After the French had left Moscow, two peasants went out to search for treasures. One was wise, the other stupid. They went together to the burnt part of the city, and found some scorched wool. They said: “That will be useful at home.”

They gathered up as much as they could carry, and started to re-turn home with it. On the way they saw lying in the street a lot of cloth. The wise peasant threw down the wool, seized as much Of the cloth as he could carry, and put it on his shoulders. The stupid one said, “Why throw away the wool? It is nicely tied up, and nicely fastened on.” And so he did not take any of the cloth.

They went farther, and saw lying in the street some ready-made clothes that had been thrown away. The wise peasant unloaded the cloth, picked up the clothes, and put them on his shoulders. The stupid one said, “Why should I throw away the wool? It is nicely tied up and securely fastened on my back.”

They went on, and saw silver plate scattered about. The wise peasant threw down the clothes, and gathered up as much of the silver as he could, and started off with it; but the stupid one did not give up his wool, because it was nicely tied up and securely fastened on.

1. This is a fable. Do you think this story sometimes really happens in our daily life?
2. Have you ever heard of similar stories to this one? Share them with other group members or classmates.
3. Do you think the stupid person in the story is really stupid? Why?

From Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy’s “The Long Exile, and Other Stories”