The Priest with the Envious Eyes

Name: The Priest with the Envious Eyes
Author: Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev

A priest, living in poverty, decides to leave his parish after becoming disillusioned. He meets an unknown man who becomes his companion. They share a meal, and the priest, envious of the man's wafers, secretly eats them while the man sleeps. They arrive at a kingdom where the Tsar's daughter is dying, and the Tsar promises riches to anyone who can cure her. The priest and the man pose as doctors, successfully reviving the princess through a magical process involving cutting her into pieces and reassembling her. The priest, driven by greed, hoards the gold offered by the Tsar, while the old man suggests they bury the money and continue their healing journey. They reach another kingdom with a similar situation, but the priest, tempted by envy, attempts to cure the princess alone. He fails miserably, leading to his impending execution. Desperate, he seeks the old man's help, who agrees to assist but questions the priest about the stolen wafers. Despite the priest's denials, the old man revives the princess again, and they are rewarded with gold. When dividing the money, the old man insists on including a share for the thief who ate the wafers, revealing the priest's guilt. The priest confesses and is granted all the wealth, but the old man admonishes him to serve his parish faithfully and not to be greedy. The old man then disappears, leaving the priest to reflect on his actions.

By Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev · First published 1838 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fable, Fantasy · 1,742 words

First lines

There was once a priest who lived in the parish of St. Nicholas. He served St. Nicholas for some years, and all his earnings were that he had neither house nor home, nor a roof over his head. So our good priest got together all his keys, and seeing the icon of St. Nicholas, struck it down, and left his parish to go whithersoever his eyes should guide him. And he went roaming on his way.

Suddenly an unknown man met him. "How do you do, good man? " he said to the pope.22 "Whither are you going? and whence do you come? " "Take me with you as a companion. " So they went off together. They went on some versts, and became tired. It was time to rest.

What this Textopian page supports

The Priest with the Envious Eyes is listed on Textopian as a short story by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev, dated 1838 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev
Date: 1838 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fairy Tale, Fable, Fantasy, Folklore, Adventure
Length: 1,742 words
Structure: 1 section, 39 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Fairy Tale — The narrative features magical elements, moral lessons, and a structure typical of fairy tales.
Fable — The story conveys a moral lesson about envy and honesty, characteristic of fables.
Fantasy — The presence of magical healing and supernatural events aligns with fantasy genre conventions.
Folklore — The story reflects cultural traditions and oral storytelling elements common in folklore.