The name of the priest in the fairy tale is Veresayev Star. Vikenty Veresaev “Star. Philosophical tale by V. Veresaev about why we don’t like the truth

Vikenty Veresaev

Eastern fairy tale

This happened in ancient times, in a distant, unknown land.

An eternal, black night reigned over the region. Rotten fogs rose from the swampy land and hung in the air. People were born, grew up, loved and died in damp darkness.

But sometimes the breath of the wind dispersed the heavy vapors of the earth. Then bright stars looked at people from the distant sky. A general holiday was approaching. People, sitting alone in dwellings as dark as a cellar, gathered in the square and sang hymns to the sky. Fathers pointed their children to the stars and taught that in the pursuit of them lies the life and happiness of a person. Young men and girls eagerly peered into the sky and rushed to it with their souls from the darkness that oppressed the earth. The priests prayed to the stars. Poets sang of the stars. Scientists studied the paths of stars, their number, size, and made an important discovery: it turned out that the stars were slowly but continuously approaching the earth. Ten thousand years ago - quite reliable sources said so - it was difficult to discern a smile on a child’s face in one and a half steps. Now everyone could easily distinguish her in three whole steps. There was no doubt that in a few million years the sky would shine with bright lights, and the kingdom of eternal radiant light would come on earth. Everyone patiently waited for the blessed time and died with hope for it.

So for many years people’s lives went on, quiet and serene, and they were warmed by a gentle faith in the distant stars.

One day the stars in the sky were shining especially brightly. People crowded into the square and in silent reverence their souls ascended to the eternal light.

- Brothers! How light and wonderful it is there, in the high heavenly plains! It’s so damp and gloomy here! My soul languishes, it has no life and no will in eternal darkness. What if, millions of years from now, the lives of our distant descendants will be illuminated with an everlasting light? We, we need this light. We need more air and food, more mother and lover. Who knows, maybe there is a path to the stars. Perhaps we are able to pluck them from the sky and plant them here, among us, for the joy of the whole earth. Let's go look for ways, let's go look for light for life!

There was silence in the meeting. People asked each other in a whisper:

- Who is this?

“This is Adeel, a reckless and rebellious young man.

There was silence again. And old Tsur, the teacher of the smart, the light of science, spoke:

- Dear young man! We all understand your sadness. Who hasn't had it in their time? But it is impossible for a person to pluck a star from the sky. The edge of the earth ends in deep chasms and abysses. Behind them are steep cliffs. And there is no way to the stars through them. This is what experience and wisdom say.

And Adeel answered:

“It is not to you, wise ones, that I am addressing. Your experience covers your eyes like thorns, and your wisdom blinds you. I appeal to you, young and brave at heart, to you who have not yet been crushed by the decrepit wisdom of old age!

And he waited for an answer.

Some said:

- We'd love to go. But we are light and joy in the eyes of our parents and cannot cause them sorrow.

Others said:

- We'd love to go. But we have just started building our houses, and we need to finish them.

Still others said:

- Hello, Adeil! We are coming with you!

And many young men and women stood up. And they went after Adeel. We went into the dark, menacing distance. And darkness swallowed them up.

A lot of time has passed.

There was no news of those who had left. Mothers mourned their recklessly lost children, and life went on as before. Again, in the damp darkness, people were born, grew up, loved and died with the quiet hope that after thousands of centuries light would descend to the earth.

But then one day, above the dark edge of the earth, the sky was faintly illuminated by a flickering light. People crowded the square and asked:

-What is that there?

The sky became brighter every hour. Blue rays slid through the fogs, pierced the clouds, and flooded the heavenly plains with broad light. Gloomy clouds swirled in fear, pushed and ran into the distance. The triumphant rays spread ever brighter across the sky. And a thrill of unprecedented joy ran through the earth.

The old priest Satzoi peered intently into the distance. And he said thoughtfully:

– Such light can only come from an eternal celestial star.

And Tsur, the teacher of the intelligent, the light of science, objected:

- But how could a star come down to earth? There is no way for us to reach the stars, and there is no way for the stars to reach us.

And the sky became brighter and brighter. And suddenly a blindingly bright point flashed over the edge of the earth.

- Star! A star is coming!

And people ran towards him in wild joy.

The rays, bright as day, drove the rotten mists before them. Torn, disheveled fogs rushed and clung to the ground. And the rays hit them, tore them to pieces and drove them into the ground. The distance of the earth was illuminated and cleansed. People saw how wide this distance was, how much free space there was on earth and how many brothers lived in all directions from them.

And in wild joy they ran towards the light.

Adele walked along the road with a quiet step and held high by the ray a star torn from the sky. He was alone.

Asked him:

- Everyone died. They paved the way to heaven through gaps and abysses. And they died the death of the brave.

Jubilant crowds surrounded the star-bearer. The girls showered him with flowers. Shouts of delight thundered:

- Glory to Adele! Glory to the one who brought light!

He entered the city and stood in the square, holding a shining star high in his hand. And rejoicing spread throughout the city.

Days have passed.

The star in the high-raised hand of Ade-il still shone brightly in the square. But for a long time there was no rejoicing in the city. People walked around angry and gloomy, with downcast eyes, and tried not to look at each other. When they had to walk through the square, their eyes lit up with gloomy enmity at the sight of Adela. No songs could be heard. No prayers were heard. In place of the rotten fogs dispersed by the star, a black, gloomy anger thickened over the city with an invisible fog. It thickened, grew and became tense. And it was impossible to live under her oppression.

