Shemyák the Judge
by Alexander Afanasyev
Shemyák the Judge Once in a certain country, in a certain kingdom, there lived two brothers; one was rich and the other poor. One day the poor brother came to the rich and asked him for a horse to fetch wood out of the forest. The rich man lent him a horse. Then the poor man also asked him for a horse-collar: this the rich brother refused, and became angry. Then the poor man decided to tie the wood to the horse’s tail. And so he drove into the wood. He cut down so much wood that the horse could hardly drag it. When he got home he opened the door, but he forgot to remove the cross-beam. The horse jumped over it, but wrenched his tail out. The poor brother brought the rich man the horse back without a tail. When he saw the animal in this condition, he would not take it; but went with the poor man before Judge Shemyák. The poor man went with his brother, and surmised he would fare very badly, for the sentence would be exile; the poor man is a butt for all, as he cannot give anything. The brothers came to a rich peasant and asked for a night’s lodging. The peasant gave the rich man good food and drink, but the poor man nothing. The poor man lay on the oven and saw how merry the other two were making; and fell down and killed the child in the cradle. Then the peasant decided to go with the brothers, to bring a further indictment against the poor man. They went off together, the peasant and the rich brother in front, and the poor man after them. Then they crossed a bridge: the poor man considered that he would hardly escape the Court with his life; so he jumped over the bridge, in order to commit suicide. But, under the bridge, a son was bathing his sick father, and the poor man fell plump on the old man and drowned him. Then the son also went up to the Court in order to bring a plaint against the poor man. The rich man put in a plea to the Court that his poor brother had torn off the horse’s tail. In the meantime the poor man had wrapped a stone in a cloth and was threatening the judge with it behind the brother’s back, for he was thinking, “If the judge goes against me, I will kill him.” The judge believed that the poor man was offering him a hundred roubles so as to prove his case, and he gave judgment that the rich man must leave the horse in the poor peasant’s possession until the tail grew again. Then the peasant came and complained that the poor man had killed his son. