,BOOK #a#b1 ,*APT] #ac 

#ahfiahfi 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,TW5TY-?REE SOLDI]S1 ?REE (FIC]S1 & TWO (FICIALS W]E CONF9$ 9 
 ! %$ 9 :I* ,PI]RE HAD BE5 PLAC$ & :]E HE REMA9$ = F\R 
 WEEKS4 

,:5 ,PI]RE REMEMB]$ !M AFT]W>DS !Y ALL SEEM$ MI/Y FIGURES TO 
 HIM EXCEPT ,PLATON ,K>ATAEV1 :O ALWAYS REMA9$ 9 HIS M9D A MO/ VIVID 
 & PRECI\S MEMORY & ! P]SONIFICATION ( EV]Y?+ ,RUSSIAN1 K9DLY1 
 & R\ND4 ,:5 ,PI]RE SAW HIS NEI<BOR NEXT MORN+ AT DAWN ! FIR/ 
 IMPRESSION ( HIM1 AS ( SOME?+ R\ND1 WAS FULLY CONFIRM$3 ,PLATON'S 
 :OLE FIGURE--9 A ,FR5* OV]COAT GIRDL$ ) A CORD1 A SOLDI]'S 
 CAP1 & BA/ %OES--WAS R\ND4 ,HIS HEAD WAS QUITE R\ND1 HIS BACK1 
 *E/1 %\LD]S1 & EV5 HIS >MS1 :I* HE HELD AS IF EV] READY TO 
 EMBRACE SOME?+1 W]E R\ND$1 HIS PLEASANT SMILE & HIS L>GE1 G5TLE 
 BR[N EYES W]E ALSO R\ND4 

,PLATON ,K>ATAEV MU/ HAVE BE5 FIFTY1 JUDG+ BY HIS /ORIES ( CAMPAIGNS 
 HE HAD BE5 91 TOLD AS BY AN OLD SOLDI]4 ,HE DID NOT HIMSELF KN[ HIS AGE 
 & WAS QUITE UNABLE TO DET]M9E IT4 ,BUT HIS BRILLIANTLY :ITE1 /RONG 
 TEE? :I* %[$ 9 TWO UNBROK5 SEMICIRCLES :5 HE LAU<$--AS HE 
 (T5 DID--W]E ALL S\ND & GOOD1 !RE WAS NOT A GRAY HAIR 9 HIS 
 BE>D OR ON HIS HEAD1 & HIS :OLE BODY GAVE AN IMPRESSION ( SUPPL5ESS 
 & ESPECIALLY ( FIRMNESS & 5DURANCE4 

,HIS FACE1 DESPITE ITS F9E1 R\ND$ WR9KLES1 HAD AN EXPRESSION ( 
 9NOC5CE & Y\?1 HIS VOICE WAS PLEASANT & MUSICAL4 ,BUT ! *IEF 
 PECULI>ITY ( HIS SPEE* WAS ITS DIRECTNESS & APPOSIT5ESS4 ,IT WAS 
 EVID5T ?AT HE NEV] CONSID]$ :AT HE HAD SAID OR WAS GO+ TO SAY1 & 
 CONSEQU5TLY ! RAPIDITY & JU/ICE ( HIS 9TONATION HAD AN 
 IRRESI/IBLE P]SUASIV5ESS4 