And then a man ran out into the square screaming. His eyes burned, his face was distorted with anger tearing at his soul. In a frenzy of rage, he shouted: “Down with the star!” Down with the damned star-bearer!.. Brothers, aren’t the souls of all of you screaming through my lips: down with the star, down with the light - he has deprived us of life and joy! We lived peacefully in the darkness, we loved our sweet homes, our quiet life. And look, what happened? The light has come, and there is no joy in anything. The houses are crowded together in dirty, ugly heaps. The leaves of the trees are pale and slimy, like the skin on the belly of a frog. Look at the ground - it is all covered with bloody mud. Where does this blood come from, who knows? But it sticks to our hands, its smell follows us when we eat and in our sleep, it poisons and weakens our humble prayers to the stars. And nowhere is there escape from the daring, all-penetrating light! He breaks into our houses, and now we see: they are all covered in dirt; The dirt has ingrained itself into the walls, covered the windows, and is piled up in stinking heaps in the corners. We can no longer kiss our beloved: in the light of the Adeil star they have become more disgusting than grave worms; their eyes are as pale as woodlice, their soft bodies are covered with spots and have a moldy cast. And we can no longer look at each other - we see not a person in front of us, but a desecration of a person... Our every secret step, every hidden movement is illuminated by an inexorable light. It's impossible to live! Down with the star-bearer, let the light perish!

And others chimed in:

- Down! Let the darkness live! Only grief and curse bring the light of the stars to people... Death to the star-bearer!

And the crowd became alarmed. And with a furious roar she tried to intoxicate herself, to stifle the horror of her great blasphemy against the world. And she moved towards Adeel.

But the star in the star-bearer’s hand shone deadly brightly, and people could not approach him.

- Brothers, stop! – the voice of the old priest Satzoy suddenly rang out. – You take a grave sin on your soul by cursing the light. What do we pray for, what do we live for, if not by light? But you, my son,” he turned to Adeil, “and you committed no less a sin, bringing the star to earth.” True, the great Brahma said: “Blessed is he who strives for the stars.” But people, daring in their wisdom, misunderstood the word of the World Honored One. The disciples of his disciples explained the true meaning of the dark word of the All-Wise: a person should strive for the stars only with his thoughts, and on earth darkness is as sacred as light in heaven. And it was this truth that you despised with your ascended mind. Repent, my son, throw away the star, and may the former peace reign on earth!!

Adele grinned.

– Do you think that if I leave her, the world on earth will not perish forever?

And with horror the people sensed that Adel had spoken the truth, that the old world would never return.

Then old Tsur, the teacher of the intelligent, the light of science, stepped forward.

“You acted recklessly, Adeiel, and now you yourself see the fruits of your recklessness.” According to the laws of nature, life develops slowly. And distant stars slowly approach in life. With their gradually approaching light, life is gradually rebuilt. But you didn't want to wait. At your own risk, you tore a star from the sky and brightly illuminated life. What happened? Here she is all around in front of us - dirty, pathetic and ugly. But didn’t we already guess that she was like that? And was that really the point? It is not great wisdom to pluck a star from the sky and illuminate with it the deformities of the earth. No, take on the dirty, difficult work of rebuilding your life. Then you will see whether it is easy to cleanse it of the dirt that has accumulated over centuries, whether it is possible to wash away this dirt with at least a whole sea of ​​the most radiant light. How much childish inexperience there is in this! How much misunderstanding of the conditions and laws of life! And so, instead of joy, you brought sorrow to earth, instead of peace, war. But you could, and now you can, be useful to life: break a star, take only a fragment from it, and this fragment will illuminate life just as much as is needed for fruitful and reasonable work on it.

Veresaev V

V. VERESAEV

This happened in ancient times, in a distant, unknown land. An eternal, black night reigned over the region. Rotten mists rose from the swampy land and hung in the air. People were born, grew up, loved and died in damp darkness. But sometimes the breath of the wind dispersed the heavy vapors of the earth. Then bright stars looked at people from the distant sky. A general holiday was approaching. People, sitting alone in dark, cellar-like dwellings, gathered in the square and sang hymns to Heaven. Fathers pointed out the stars to the children and taught that in striving for them, life and happiness of a person. Young men and girls eagerly peered into the sky and rushed to it with their souls from the darkness that oppressed the earth. The priests prayed to the stars. Poets sang of the stars. Scientists studied the paths of stars, their number and magnitude, and made an important discovery; it turned out that the stars are slowly but continuously approaching the earth. Ten thousand years ago - quite reliable sources said so - it was difficult to discern a smile on a child’s face in one and a half steps. Now everyone could easily distinguish her in three whole steps. There was no doubt that in a few million years the sky would shine with bright lights and the kingdom of eternal radiant light would come on earth. Everyone patiently waited for the blessed time and died with hope for it. Thus, for many years, people’s lives were quiet and serene, and they were warmed by a gentle faith in the distant stars.

One day the stars in the sky were shining especially brightly. People crowded into the square and in silent reverence their souls ascended to the eternal light. Suddenly a voice came from the crowd:

Brothers! How light and wonderful it is there in the high heavenly plains! It’s so damp and gloomy here! My soul languishes, it has no life and no will in eternal darkness. What if, millions of years from now, the lives of our distant descendants will be illuminated with an everlasting light? We, we need this light. We need more air and food, more mother and lover. Who knows - maybe there is a path to the stars. Perhaps we are able to pluck them from the sky and plant them here, among us, for the joy of the whole earth! Let's go look for ways, let's go look for light for life!

