TheThreeHermits
ByLevTolstoyAnd in praying use not vain repetitions, as the pagan do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not therefore not like them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask Him.Matt. VI. 7, 8
ABishopwassailingfromArchangeltotheSolovetskMonastery;andonthe samevesselwereanumberofpilgrimsontheirwaytovisittheshrinesatthat place.Thevoyagewasasmoothone–thewindfavorable,andtheweather fair.Thepilgrimslayondeck,eating,orsatingroupstalkingtooneanother. TheBishop,too,cameondeck,andashewaspacingupanddown,he noticedagroupofmenstandingneartheprowandlisteningtoafisherman whowaspointingtotheseaandtellingthemsomething.TheBishopstopped, andlookedinthedirectioninwhichthemanwaspointing.Hecouldsee nothinghowever,buttheseaglisteninginthesunshine.Hedrewnearerto listen,butwhenthemansawhim,hetookoffhiscapandwassilent.Therest ofthepeoplealsotookofftheircaps,andbowed.
-Donotletmedisturbyou,friends,-saidtheBishop.-Icametohearwhat thisgoodmanwassaying.
-Thefishermanwastellingusaboutthehermits,-repliedone,atradesman, ratherbolderthantherest.
-Whathermits?-askedtheBishop,goingtothesideofthevesseland seatinghimselfonabox.-Tellmeaboutthem.Ishouldliketohear.What wereyoupointingat?
-Why,thatlittleislandyoucanjustseeoverthere,-answeredtheman, pointingtoaspotaheadandalittletotheright.-Thatistheislandwherethe
hermitsliveforthesalvationoftheirsouls.
-Whereistheisland?-askedtheBishop.-Iseenothing.
-There,inthedistance,ifyouwillpleaselookalongmyhand.Doyousee thatlittlecloud?Belowitandabittotheleft,thereisjustafaintstreak.That istheisland.
TheBishoplookedcarefully,buthisunaccustomedeyescouldmakeout nothingbutthewatershimmeringinthesun.
-Icannotseeit,-hesaid.-Butwhoarethehermitsthatlivethere?
-Theyareholymen,-answeredthefisherman.-Ihadlongheardtellof them,butneverchancedtoseethemmyselftilltheyearbeforelast.
Andthefishermanrelatedhowonce,whenhewasoutfishing,hehadbeen strandedatnightuponthatisland,notknowingwherehewas.Inthe morning,ashewanderedabouttheisland,hecameacrossanearthhut,and metanoldmanstandingnearit.Presentlytwootherscameout,andafter havingfedhim,anddriedhisthings,theyhelpedhimmendhisboat.
-Andwhataretheylike?-askedtheBishop.
-Oneisasmallmanandhisbackisbent.Hewearsapriest’scassockandis veryold;hemustbemorethanahundred,Ishouldsay.Heissooldthatthe whiteofhisbeardistakingagreenishtinge,butheisalwayssmiling,andhis faceisasbrightasanangel’sfromheaven.Thesecondistaller,buthealsois veryold.Hewearsatatteredpeasantcoat.Hisbeardisbroad,andofa yellowishgraycolor.Heisastrongman.BeforeIhadtimetohelphim,he turnedmyboatoverasifitwereonlyapail.Hetoo,iskindlyandcheerful. Thethirdistall,andhasabeardaswhiteassnowandreachingtohisknees. Heisunsmiling,withoverhangingeyebrows;andhewearsnothingbutamat tiedroundhiswaist.
-Anddidtheyspeaktoyou?-askedtheBishop.
-Forthemostparttheyweresilent,spokebutlittleeventooneanother.One ofthemwouldjustgiveaglance,andtheotherswouldunderstandhim.I askedthetallestwhethertheyhadlivedtherelong.Hefrowned,andmuttered somethingasifhewereangry;buttheoldestonetookhishandandsmiled, andthenthetallonewasquiet.Theoldestoneonlysaid:‘Havemercyupon us,’andsmiled.
Whilethefishermanwastalking,theshiphaddrawnnearertotheisland.
-There,nowyoucanseeitplainly,ifyourGracewillpleasetolook,-said thetradesman,pointingwithhishand.TheBishoplooked,andnowhereally sawadarkstreak–whichwastheisland.Havinglookedatitawhile,heleft theprowofthevessel,andgoingtothestern,askedthehelmsman:
-Whatislandisthat?
-Ithasnoname.-Repliedtheman.-Therearemanysuchinthissea.
-Isittruethattherearehermitswholivethereforthesalvationoftheir souls?
-Soitissaid,yourGrace,butIdon’tknowifit’strue.Fishermensaythey haveseenthem;butsometimethey’rejustblabbing.
-Ishouldliketolandontheislandandseethesemen,-saidtheBishop.HowcouldImanageit?