,HIS PHYSICAL /R5G? & AGILITY DUR+ ! FIR/ DAYS ( HIS 
 IMPRISONM5T W]E SU* ?AT HE SEEM$ NOT TO KN[ :AT FATIGUE & 
 SICKNESS MEANT4 ,EV]Y NI<T BE=E LY+ D[N1 HE SAID3 0,LORD1 LAY ME D[N 
 AS A /ONE & RAISE ME UP AS A LOAF60 & EV]Y MORN+ ON GETT+ UP1 HE 
 SAID3 0,I LAY D[N & CURL$ UP1 ,I GET UP & %AKE MYSELF40 ,& 9DE$ HE 
 ONLY HAD TO LIE D[N1 TO FALL ASLEEP LIKE A /ONE1 & HE ONLY HAD TO 
 %AKE HIMSELF1 TO BE READY )\T A MOM5T'S DELAY = SOME WORK1 JU/ AS 
 *ILDR5 >E READY TO PLAY DIRECTLY !Y AWAKE4 ,HE C\LD DO EV]Y?+1 
 NOT V]Y WELL BUT NOT BADLY4 ,HE BAK$1 COOK$1 SEW$1 PLAN$1 & M5D$ 
 BOOTS4 ,HE WAS ALWAYS BUSY1 & ONLY AT NI<T ALL[$ HIMSELF CONV]SATION--( 
 :I* HE WAS FOND--& SONGS4 ,HE DID NOT S+ LIKE A TRA9$ S+] 
 :O KN[S HE IS LI/5$ TO1 BUT LIKE ! BIRDS1 EVID5TLY GIV+ V5T TO 
 ! S\NDS 9 ! SAME WAY ?AT ONE /RET*ES ONESELF OR WALKS AB\T TO 
 GET RID ( /IFFNESS1 & ! S\NDS W]E ALWAYS HI<-PIT*$1 M\RNFUL1 
 DELICATE1 & ALMO/ FEM99E1 & HIS FACE AT SU* TIMES WAS V]Y 
 S]I\S4 

,HAV+ BE5 TAK5 PRISON] & ALL[$ HIS BE>D TO GR[1 HE SEEM$ TO 
 HAVE ?R[N (F ALL ?AT HAD BE5 =C$ UPON HIM--EV]Y?+ 
 MILIT>Y & ALI5 TO HIMSELF--& HAD RETURN$ TO HIS =M] PEASANT 
 HABITS4 

0,A SOLDI] ON LEAVE--A %IRT \TSIDE BREE*ES10 HE W\LD SAY4 

,HE DID NOT LIKE TALK+ AB\T HIS LIFE AS A SOLDI]1 ?\< HE DID NOT 
 COMPLA91 & (T5 M5TION$ ?AT HE HAD NOT BE5 FLOGG$ ONCE DUR+ ! 
 :OLE ( HIS >MY S]VICE4 ,:5 HE RELAT$ ANY?+ IT WAS G5]ALLY SOME 
 OLD & EVID5TLY PRECI\S MEMORY ( HIS 0,*RI/IAN0 LIFE1 AS HE CALL$ 
 HIS PEASANT EXI/5CE4 ,! PROV]BS1 ( :I* HIS TALK WAS FULL1 W]E = 
 ! MO/ P>T NOT ! CO>SE & 9DEC5T SAWS SOLDI]S EMPLOY1 BUT ?OSE 
 FOLK SAY+S :I* TAK5 )\T A CONTEXT SEEM SO 9SIGNIFICANT1 BUT :5 
 US$ APPOSITELY SUDD5LY ACQUIRE A SIGNIFICANCE ( PR(\ND WISDOM4 