There was silence in the meeting. People asked each other in a whisper:

Who is this?

This is Adeel, a reckless and rebellious young man.

There was silence again. And old Tsur, the teacher of the smart, the light of science, spoke.

Dear young man! We all understand your sadness. Who hasn't had it in their time? But it is impossible for a person to pluck a star from the sky. The edge of the earth ends in deep chasms and abysses. Behind them are steep cliffs. And through them there is no way to the stars. This is what experience and wisdom say.

And Adeel answered:

It is not to you, wise ones, that I am addressing. Your experience covers your eyes like thorns and your wisdom blinds you. I appeal to you, young and brave at heart, to you who have not yet been crushed by the decrepit wisdom of old age! - And he waited for an answer.

Some said:

We'd love to go. But we are light and joy in the eyes of our parents and cannot cause them sorrow.

Others said:

We'd love to go. But we have just started building our houses, and we need to finish them.

Still others said:

Hello, Adele! We are coming with you!

And many young men and women stood up. And they went after Adeil. We went into the dark, menacing distance. And darkness swallowed them up.

A lot of time has passed. There was no news of those who had left. Mothers mourned their recklessly lost children, and life went on as before. Again, in damp and dark darkness, people were born, grew up, loved and died with the quiet hope that after thousands of centuries light would descend on the earth. But then one day, above the dark edge of the earth, the sky was faintly illuminated by a flickering, quivering light. People crowded the square and asked in surprise:

What's that there?

The sky became brighter every hour. Blue rays slid through the fogs, pierced the clouds, and flooded the heavenly plains with broad light. Gloomy clouds swirled in fear, pushed and ran into the distance. The triumphant rays spread ever brighter across the sky. And a thrill of unprecedented joy ran through the earth. The old priest Satzoi peered intently into the distance. And he said thoughtfully:

Such light can only come from an eternal celestial star.

And Tsur, the teacher of the intelligent, the light of science, objected:

But how could a star come down to earth? There is no way for us to reach the stars and no way for the stars to reach us.

And the sky glowed brighter. And suddenly a blindingly bright point flashed over the edge of the earth - a Star! A star is coming! And people ran towards him in wild joy. The rays, bright as day, drove the rotten mists before them. Torn, disheveled fogs rushed and clung to the ground. And the rays hit them, tore them to pieces and drove them into the ground. The distance of the earth was illuminated and cleansed. People saw how wide this distance was, how much free space there was on earth and how many of their brothers lived in all directions from them. And in wild joy they ran towards the light. Adele walked along the road with a quiet step and held high by the ray a star torn from the sky. He was alone.

Asked him:

Everyone died. They paved the way to heaven through gaps and abysses. And they died the death of the brave.

Jubilant crowds surrounded the star-bearer. The girls showered him with flowers. Shouts of delight thundered:

Glory to Adele! Glory to the one who brought light!

He entered the city and stopped in the square and held a shining star high in his hand. And rejoicing spread throughout the city.

Days have passed. The star still shone brightly in the square, held high in Adeel’s hand. But for a long time there was no rejoicing in the city. People walked around angry and gloomy, with downcast eyes, and tried not to look at each other. When they had to walk through the square, their eyes lit up with gloomy enmity at the sight of Adela. No songs could be heard. No prayers were heard. In place of the rotten fogs dispersed by the star, a black, gloomy malice thickened with an invisible fog over the city. It thickened, grew and became tense. And it was impossible to live under her oppression. And then a man ran out into the square screaming. His eyes burned, his face was distorted with soul-tearing anger. In the madness of rage he screamed,

Down with the star! Down with the damned star-bearer! Brothers, aren’t the souls of all of you screaming through my lips: down with the star, down with the light - it has deprived us of life and joy! We lived peacefully in darkness; we loved our sweet homes, our quiet life. And look - what happened? The light has come - and there is no joy in anything. The houses are crowded into dirty, ugly heaps. The leaves of the trees are pale and slimy, like the skin on the belly of a frog. Look at the ground - it is all covered with bloody mud. Where does this blood come from, who knows? But it sticks to our hands, its smell haunts us when we eat and in our sleep, it poisons and weakens our humble prayers to the stars. And nowhere is there any escape from the daring, all-penetrating light. He breaks into our houses, and here we see: they are all covered in dirt, the dirt has eaten into the walls, covered the windows in stinking heaps, and is piled up in the corners. We can no longer kiss our beloved in the light of the Adeil star, they have become more disgusting than grave worms. Their eyes are as pale as woodlice, their soft bodies are covered with spots and have a moldy cast. And we can no longer look at each other - we see not a person in front of us, but a desecration of a person. Our every secret step, every hidden movement is illuminated by an inexorable light. It's impossible to live! Down with the star-bearer, let the light perish!

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Veresaev V
Star

V. VERESAEV

This happened in ancient times, in a distant, unknown land. An eternal, black night reigned over the region. Rotten mists rose from the swampy land and hung in the air. People were born, grew up, loved and died in damp darkness. But sometimes the breath of the wind dispersed the heavy vapors of the earth. Then bright stars looked at people from the distant sky. A general holiday was approaching. People, sitting alone in dark, cellar-like dwellings, gathered in the square and sang hymns to Heaven. Fathers pointed out the stars to the children and taught that in striving for them, life and happiness of a person. Young men and girls eagerly peered into the sky and rushed to it with their souls from the darkness that oppressed the earth. The priests prayed to the stars. Poets sang of the stars. Scientists studied the paths of stars, their number and magnitude, and made an important discovery; it turned out that the stars are slowly but continuously approaching the earth. Ten thousand years ago - quite reliable sources said so - it was difficult to discern a smile on a child’s face in one and a half steps. Now everyone could easily distinguish her in three whole steps. There was no doubt that in a few million years the sky would shine with bright lights and the kingdom of eternal radiant light would come on earth. Everyone patiently waited for the blessed time and died with hope for it. Thus, for many years, people’s lives were quiet and serene, and they were warmed by a gentle faith in the distant stars.