-Theshipcannotgetclosetotheisland,-repliedthehelmsman,-butyou mightberowedthereinaboat.Youhadbetterspeaktothecaptain.
Theycalledthecaptain.
-I’dliketoseethesehermits,-saidtheBishop.–Howthiscanbearranged?
Thecaptaintriedtodissuadehim.
-Ofcourseitcouldbedone,-saidhe,-butwe’lllosemuchtime.AndifI mightdaretosaysotoyourGrace,theoldmenarenotworthyourattention.
Ihaveheardpeoplesaythatthesefoolisholdfellowslive,without understandingofanything,can’tevenspeakaword,anymorethanthefishin thesea.
-Iwishtoseethem,-saidtheBishop,-andIwillpayyouforyourtrouble andlossoftime.Pleasetakemethere.
Theyhadnochoice,sotheorderwasgiven.Thesailorstrimmedthesails,the steersmanputupthehelm,andtheyturnedtheship,andsailedtowardthe island.TheyplacedachairattheprowfortheBishop,andhesatthere, lookingahead.Thepassengersallgatheredattheprow,andgazedatthe island.Thosewhohadthesharpesteyescouldalreadyseetherocksonit,and pointedatamudhut.Atlastonemansawthehermitsthemselves.The captainbroughtatelescopeand,lookedthroughit,handedittotheBishop.
-That’sright.Therearethreemenstandingontheshore.There,alittletothe rightofthatbigrock.
TheBishoptookthetelescope,gotitintoposition,andhesawthethreemen: atallone,ashorterone,andoneverysmall,they’restandingontheshore, holdingeachotherbythehand.
ThecaptainturnedtotheBishop:
-YourGrace,wehavetostoptheshiphere.Ifyouwishtogoashore,you mustgointheboat,whileweanchorhere.
Theyletoutcable,casttheanchor,andfurledthesails.Therewasajerk,and thevesselshook.Thentheyloweredtheboat,theoarsmenjumpedin,andthe Bishopdescendedtheladderandtookhisseat.Themenpulledattheiroars, andtheboatmovedrapidlytowardstheisland.Whentheycamewithina stone’sthrowtheysawthreeoldmen:atallonehalfnaked,ashorteroneina raggedpeasantcoat,andaveryoldonebentwithage,inanoldrobe–all threestanding,holdingeachotherhands.
Theoarsmenpulledintotheshore,andheldonwiththeboathook.The Bishopgotout.
Theoldmenbowedtohim,andhegavethemhisblessing,atwhichthey bowedstilllower.ThentheBishopbegantospeaktothem.
-Ihaveheard,-hesaid,-thatyou,godlymen,liveheresavingyourown souls,andprayingtoourLordChristforyourfellowmen.I,anunworthy servantofChrist,amcalled,byGod’smercy,tokeepandteachHisflock.I wishedtoseeyou,servantsofGod,andtodowhatIcantoteachyou,also.
Theoldmenremainsilent,smile,lookateachother.
-Tellme,-saidtheBishop,-whatyouaredoingtosaveyoursouls,andhow youserveGod.
Thesecondhermitsighed,andlookedattheoldest,theveryancientone.The lattersmiled,andsaid:
-ServantofGod,wedonotknowhowtoserveGod.Weonlyserveand supportourselves.
-ButhowdoyoupraytoGod?-askedtheBishop.
-Weprayinthisway,-repliedthehermit.-Threeareyou,threearewe, havemercyuponus.
Andwhentheoldmansaidthis,allthreeraisedtheireyestoheaven,andall threehaverepeated:
-Threeareyour,threearewe,havemercyuponus!
TheBishopsmiledandsaid:
-ClearlyyouhaveheardabouttheHolyTrinity,-saidhe.-Butyoudonot prayproperly.Youhavewonmyaffection,godlymen.Iseeyouwishto pleasetheLord,butyoudonotknowhowtoserveHim.Thatisnottheway topray;butlistentome,andIwillteachyou.Iwillteachyounotawayof myown,butthewayinwhichGodintheHolyScriptureshascommandedall mentopraytoHim.
AndtheBishopbeganexplainingtothehermitshowGodhadrevealed Himselftomen;tellingthemofGodtheFather,andGodtheSon,andGod theHolyGhost,andsaid:
-GodtheSoncamedownonearth,tosavepeople,andthisishowHetaught usalltopray.Listenandrepeatafterme:‘OurFather.’
Andthefirstoldmanrepeatedafterhim,“OurFather,”andthesecondsaid, “OurFather,”andthethirdsaid,“OurFather.”
-Whichartinheaven,-continuedtheBishop.
Thefirsthermitrepeated,“Whichartinheaven,”butthesecondblundered overthewords,andthetallhermitcouldnotsaythemproperly.Hishairhad grownoverhismouthsothathecouldnotspeakclearly.Theveryoldhermit, havingnoteeth,alsomumbledindistinctly.