,HE W\LD (T5 SAY ! EXACT OPPOSITE ( :AT HE HAD SAID ON A PREVI\S 
 OCCASION1 YET BO? W\LD BE RI<T4 ,HE LIK$ TO TALK & HE TALK$ WELL1 
 ADORN+ HIS SPEE* ) T]MS ( 5DE>M5T & ) FOLK SAY+S :I* 
 ,PI]RE ?\<T HE 9V5T$ HIMSELF1 BUT ! *IEF *>M ( HIS TALK LAY 9 
 ! FACT ?AT ! COMMONE/ EV5TS--SOMETIMES JU/ SU* AS ,PI]RE HAD 
 WITNESS$ )\T TAK+ NOTICE ( !M--ASSUM$ 9 ,K>ATAEV'S A 
 *>ACT] ( SOLEMN FITNESS4 ,HE LIK$ TO HE> ! FOLK TALES ONE ( ! 
 SOLDI]S US$ TO TELL ( AN EV5+ 7!Y W]E ALWAYS ! SAME71 BUT MO/ 
 ( ALL HE LIK$ TO HE> /ORIES ( REAL LIFE4 ,HE W\LD SMILE JOYFULLY :5 
 LI/5+ TO SU* /ORIES1 N[ & !N PUTT+ 9 A WORD OR ASK+ A 
 QUE/ION TO MAKE ! MORAL BEAUTY ( :AT HE WAS TOLD CLE> TO HIMSELF4 
 ,K>ATAEV HAD NO ATTA*M5TS1 FRI5D%IPS1 OR LOVE1 AS ,PI]RE UND]/OOD 
 !M1 BUT LOV$ & LIV$ AFFECTIONATELY ) EV]Y?+ LIFE BR\<T HIM 
 9 CONTACT )1 P>TICUL>LY ) MAN--NOT ANY P>TICUL> MAN1 BUT 
 ?OSE ) :OM HE HAPP5$ TO BE4 ,HE LOV$ HIS DOG1 HIS COMRADES1 ! 
 ,FR5*1 & ,PI]RE :O WAS HIS NEI<BOR1 BUT ,PI]RE FELT ?AT 9 SPITE ( 
 ,K>ATAEV'S AFFECTIONATE T5D]NESS = HIM 7BY :I* HE UNCONSCI\SLY GAVE 
 ,PI]RE'S SPIRITUAL LIFE ITS DUE7 HE W\LD NOT HAVE GRIEV$ = A MOM5T AT 
 P>T+ FROM HIM4 ,& ,PI]RE BEGAN TO FEEL 9 ! SAME WAY T[>D 
 ,K>ATAEV4 

,TO ALL ! O!R PRISON]S ,PLATON ,K>ATAEV SEEM$ A MO/ ORD9>Y SOLDI]4 
 ,!Y CALL$ HIM 0LITTLE FALCON0 OR 0,PLATO%A10 *AFF$ 
 HIM GOOD-NATUR$LY1 & S5T HIM ON ]R&S4 ,BUT TO ,PI]RE HE ALWAYS REMA9$ 
 :AT HE HAD SEEM$ ?AT FIR/ NI<T3 AN UNFA?OMABLE1 R\ND$1 ET]NAL 
 P]SONIFICATION ( ! SPIRIT ( SIMPLICITY & TRU?4 

,PLATON ,K>ATAEV KNEW NO?+ BY HE>T EXCEPT HIS PRAY]S4 ,:5 HE BEGAN TO 
 SPEAK HE SEEM$ NOT TO KN[ H[ HE W\LD CONCLUDE4 

,SOMETIMES ,PI]RE1 /RUCK BY ! MEAN+ ( HIS WORDS1 W\LD ASK HIM TO 
 REPEAT !M1 BUT ,PLATON C\LD NEV] RECALL :AT HE HAD SAID A MOM5T 
 BE=E1 JU/ AS HE NEV] C\LD REPEAT TO ,PI]RE ! WORDS ( HIS FAVORITE 
 SONG3 NATIVE & BIR* TREE & MY HE>T IS SICK OCCURR$ 9 
 IT1 BUT :5 SPOK5 & NOT SUNG1 NO MEAN+ C\LD BE GOT \T ( IT4 ,HE DID NOT1 
 & C\LD NOT1 UND]/& ! MEAN+ ( WORDS AP>T FROM !IR CONTEXT4 ,EV]Y 
 WORD & ACTION ( HIS WAS ! MANIFE/ATION ( AN ACTIVITY UNKN[N TO 
 HIM1 :I* WAS HIS LIFE4 ,BUT HIS LIFE1 AS HE REG>D$ IT1 HAD NO MEAN+ 
 AS A SEP>ATE ?+4 ,IT HAD MEAN+ ONLY AS P>T ( A :OLE ( :I* HE 
 WAS ALWAYS CONSCI\S4 ,HIS WORDS & ACTIONS FL[$ FROM HIM AS EV5LY1 
 9EVITABLY1 & SPONTANE\SLY AS FRAGRANCE EXHALES FROM A FL[]4 ,HE C\LD 
 NOT UND]/& ! VALUE OR SIGNIFICANCE ( ANY WORD OR DE$ TAK5 
 SEP>ATELY4 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahfh 3 ,BOOK #a#b1 ,*APT] #ac -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,FEBRU>Y #a#a1 #bag 3 ,BOOK #a#b1 ,*APT] #ac -- ,ADD$4 

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