LEV TOLSTOY SHORT STORY 9 Đây là một tác phẩm anh ngữ nổi tiếng với những từ vựng nâng cao chuyên ngành văn chương. Nhằm giúp các bạn yêu thich tiếng anh luyện tập và củng cố thêm kỹ năng đọc tiếng anh . | LEV TOLSTOY SHORT STORY Evil Allures But God Endures 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 humour 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 humouring 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 .
