Russian Folktales · Chapter
The Priest with the Envious Eyes explained
A priest, after serving St.
What happens
A priest, after serving St. Nicholas poorly, leaves his parish and meets an unknown man who becomes his companion. They cure a dying princess by cutting her into pieces and reassembling her with a magical breath. The priest, driven by envy, later attempts to cure another princess alone but fails, nearly being hanged. The old man saves him, reveals the priest's theft of wafers, and vanishes after giving him all the reward money.
Themes in this chapter
Good vs. Evil
The old man (good) contrasts with the envious priest (evil), who is tempted by the Evil One and fails in his selfish attempt.
Trickery and Cunning
The priest steals wafers and lies about it; the old man uses the theft to expose the priest's guilt and teach a lesson.
Fate and Divine Justice
The priest's envy leads him to near-execution, but he is saved and ultimately given all the money, with the old man vanishing as a divine figure.
Characters to notice
- The Priest
A poor, envious priest who steals wafers from his companion and later fails to cure a princess alone, nearly executed.
- St. Nicholas
The saint whom the priest served; the priest strikes his icon in frustration before leaving.
- The Tsar
Ruler of the kingdom where the princess is ill; offers reward for her cure and threatens execution for failure.
- The Tsarévna
The dying princess who is cut up and magically revived by the old man.
Key passages
“He served St. Nicholas for some years, and all his earnings were that he had neither house nor home, nor a roof over his head.”
After years of serving St. Nicholas, the priest had gained nothing—no home or shelter.
Establishes the priest's poverty and discontent.
“The old man took as much as he could take with his thumb and two fingers, but the pope took it by handfuls, and he rammed it all into his wallet and hid it away.”
The old man took only a tiny pinch of gold, while the priest greedily grabbed handfuls and stuffed them into his bag.
Highlights the contrast between the old man's moderation and the priest's greed.
“Then the old man said to the Tsar: 'I am a free man. Will you let me cure the Tsarévna, and if I do not succeed, have a second noose got ready for my neck: one for me and one for the pope.'”
The old man offered to cure the princess himself, but if he failed, both he and the priest should be hanged.
Shows the old man's confidence and willingness to share the priest's punishment.