One day the stars in the sky were shining especially brightly. People crowded into the square and in silent reverence their souls ascended to the eternal light. Suddenly a voice came from the crowd:

- Brothers! How light and wonderful it is there in the high heavenly plains! It’s so damp and gloomy here! My soul languishes, it has no life and no will in eternal darkness. What if, millions of years from now, the lives of our distant descendants will be illuminated with an everlasting light? We, we need this light. We need more air and food, more mother and lover. Who knows - maybe there is a path to the stars. Perhaps we are able to pluck them from the sky and plant them here, among us, for the joy of the whole earth! Let's go look for ways, let's go look for light for life!

There was silence in the meeting. People asked each other in a whisper:

- Who is this?

“This is Adeel, a reckless and rebellious young man.

There was silence again. And old Tsur, the teacher of the smart, the light of science, spoke.

- Dear young man! We all understand your sadness. Who hasn't had it in their time? But it is impossible for a person to pluck a star from the sky. The edge of the earth ends in deep chasms and abysses. Behind them are steep cliffs. And there is no way to the stars through them. This is what experience and wisdom say.

And Adeel answered:

“It is not to you, wise ones, that I am addressing. Your experience covers your eyes like thorns and your wisdom blinds you. I appeal to you, young and brave at heart, to you who have not yet been crushed by the decrepit wisdom of old age! - And he waited for an answer.

Some said:

- We'd love to go. But we are light and joy in the eyes of our parents and cannot cause them sorrow.

Others said:

- We'd love to go. But we have just started building our houses, and we need to finish them.

Still others said:

- Hello, Adeil! We are coming with you!

And many young men and women stood up. And they went after Adeil. We went into the dark, menacing distance. And darkness swallowed them up.

A lot of time has passed. There was no news of those who had left. Mothers mourned their recklessly lost children, and life went on as before. Again, in damp and dark darkness, people were born, grew up, loved and died with the quiet hope that after thousands of centuries light would descend on the earth. But then one day, above the dark edge of the earth, the sky was faintly illuminated by a flickering, quivering light. People crowded the square and asked in surprise:

-What is that there?

The sky became brighter every hour. Blue rays slid through the fogs, pierced the clouds, and flooded the heavenly plains with broad light. Gloomy clouds swirled in fear, pushed and ran into the distance. The triumphant rays spread ever brighter across the sky. And a thrill of unprecedented joy ran through the earth. The old priest Satzoi peered intently into the distance. And he said thoughtfully:

– Such light can only come from an eternal celestial star.

And Tsur, the teacher of the intelligent, the light of science, objected:

- But how could a star come down to earth? There is no way for us to reach the stars and no way for the stars to reach us.

And the sky glowed brighter. And suddenly a blindingly bright point flashed over the edge of the earth - a Star! A star is coming! And people ran towards him in wild joy. The rays, bright as day, drove the rotten mists before them. Torn, disheveled fogs rushed and clung to the ground. And the rays hit them, tore them to pieces and drove them into the ground. The distance of the earth was illuminated and cleansed. People saw how wide this distance was, how much free space there was on earth and how many of their brothers lived in all directions from them. And in wild joy they ran towards the light. Adele walked along the road with a quiet step and held high by the ray a star torn from the sky. He was alone.

Asked him:

- Everyone died. They paved the way to heaven through gaps and abysses. And they died the death of the brave.

Jubilant crowds surrounded the star-bearer. The girls showered him with flowers. Shouts of delight thundered:

- Glory to Adele! Glory to the one who brought light!

He entered the city and stopped in the square and held a shining star high in his hand. And rejoicing spread throughout the city.

Days have passed. The star still shone brightly in the square, held high in Adeel’s hand. But for a long time there was no rejoicing in the city. People walked around angry and gloomy, with downcast eyes, and tried not to look at each other. When they had to walk through the square, their eyes lit up with gloomy enmity at the sight of Adela. No songs could be heard. No prayers were heard. In place of the rotten fogs dispersed by the star, a black, gloomy malice thickened with an invisible fog over the city. It thickened, grew and became tense. And it was impossible to live under her oppression. And then a man ran out into the square screaming. His eyes burned, his face was distorted with soul-tearing anger. In the madness of rage he screamed,

- Down with the star! Down with the damned star-bearer! Brothers, aren’t the souls of all of you screaming through my lips: down with the star, down with the light - it has deprived us of life and joy! We lived peacefully in the darkness; we loved our sweet homes, our quiet life. And look - what happened? The light has come - and there is no joy in anything. The houses are crowded into dirty, ugly heaps. The leaves of the trees are pale and slimy, like the skin on the belly of a frog. Look at the ground - it is all covered with bloody mud. Where does this blood come from, who knows? But it sticks to our hands, its smell haunts us when we eat and in our sleep, it poisons and weakens our humble prayers to the stars. And nowhere is there any escape from the daring, all-penetrating light. He breaks into our houses, and here we see: they are all covered in dirt, the dirt has eaten into the walls, covered the windows in stinking heaps, and is piled up in the corners. We can no longer kiss our beloved in the light of the Adeil star, they have become more disgusting than grave worms. Their eyes are as pale as woodlice, their soft bodies are covered with spots and have a moldy cast. And we can no longer look at each other - we see not a person in front of us, but a desecration of a person. Our every secret step, every hidden movement is illuminated by an inexorable light. It's impossible to live! Down with the star-bearer, let the light perish!

