Leo
Tolstoy
1885
Bill Lin 譯
古時候有一個良善仁慈的人。他擁有這世上豐富的資產，還有許多僕人服侍他。這些僕人為他們的主人而感到驕傲，說：
「陽光下沒有比我們有更好的主人。他給我們吃的，給我們穿的，給我們適合我們氣力的工作。他不心懷惡意，也從不對任何人說一句刻薄的話。他不像其他的主人，對待他們的僕人比牲畜還糟：不管青紅皂白的懲罰他們，從不說一句友善的話。他希望我們過得好，也以良善對待我們，對我們噓寒問暖。我們從未想要有一個更好的生活。」
僕人們如此的讚美他們的主人，魔鬼看到了這個現象，很惱怒僕人們如此的愛他們的主人，而且相處得如此融洽。所以他找了他們之中的一個僕人，他的名字叫做亞利伯，魔鬼使用他的魔力，命令他去誘惑其他的僕人們。有一天，當他們全部坐在一起休息，談到他們主人的良善，亞利伯提高了他的嗓門，說：
「拼命的說我們主人的良善是愚蠢的。魔鬼自己也會對你好，假如你做他要你做的。我們對我們的主人服侍得很好，所有的事都迎合他。他一想到任何事情，我們就做了：預料了他的一切所要的。他能不好好的對待我們嗎？等著瞧，假如與其事事迎合他，我們來搞他一下，看會是怎樣。他將會像其他的主人那樣，將會以惡制惡，像那些最惡劣的主人所做的一樣。」
其他的僕人們開始駁斥亞利伯所說的，最後跟他打賭。亞利伯承諾要去激怒他們的主人。假如他失敗了，他就輸掉了他的休閒服；假如他成功了，其他的僕人們也要給他他們的。除此以外，他們答應亞利伯保護他對付主人，假如他被鍊起來或關起來，要放他走。打賭安排好了，亞利伯同意明天早上就去激怒他的主人。
亞利伯是個牧羊人，他負責好幾頭有價值的純種羊，那些是他的主人很喜歡的。隔天早上，當他的主人帶了一些訪客到羊圈裡去，給他們看這些珍貴的羊，亞利伯向他的同伴擠眉弄眼，好像在說：
「馬上看著，看我怎麼搞他個暴跳如雷。」
所有其他的僕人們聚在一起，往羊門或牆上看，魔鬼爬上鄰近的一棵樹上，要看他的僕人如何做他的工作。那主人走近了羊圈，指給他的客人看牡羊和羊羔，現在，他想要給他們看他的最好的公羊。
「所有的公羊都是貴重的，」他說：「但是我有一頭有著密捲著的雙角，是無價之寶。我稱牠是我的掌上明珠。」
被陌生人引起了驚嚇，羊群在羊圈裡奔跑，以至於客人們無法好好的看那隻公羊。當他們一靜下來，亞利伯像似意外的驚嚇了羊群，牠們又混在一起了。客人們無法認出那無價的公羊。最後主人煩了。
「亞利伯，好朋友，」他說：「請把我們最好的公羊捉來給我，有密捲的雙角的那一頭。要很小心的捉牠，抱著牠安靜一陣子。」
這主人很少這樣說，同時亞利伯像一頭獅子般的衝進羊群，抓住了那寶貴的公羊。很快的抓住羊毛，他用一隻手抓住左後腿，而且，在他的主人的眼前，高高的舉起，再一抖，那隻腳就像一根枯枝般的折斷了。他折斷了公羊的腿，牠倒地跪在雙膝上哀鳴。然後亞利伯抓住右後腿，而左腿扭轉拖著癱軟掉了。客人們和僕人們驚呼，亂成一團，那魔鬼坐在樹上，很高興亞利伯很聰明的完成了他的工作。主人臉色變黑像驚雷，皺眉，低頭，沒說半句話。客人們和僕人們也都靜了下來，等著看下一步會如何發展。持續安靜了一陣子以後，主人抖一抖身子，好像丟掉一些負擔。再抬起他的頭，雙眼仰望天上，保持這樣子有一短暫的時間。隨即臉上的皺紋消失了，他向下看著亞利伯，笑著說：
「哦，亞利伯，亞利伯！你的主人吩咐你來激怒我；但是我的主人比你的主人強。我不跟你生氣，但是我要讓你的主人生氣。你怕我會處罰你，而且你一直想要得到你的自由。亞利伯，你知道我不會處罰你；不過，正因為你想要自由，在這裡，在我的賓客們的面前，我讓你自由。到你要的地方去，也把你的休閒服一起帶著！」
仁慈的主人和他的賓客們回到了屋子裡；但是魔鬼，咬牙切齒的，從樹上跌下來，掉進了地底下。
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THERE lived
in olden times a good and kindly man. He had this world's goods in abundance,
and many slaves to serve him. And the slaves prided themselves on their master,
saying:
'There is
no better lord than ours under the sun. He feeds and clothes us well, and gives
us work suited to our strength. He bears no malice and never speaks a harsh
word to any one. He is not like other masters, who treat their slaves worse
than cattle: punishing them whether they deserve it or not, and never giving
them a friendly word. He wishes us well, does good, and speaks kindly to us. We
do not wish for a better life.'
