The Candle (Unabridged)

Count Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828 - 1910), was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. Tolstoy’s short story The Candle is about peasants who want to kill their superintendent because he insists they plough a field on Easter Monday. One peasant makes the best of the situation by placing a candle on his plough while he sings hymns. A pacifist peasant manages to stop the murder, and the cruel superintendent repents and visits the village to reconcile with the people. However, he dies after falling off his horse. The theme examines the biblical concept of turning the other cheek, and trusting God to sort out injustice, or taking things into one’s own hands.