wealthy Lisa Eropkin, inspired by stories of Maria Semenovna's goodness, attempted to live a truly Christian life by giving away her fortune. Her efforts to reform society and convert others, including Mahin, represented a counterforce to the spreading corruption, though her path was fraught with family opposition and personal struggle.

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Lisa Eropkin — girl of eighteen, rich, recovering from artificial boarding-school life, wants to live true Christian life, gives away fortune.

The revolutionary Katia Turchaninova, driven by idealistic fury against government oppression, attempted to assassinate a minister but failed. Her imprisonment and the harsh treatment of political prisoners further demonstrated how violence and injustice perpetuated themselves throughout all levels of society, from the highest government officials to the lowest criminals.

The forged coupon had thus unleashed a cascade of moral destruction, touching lives across social classes and geographical boundaries. Each act of deception, violence, or injustice spawned new crimes and corrupted more souls, creating an ever-widening circle of evil that seemed impossible to break.

Part 2. Redemption and moral awakening

Stepans torment and attempted suicide

After murdering Maria Semenovna and her family, Stepan was overwhelmed by unprecedented anguish. He surrendered himself to the police, confessing his crimes.

I am the man who murdered all the Dobrotvorov people last night.

In prison, Stepan was tormented by visions of Maria Semenovna's kind, frightened face and her gentle voice asking him to have mercy on his soul.

The whole time he was lying in the gutter Stepan saw continually before his eyes the thin, kindly, and frightened face of Maria Semenovna.

Alternating with these visions came horrible black faces with red eyes, tormenting him and urging him to kill himself. Unable to bear the psychological torture, Stepan attempted suicide by hanging but failed when the makeshift rope broke. He was transferred from solitary confinement to a common cell with other prisoners.

Finding faith through the Gospel

In the common cell, Stepan met Chouev, a religious dissenter imprisoned for his Christian beliefs. Chouev read the Gospel aloud and explained Christ's teachings about love, mercy, and brotherhood. When Stepan asked about the fate of evildoers, Chouev read the parable of the sheep and goats, followed by the story of Christ's crucifixion and the repentant thief.

And Jesus said unto him, 'Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.'

This revelation transformed Stepan completely. He understood that all men were brothers and that mercy and love were the fundamental truths of existence. The visions of Maria Semenovna and the black demons ceased to torment him. When questioned by the examining magistrate Mahin about his change, Stepan explained his new understanding.

Because I have come to know that all men are brethren.

Stepan learned to read in solitary confinement, painstakingly deciphering the Gospel word by word. This newfound literacy allowed him to study Christ's teachings independently and share them with other prisoners. His transformation was so complete that he became known for his humility, kindness, and willingness to help others, even while maintaining his physical strength and commanding respect.

Transforming others through example

Stepan's influence spread throughout the prison. He convinced Mahorkin, the prison hangman, to refuse his duties, declaring that the law of Christ forbade killing. When ordered to execute the two peasants condemned for Peter Nikolaevich's murder, Mahorkin chose to face punishment rather than commit what he now saw as murder.

The examining magistrate Mahin was deeply impressed by Stepan's transformation and began sharing his story in society. Lisa Eropkin, already seeking to live a Christian life, was particularly moved by the account of how Maria Semenovna's goodness had ultimately led to Stepan's redemption. This inspired her to intensify her efforts to give away her wealth and live according to Gospel principles.

Even the corrupt Vassily, who had escaped from prison and continued his criminal career, was eventually affected by the spreading influence of Christian love. After robbing the merchant Krasnopuzov, he used the stolen money to help the poor, paying debts and assisting young couples to marry, finding joy in anonymous acts of charity.

The ripple effects of moral regeneration

The transformation continued to spread in unexpected ways. A hermit monk named Isidor, inspired by Lisa Eropkin's pure faith, began preaching fearlessly about Christian love and government responsibility. Even when imprisoned for his bold sermons, he continued to influence others, including Father Missael, who eventually resigned his position and released political prisoners.

Years later, Mitia Smokovnikov, now a successful engineer in Siberian gold mines, encountered Stepan, who had been assigned as his guide. Stepan's story of redemption and his living example of Christian love profoundly affected Mitia, leading him to abandon his dissolute lifestyle and dedicate himself to helping peasants on his own estate.

He is a holy man. You may ask anybody, they will all tell you so... He had committed six murders, and yet he is a holy man.

The forged coupon that had once unleashed a torrent of evil had ultimately become the catalyst for an even more powerful force of good. Through Maria Semenovna's martyrdom and Stepan's redemption, the Gospel's message of love and brotherhood began to heal the wounds that deception and violence had created. The chain of evil was broken by the greater chain of Christian love, demonstrating that even the darkest sins could be transformed into sources of light and salvation for others. What began as a simple act of teenage dishonesty had revealed both the depths of human corruption and the infinite power of divine grace to redeem and transform the most hardened hearts.