And others chimed in:

- Down! Let the darkness live! Only grief and damnation bring starlight to people. Death to the star-bearer!

And the crowd became agitated, and with a furious roar they tried to intoxicate themselves, to drown out the horror of their blasphemy against the world. And she moved towards Adeel. But the star in the star-bearer’s hand shone deadly brightly, and people could not approach him.

- Brothers, stop! – the voice of the old priest Satzoy suddenly rang out. You take a grave sin upon your soul, cursing the light. What did we pray for, what do we live for, if not by light? But you, my son,” he turned to Adeil, “and you committed no less a sin, bringing the star to earth.” True, the great Brahma said: Blessed is he who strives for the stars. But people, daring in their wisdom, misunderstood the word of the World-Honored One. The disciples of his disciples explained the true meaning of the dark word of the All-Wise: a person should strive for the stars only with his thoughts, and on earth darkness is as sacred as light in heaven. And it was this truth that you despised with your ascended mind. Repent, my son, throw away the star, and let the former darkness reign on the earth.

Adele grinned.

– Do you think that if I quit, the world on earth will not perish forever?

And with horror people sensed that Adel had spoken the truth, that the old world would never be reborn. Then old Tsur, the teacher of the intelligent, the light of science, stepped forward.

“You acted recklessly, Adeiel, and now you yourself see the fruits of your recklessness.” According to the laws of nature, life develops slowly. And distant stars are slowly approaching life. With their gradually approaching light, life is gradually rebuilt. But you didn't want to wait. At your own risk, you tore a star from the sky and brightly illuminated life. What happened? Here she is all around in front of us - dirty, pathetic and ugly. But didn’t we already guess that she was like that? And was that really the point? It is little wisdom to pluck a star from the sky and illuminate with it the ugliness of life. No, take on the difficult, dirty work of rebuilding your life. Then you will see whether it is easy to cleanse it of the dirt that has accumulated over centuries, whether it is possible to wash away this dirt with at least a whole sea of ​​the most radiant light. How much childish inexperience there is in this! How much misunderstanding of the conditions and laws of life! And so, instead of joy, you brought sorrow to earth, instead of peace, war. And you could even now be useful to life - break a star, take only a small fragment from it - and this fragment will illuminate life just enough for fruitful and reasonable work on it.

And Adeel answered:

– You said it right Tsur! It was not joy that the star brought here, but sorrow, not peace but war! This was not what I was expecting when I was climbing steep rocks towards the stars, when around me my comrades were breaking off and falling into the abyss. I thought at least one of us would reach the goal and bring a star to earth. And in bright light a bright, bright life will come on earth. But when I stood in the square, when I saw our life in the light of a heavenly star, I realized that my dreams were crazy. I realized that you only need light in the unattainable sky in order to bow before it in the solemn moments of life. On earth, what is dearest to you is darkness, to hide from each other, and most importantly, to rejoice in your mold-eaten life. But even more than before, I felt that it was impossible to live this life. With every drop of its bloody dirt, with every spot of damp mold, it silently cries out to the sky. However, I can console you: my star will not shine for long. There, in the distant sky, the stars hang and shine by themselves. But a star, plucked from the sky and brought to Earth, can only shine by feeding on the blood of the one holding it. I feel my life as if it were rising through my body through a lamp to a star and burning in it. A little more and my life will burn completely. And you cannot give the star to anyone, it goes out along with the life of the one who carries it, and everyone must get a star in the sky. And I turn to you, honest and brave in heart. Once you know the light, you will no longer want to live in darkness. Go on a long journey and bring new stars here. The path is long and difficult, but still it will be easier for you than for us, who died on it for the first time. The paths have been laid, the paths have been outlined, and you will return with the stars, and their light will never dry up on earth. And with their undimming light, such a life as it is now will become impossible. The swamps will dry up. The black fogs will disappear. The trees will turn bright green. And those who are now throwing themselves at the star in rage will, willy-nilly, take up the reconstruction of life. After all, all their anger now comes from the fact that in the light they feel that it is impossible for them to live the way they live. And life will become great and pure. And she will be beautiful in the radiant light of the stars fed by our blood. And when the starry sky finally comes down to us and illuminates life, it will find people worthy of light. And then our blood will no longer be needed to feed this eternal, imperishable light.

Black darkness rushed in from all sides and closed over the extinguished star. Living mists rose from the ground and swirled in the air. And through them, distant, powerless and harmless stars shone like pitiful timid lights in the distant sky.

Years have passed.

As before, people were born, grew up, loved and died in the damp darkness. Life still seemed peaceful and calm. But deep anxiety and dissatisfaction gnawed at her in the darkness. People tried and could not forget what the bright star illuminated for them with its fleeting light.

The former quiet joys were poisoned. Lies have become ingrained in everything. A man reverently prayed to a distant star and began to think: “What if another madman comes along and brings the star here to us?” The tongue became tongue-tied, and the reverent soaring gave way to a cowardly trembling. The father taught his son that a person’s life and happiness lie in the pursuit of the stars. And suddenly the thought flashed: “Well, how will the desire for starlight really ignite in the son, and like Adele he will follow the star and bring it to earth!” And the father hastened to explain to his son that the light, of course, is good, but it is crazy to try to bring it down to earth. There were such madmen and they died ingloriously, without bringing any benefit to life.

