Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/274

Tales from Tolstoi gentleman ordered the boots, thou didst smile a second time; and from that time forth thou didst become still brighter—and now, when the woman brought these children hither, thou didst smile a third time, and grow exceedingly bright. Tell me now, Michael, whence is this light of thine, and wherefore didst thou smile these three times?"

And Michael said: "For this cause light came forth from me, because I was punished; but God has forgiven me. And I smiled thrice because it was necessary that thrice I should hear divine words. And thrice also did I hear them. I heard the first divine word when your wife had compassion on me, and then I smiled the first time. I heard the second divine word when the rich man ordered the boots, and so I smiled the second time; and now, when I saw the children, I heard the third divine word, and I smiled for the third time."

And Simon said: "Tell me now, Michael, wherefore did God punish you, and what are those words of God that you had to learn from me?"

And Michael said: "God punished me because I was not obedient. I was an Angel in Heaven, and God sent me to take away the soul of a woman. I flew down to the earth, and saw there a woman who lay sick, she had just given birth to little twin-girls. They were writhing about beside their mother, and she was unable to put them to her breasts. The woman saw me, and understood that God had sent me for her soul, and she burst into tears, and said: 'Angel of God! They have only just buried my husband; he was struck dead by a tree of the forest. I have 224