TheBishoprepeatedthewordsagain,andtheoldmenrepeatedthemafter him.TheBishopsatdownonastone,andtheoldmenstoodbeforehim, watchinghismouth,andrepeatingthewordsasheutteredthem.Andallday longtheBishoplabored,sayingawordtwenty,thirty,ahundredtimesover, andtheoldmenrepeateditafterhim.Theyblundered,andhecorrectedthem, andmadethembeginagain.
TheBishopdidnotleavetheelderstillhehadtaughtthemthewholeofthe Lord’sprayersothattheycouldnotonlyrepeatitafterhim,butcouldsayit bythemselves.Themiddleonewasthefirsttoknowit,andtorepeatthe wholeofitalone.TheBishopmadehimsayitagainandagain,andatlastthe otherscouldsayittoo.
Itwasgettingdark,andthemoonwasappearingoverthewater,beforethe Bishoprosetoreturntotheship.Whenhetookleaveoftheoldmen,theyall boweddowntothegroundbeforehim.Heraisedthem,andkissedeachof them,tellingthemtoprayashehadtaughtthem.Thenhegotintotheboat andreturnedtotheship.
Andashesatintheboatandwasrowedtotheshiphecouldhearthethree
voicesofthehermitsloudlyrepeatingtheLord’sprayer.Astheboatdrew nearthevessel,theirvoicescouldnolongerbeheard,buttheycouldstillbe seeninthemoonlight,standingashehadleftthemontheshore,theshortest inthemiddle,thetallestontheright,themiddleoneontheleft.Assoonas theBishophadreachedthevesselandgotonboard,theanchorwasweighed andthesailsunfurled.Thewindfilledthem,andtheshipsailedaway,andthe Bishoptookaseatinthesternandwatchedtheislandtheyhadleft.Fora timehecouldstillseethehermits,butpresentlytheydisappearedfromsight, thoughtheislandwasstillvisible.Atlastittoovanished,andonlythesea wastobeseen,ripplinginthemoonlight.
Thepilgrimslaydowntosleep,andallwasquietondeck.TheBishopdid notwishtosleep,butsataloneatthestern,gazingattheseawheretheisland wasnolongervisible,andthinkingofthegoodoldmen.Hethoughthow pleasedtheyhadbeentolearntheLord’sprayer;andhethankedGodfor havingsenthimtoteachandhelpsuchgodlymen.
SotheBishopsat,thinking,andgazingattheseawheretheislandhad disappeared.Andthemoonlightflickeredbeforehiseyes,sparkling,now here,nowthere,uponthewaves.Suddenlyhesawsomethingwhiteand shining,onthebrightpathwhichthemooncastacrossthesea.Wasita seagull,orthelittlegleamingsailofsomesmallboat?TheBishopfixedhis eyesonit,wondering.
-Itmustbeaboatsailingafterus,-thoughthe,-butitisovertakingusvery rapidly.Itwasfar,farawayaminuteago,butnowitismuchnearer.It cannotbeaboat,forIcanseenosail;butwhateveritmaybe,itisfollowing us,andcatchingusup.
Andhecouldnotmakeoutwhatitwas.Notaboat,norabird,norafish!
Itwastoolargeforaman,andbesidesamancouldnotbeoutthereinthe midstofthesea.TheBishoprose,andsaidtothehelmsman:
-Lookthere,whatisthat,myfriend?Whatisit?-theBishoprepeated, thoughhecouldnowseeplainlywhatitwas–thethreehermitsrunningupon thewater,allgleamingwhite,theirgraybeardsshining,andapproachingthe
shipasquicklyasthoughitwerenotmoving.
Thesteersmanlookedandletgothehelminterror.
-OhLord!Thehermitsarerunningafterusonthewaterasthoughitwere dryland!
Thepassengershearinghim,jumpedup,andcrowdedtothestern.Theysaw thehermitscomingalonghandinhand,andthetwoouteronesbeckoningthe shiptostop.Allthreewereglidingalonguponthewaterwithoutmoving theirfeet.Beforetheshipcouldbestopped,thehermitshadreachedit,and raisingtheirheads,allthreeaswithonevoice,begantosay:
-ServantofGod,wehaveforgottenyourteaching.Aslongaswekept repeatingitweremembered,butwhenwestoppedsayingitforatime,a worddroppedout,andnowithasallgonetopieces.Wecanremember nothingofit.Teachusagain.
TheBishopcrossedhimself,andleaningovertheship’sside,said:
-MenofGod,yourownprayerwillreachtheLordjustfine.Itisnotforme toteachyou.Prayforus,sinners!
AndtheBishopboweddownbeforetheoldmen;andtheystopped,turned, andwentbackacrossthesea.Anduntilmorningalightshinewasvisible fromthespotwheretheywent.