The priests taught this to people. Scientists have proven this. But their sermons sounded in vain. Every now and then the news spread that a certain young man or girl had left their native nest. Where? Isn't it along the path indicated by Adeil? And people felt with horror that if the light shone on earth again, then, willy-nilly, they would finally have to take on enormous work, and it would be impossible to move away from it anywhere.

With vague anxiety they peered into the black distance. And it seemed to them that the trembling light of the approaching stars was already beginning to flicker over the edge of the earth.

“This happened in ancient times, in a distant, unknown land. An eternal, black night reigned over the region. Rotten fogs rose from the swampy land and hung in the air. People were born, grew up, loved and died in damp darkness..."

This happened in ancient times, in a distant, unknown land.

An eternal, black night reigned over the region. Rotten fogs rose from the swampy land and hung in the air. People were born, grew up, loved and died in damp darkness.

But sometimes the breath of the wind dispersed the heavy vapors of the earth. Then bright stars looked at people from the distant sky. A general holiday was approaching. People, sitting alone in dwellings as dark as a cellar, gathered in the square and sang hymns to the sky. Fathers pointed their children to the stars and taught that in the pursuit of them lies the life and happiness of a person. Young men and girls eagerly peered into the sky and rushed to it with their souls from the darkness that oppressed the earth. The priests prayed to the stars. Poets sang of the stars. Scientists studied the paths of stars, their number, size, and made an important discovery: it turned out that the stars were slowly but continuously approaching the earth. Ten thousand years ago - quite reliable sources said so - it was difficult to discern a smile on a child’s face in one and a half steps. Now everyone could easily distinguish her in three whole steps. There was no doubt that in a few million years the sky would shine with bright lights, and the kingdom of eternal radiant light would come on earth. Everyone patiently waited for the blessed time and died with hope for it.

So for many years people’s lives went on, quiet and serene, and they were warmed by a gentle faith in the distant stars.

One day the stars in the sky were shining especially brightly. People crowded into the square and in silent reverence their souls ascended to the eternal light.

- Brothers! How light and wonderful it is there, in the high heavenly plains! It’s so damp and gloomy here! My soul languishes, it has no life and no will in eternal darkness. What if, millions of years from now, the lives of our distant descendants will be illuminated with an everlasting light? We, we need this light. We need more air and food, more mother and lover. Who knows, maybe there is a path to the stars. Perhaps we are able to pluck them from the sky and plant them here, among us, for the joy of the whole earth. Let's go look for ways, let's go look for light for life!

There was silence in the meeting. People asked each other in a whisper:

- Who is this?

“This is Adeel, a reckless and rebellious young man.

There was silence again. And old Tsur, the teacher of the smart, the light of science, spoke:

- Dear young man! We all understand your sadness. Who hasn't had it in their time? But it is impossible for a person to pluck a star from the sky. The edge of the earth ends in deep chasms and abysses. Behind them are steep cliffs. And there is no way to the stars through them. This is what experience and wisdom say.

And Adeel answered:

“It is not to you, wise ones, that I am addressing. Your experience covers your eyes like thorns, and your wisdom blinds you. I appeal to you, young and brave at heart, to you who have not yet been crushed by the decrepit wisdom of old age!

And he waited for an answer.

Some said:

- We'd love to go. But we are light and joy in the eyes of our parents and cannot cause them sorrow.

Others said:

- We'd love to go. But we have just started building our houses, and we need to finish them.

Still others said:

- Hello, Adeil! We are coming with you!

And many young men and women stood up. And they went after Adeel. We went into the dark, menacing distance. And darkness swallowed them up.

A lot of time has passed.

There was no news of those who had left. Mothers mourned their recklessly lost children, and life went on as before. Again, in the damp darkness, people were born, grew up, loved and died with the quiet hope that after thousands of centuries light would descend to the earth.

End of introductory fragment.

"Star"

This happened in ancient times, in a distant, unknown land. An eternal, black night reigned over the region. Rotten mists rose from the swampy land and hung in the air. People were born, grew up, loved and died in damp darkness. But sometimes the breath of the wind dispersed the heavy vapors of the earth. Then bright stars looked at people from the distant sky.

A general holiday was approaching. People, sitting alone in dark, cellar-like dwellings, gathered in the square and sang hymns to Heaven. Fathers pointed out the stars to the children and taught that in striving for them, life and happiness of a person. Young men and girls eagerly peered into the sky and rushed to it with their souls from the darkness that oppressed the earth. The priests prayed to the stars. Poets sang of the stars. Scientists studied the paths of stars, their number and magnitude, and made an important discovery; it turned out that the stars are slowly but continuously approaching the earth. Ten thousand years ago - quite reliable sources said so - it was difficult to discern a smile on a child’s face in one and a half steps. Now everyone could easily distinguish her in three whole steps. There was no doubt that in a few million years the sky would shine with bright lights and the kingdom of eternal radiant light would come on earth. Everyone patiently waited for the blessed time and died with hope for it. Thus, for many years, people’s lives were quiet and serene, and they were warmed by gentle faith in distant stars. One day the stars in the sky burned especially brightly. People crowded into the square and in silent reverence their souls ascended to the eternal light.