Thus the
slaves praised their lord, and the Devil, seeing it, was vexed that slaves
should live in such love and harmony with their master. So getting one of them,
whose name was Aleb, into his power, the Devil ordered him to tempt the other
slaves. And one day, when they were all sitting together resting and talking of
their master's goodness, Aleb raised his voice, and said:
'It is
stupid to make so much of our master's goodness. The Devil himself would be
kind to you, if you did what he wanted. We serve our master well, and humor him
in all things. As soon as he thinks of anything, we do it: foreseeing all his
wishes. What can he do but be kind to us? Just try how it will be if, instead
of humoring him, we do him some harm instead. He will act like any one else,
and will repay evil for evil, as the worst of masters do.’
The other
slaves began denying what Aleb had said and at last bet with him. Aleb
undertook to make their master angry. If he failed, he was to lose his holiday
garment; but if he succeeded, the other slaves were to give him theirs.
Moreover, they promised to defend him against the master, and to set him free
if he should be put in chains or imprisoned. Having arranged this bet, Aleb
agreed to make his master angry next morning.
Aleb was a
shepherd, and had in his charge a number of valuable, pure-bred sheep, of which
his master was very fond. Next morning, when the master brought some visitors
into the inclosure to show them the valuable sheep, Aleb winked at his
companions, as if to say:
'See, now,
how angry I will make him.'
All the
other slaves assembled, looking in at the gates or over the fence, and the
Devil climbed a tree near by to see how his servant would do his work. The
master walked about the inclosure, showing his guests the ewes and lambs, and
presently he wished to show them his finest ram.
'All the
rams are valuable,' said he, 'but I have one with closely twisted horns, which
is priceless. I prize him as the apple of my eye.'
Startled by
the strangers, the sheep rushed about the inclosure, so that the visitors could
not get a good look at the ram. As soon as it stood still, Aleb startled the
sheep as if by accident, and they all got mixed up again. The visitors could
not make out which was the priceless ram. At last the master got tired of it.
'Aleb, dear
friend,' he said, 'pray catch our best ram for me, the one with the tightly
twisted horns. Catch him very carefully, and hold him still for a moment.'
Scarcely
had the master said this, when Aleb rushed in among the sheep like a lion, and
clutched the priceless ram. Holding him fast by the wool, he seized the left
hind leg with one hand, and, before his master's eyes, lifted it and jerked it
so that it snapped like a dry branch. He had broken the ram's leg and it fell
bleating on to its knees. Then Aleb seized the right hind leg, while the left
twisted round and hung quite limp. The visitors and the slaves exclaimed in
dismay, and the Devil, sitting up in the tree, rejoiced that Aleb had done his
task so cleverly. The master looked as black as thunder, frowned, bent his
head, and did not say a word. The visitors and the slaves were silent, too,
waiting to see what would follow. After remaining silent for a while, the
master shook himself as if to throw off some burden. Then he lifted his head,
and raising his eyes heavenward, remained so for a short time. Presently the
wrinkles passed from his face, and he looked down at Aleb with a smile saying:
'Oh, Aleb, Aleb! Your
master bade you anger me; but my master is stronger than yours. I am not angry
with you, but I will make your master angry. You are afraid that I shall punish
you, and you have been wishing for your freedom. Know, then, Aleb, that I shall
not punish you; but, as you wish to be free, here, before my guests, I set you
free. Go where you like, and take your holiday garment with you!'
And the
kind master returned with his guests to the house; but the Devil, grinding his
teeth, fell down from the tree, and sank through the ground.
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