Short Fiction · Chapter
The Piebald Horses explained
A folk legend recounts how St.
What happens
A folk legend recounts how St. Nicholas, the beloved Russian saint, journeys across Russia with the stage-driver Vassily to confront the heretic Arius-the-Giant. Along the way, they encounter robbers who repent, and a hostile innkeeper who refuses them oats and food. St. Nicholas miraculously provides golden wheat from an empty bag and turns stale bread into a meal. During the night, Arius's servants hack Vassily's horses to pieces, but St. Nicholas prays and restores them to life. In his haste, Vassily reassembles the pieces incorrectly, giving the horses piebald coats. They arrive just in time for St. Nicholas to confront Arius in the Nikitsky Cathedral, where his wrathful gaze causes the giant to collapse and die. From then on, Vassily keeps piebald horses, known for their endurance.
Themes in this chapter
Fate and Absurdity
The miraculous yet comical mishap of the horses being reassembled into piebald coats introduces an element of absurdity, while the saint's intervention underscores the unpredictable nature of fate.
Cruelty and Suffering
Arius's servants brutally hack the horses to pieces, and the innkeeper's inhospitable treatment reflects human cruelty, though suffering is alleviated by St. Nicholas's mercy.
Human Observation and Psychology
Vassily's keen observation of his horses' behavior and his psychological distress at their destruction highlight the bond between humans and animals, as well as the driver's practical wisdom.
Characters to notice
- Vassily
A God-fearing stage-driver who transports St. Nicholas on his urgent journey. He is devoted, skilled with his horses, and deeply distressed when they are destroyed, but obediently follows the saint's instructions.
- Vladimir Ivanovich Schavinsky
Not present in this chapter.
Key passages
“It is kind, simple, sinful Russia, however, that has adopted as her own his beautiful meek image and for ages Nicholas the Merciful has been her best-beloved saint and mediator.”
Russia, with its gentle, unpretentious, and flawed character, has embraced St. Nicholas as its own, cherishing his humble image and regarding him as its most cherished saint and intercessor for centuries.
Establishes the cultural significance of St. Nicholas in Russian folk piety.
“The Holy Saint just said a short prayer and lo! the horses sprang to their feet, hale and strong, as if nothing had happened, tossing their manes, prancing and whinnying for food.”
St. Nicholas uttered a brief prayer, and instantly the horses leaped up, healthy and vigorous, as though they had never been harmed, shaking their manes, prancing, and neighing for feed.
Highlights the miraculous restoration and the saint's power.
“From that time on, Vassily always kept piebald horses. And everyone got to know that such horses were the most enduring and that their legs were as hard as iron.”
After that, Vassily permanently owned piebald horses, and it became widely known that these horses were exceptionally hardy, with legs as strong as iron.
Explains the origin of the piebald horses' reputation for endurance.