Brothers! How light and wonderful it is there in the high heavenly plains! It’s so damp and gloomy here! My soul languishes, it has no life and no will in eternal darkness. What if, millions of years from now, the lives of our distant descendants will be illuminated with an everlasting light? We, we need this light.

We need more air and food, more mother and lover. Who knows

Perhaps there is a path to the stars. Perhaps we are able to pluck them from the sky and plant them here, among us, for the joy of the whole earth! Let's go look for ways, let's go look for light for life!

There was silence in the meeting. People asked each other in a whisper:

Who is this?

This is Adeel, a reckless and rebellious young man.

There was silence again. And old Tsur, the teacher of the smart, the light of science, spoke.

Dear young man! We all understand your sadness. Who hasn't had it in their time? But it is impossible for a person to pluck a star from the sky. The edge of the earth ends in deep chasms and abysses. Behind them are steep cliffs. And through them there is no way to the stars. This is what experience and wisdom say.

And Adeel answered:

It is not to you, wise ones, that I am addressing. Your experience covers your eyes like thorns and your wisdom blinds you. I appeal to you, young and brave at heart, to you who have not yet been crushed by the decrepit wisdom of old age! - And he waited for an answer.

Some said:

We'd love to go. But we are light and joy in the eyes of our parents and cannot cause them sorrow.

Others said:

We'd love to go. But we have just started building our houses, and we need to finish them.

Still others said:

Hello, Adele! We are coming with you!

And many young men and women stood up. And they went after Adeil. We went into the dark, menacing distance. And darkness swallowed them up.

A lot of time has passed. There was no news of those who had left. Mothers mourned their recklessly lost children, and life went on as before. Again, in damp and dark darkness, people were born, grew up, loved and died with the quiet hope that after thousands of centuries light would descend on the earth. But then one day, above the dark edge of the earth, the sky was faintly illuminated by a flickering, quivering light. People crowded the square and asked in surprise:

What's that there?

The sky became brighter every hour. Blue rays slid through the fogs, pierced the clouds, and flooded the heavenly plains with broad light.

Gloomy clouds swirled in fear, pushed and ran into the distance. The triumphant rays spread ever brighter across the sky. And a thrill of unprecedented joy ran through the earth. The old priest Satzoi peered intently into the distance.

And he said thoughtfully:

Such light can only come from an eternal celestial star.

And Tsur, the teacher of the intelligent, the light of science, objected:

But how could a star come down to earth? There is no way for us to reach the stars and no way for the stars to reach us.

And the sky glowed brighter. And suddenly a blindingly bright point flashed over the edge of the earth - a Star! A star is coming! And people ran towards him in wild joy. The rays, bright as day, drove the rotten mists before them. Torn, disheveled fogs rushed and clung to the ground. And the rays hit them, tore them to pieces and drove them into the ground. The distance of the earth was illuminated and cleansed. People saw how wide this distance was, how much free space there was on earth and how many of their brothers lived in all directions from them. And in wild joy they ran towards the light. Adele walked along the road with a quiet step and held high by the ray a star torn from the sky. He was alone.

Asked him:

Everyone died. They paved the way to heaven through gaps and abysses. And they died the death of the brave.

Jubilant crowds surrounded the star-bearer. The girls showered him with flowers.

Shouts of delight thundered:

Glory to Adele! Glory to the one who brought light!

He entered the city and stopped in the square and held a shining star high in his hand. And rejoicing spread throughout the city.

Days have passed. The star still shone brightly in the square, held high in Adeel’s hand. But for a long time there was no rejoicing in the city.

People walked around angry and gloomy, with downcast eyes, and tried not to look at each other. When they had to walk through the square, their eyes lit up with gloomy enmity at the sight of Adela. No songs could be heard. No prayers were heard. In place of the rotten fogs dispersed by the star, a black, gloomy malice thickened with an invisible fog over the city. It thickened, grew and became tense. And it was impossible to live under her oppression. And then a man ran out into the square screaming. His eyes burned, his face was distorted with soul-tearing anger. In the madness of rage he screamed,

Down with the star! Down with the damned star-bearer! Brothers, aren’t the souls of all of you screaming through my lips: down with the star, down with the light - it has deprived us of life and joy! We lived peacefully in darkness; we loved our sweet homes, our quiet life. And look - what happened? The light has come - and there is no joy in anything. The houses are crowded into dirty, ugly heaps.

The leaves of the trees are pale and slimy, like the skin on the belly of a frog.

Look at the ground - it is all covered with bloody mud. Where does this blood come from, who knows? But it sticks to our hands, its smell haunts us when we eat and in our sleep, it poisons and weakens our humble prayers to the stars. And nowhere is there any escape from the daring, all-penetrating light. He breaks into our houses, and here we see: they are all covered in dirt, the dirt has eaten into the walls, covered the windows in stinking heaps, and is piled up in the corners. We can no longer kiss our beloved in the light of the Adeil star, they have become more disgusting than grave worms. Their eyes are as pale as woodlice, their soft bodies are covered with spots and have a moldy cast. And we can no longer look at each other - we see not a person in front of us, but a desecration of a person. Our every secret step, every hidden movement is illuminated by an inexorable light.

It's impossible to live! Down with the star-bearer, let the light perish!

And others chimed in:

Down with! Let the darkness live! Only grief and damnation bring starlight to people. Death to the star-bearer!

And the crowd became agitated, and with a furious roar they tried to intoxicate themselves, to drown out the horror of their blasphemy against the world. And she moved towards Adeel. But the star in the star-bearer’s hand shone deadly brightly, and people could not approach him.

