Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/335

Rh continued he, "I was only more wroth than ever with thee. Only then did I begin to ponder over thy words when thou didst withdraw thyself from men, and I understood that thou hadst no need of aught from them. And from thenceforth I began to hang up biscuits for thee on the boughs."

And the godson called to mind that the old woman was only able to wash the tables when she had well wrung out the clout. He had only ceased to worry about himself when he had cleansed his heart and began to cleanse the hearts of others.

And the freebooter said moreover, "Only then did my heart begin to turn within me, when thou didst not fear death."

And the godson called to mind that only then did the coopers succeed in bending the hoop when they had made fast the block; and he had only ceased to fear death when he had made firm his life in God, and had subdued his stubborn heart.

And the freebooter said moreover, "But my heart only melted altogether within me when thou hadst compassion upon me, and didst begin to weep over me."

Then the godson rejoiced greatly. And he took the freebooter along with him to the place where were the stumps of the tree. Thither they went, and lo! a little apple-tree had shot up also out of the last of the stumps. And then the godson called to mind that only then had the damp wood of the ox-herds burnt up when they had kindled a great fire; only when his own heart had kindled within him had he made the heart of this other burn also. 285