You take a grave sin upon your soul, cursing the light. What did we pray for, what do we live for, if not by light? But you too, my son,” he turned to Adeil,

And you committed no less a sin by bringing the star down to earth. True, the great Brahma said: Blessed is he who strives for the stars. But people, daring in their wisdom, misunderstood the word of the World-Honored One.

The disciples of his disciples explained the true meaning of the dark word of the All-Wise: a person should strive for the stars only with his thoughts, and on earth darkness is as sacred as light in heaven. And it was this truth that you despised with your ascended mind. Repent, my son, throw away the star, and let the former darkness reign on the earth.

Adele grinned.

Do you think that if I quit, the world on earth will not perish forever?

And with horror people sensed that Adel had spoken the truth, that the old world would never be reborn. Then old Tsur, the teacher of the intelligent, the light of science, stepped forward.

You acted recklessly, Adel, and now you yourself see the fruits of your recklessness. According to the laws of nature, life develops slowly. And distant stars are slowly approaching life. With their gradually approaching light, life is gradually rebuilt. But you didn't want to wait. At your own risk, you tore a star from the sky and brightly illuminated life. What happened? Here she is all around in front of us - dirty, pathetic and ugly. But didn’t we already guess that she was like that? And was that really the point? It is little wisdom to pluck a star from the sky and illuminate with it the ugliness of life. No, take on the difficult, dirty work of rebuilding your life. Then you will see whether it is easy to cleanse it of the dirt that has accumulated over centuries, whether it is possible to wash away this dirt with at least a whole sea of ​​the most radiant light. How much childish inexperience there is in this! How much misunderstanding of the conditions and laws of life! And so, instead of joy, you brought sorrow to earth, instead of peace, war. And you could even now be useful to life - break a star, take only a small fragment from it - and this fragment will illuminate life just enough for fruitful and reasonable work on it.

And Adeel answered:

You said it right Tsur! It was not joy that the star brought here, but sorrow, not peace but war! This was not what I was expecting when I was climbing steep rocks towards the stars, when around me my comrades were breaking off and falling into the abyss. I thought at least one of us would reach the goal and bring a star to earth. And in bright light a bright, bright life will come on earth. But when I stood in the square, when I saw our life in the light of a heavenly star, I realized that my dreams were crazy. I realized that you only need light in the unattainable sky in order to bow before it in the solemn moments of life. On earth, what is dearest to you is darkness, to hide from each other, and most importantly, to rejoice in your mold-eaten life. But even more than before, I felt that it was impossible to live this life. With every drop of its bloody dirt, with every spot of damp mold, it silently cries out to the sky. However, I can console you: my star will not shine for long. There, in the distant sky, the stars hang and shine by themselves. But a star, plucked from the sky and brought to Earth, can only shine by feeding on the blood of the one holding it. I feel my life as if it were rising through my body through a lamp to a star and burning in it. A little more and my life will burn completely. And you cannot give the star to anyone, it goes out along with the life of the one who carries it, and everyone must get a star in the sky. And I turn to you, honest and brave in heart. Once you know the light, you will no longer want to live in darkness. Go on a long journey and bring new stars here. The path is long and difficult, but still it will be easier for you than for us, who died on it for the first time. The paths have been laid, the paths have been marked, and you will return with the stars, and their light will never dry up on earth. And with their unfading light, such a life as it is now will become impossible.

The swamps will dry up. The black fogs will disappear. The trees will turn bright green. And those who are now throwing themselves at the star in rage will, willy-nilly, take up the reconstruction of life. After all, all their anger now comes from the fact that in the light they feel that it is impossible for them to live the way they live. And life will become great and pure. And she will be beautiful in the radiant light of the stars fed by our blood. And when the starry sky finally comes down to us and illuminates life, it will find people worthy of light. And then our blood will no longer be needed to feed this eternal, imperishable light.

The star-bearer's knees buckled and he fell. A star fell with him. It fell, hissed in the bloody mud and went out.

Black darkness rushed in from all sides and closed over the extinguished star. Living mists rose from the ground and swirled in the air. And through them, distant, powerless and harmless stars shone like pitiful timid lights in the distant sky.

Years have passed.

As before, people were born, grew up, loved and died in the damp darkness.

Life still seemed peaceful and calm. But deep anxiety and dissatisfaction gnawed at her in the darkness. People tried and could not forget what the bright star illuminated for them with its fleeting light.

The former quiet joys were poisoned. Lies have become ingrained in everything.

A man reverently prayed to a distant star and began to think: “What if another madman comes along and brings the star here to us?” The tongue became tongue-tied, and the reverent soaring gave way to a cowardly trembling. The father taught his son that a person’s life and happiness lie in the pursuit of the stars. And suddenly the thought flashed: “Well, how will the desire for starlight really ignite in the son, and like Adele he will follow the star and bring it to earth!” And the father hastened to explain to his son that the light, of course, is good, but it is crazy to try to bring it down to earth. There were such madmen and they died ingloriously, without bringing any benefit to life.

The priests taught this to people. Scientists have proven this. But their sermons sounded in vain. Every now and then the news spread that a certain young man or girl had left their native nest. Where? Isn't it along the path indicated by Adeil? And people felt with horror that if the light shone on earth again, then, willy-nilly, they would finally have to take on enormous work, and it would be impossible to move away from it anywhere.

With vague anxiety they peered into the black distance. And it seemed to them that the trembling light of the approaching stars was already beginning to flicker over the edge of the earth.

See also Vikenty Veresaev - Prose (stories, poems, novels...):

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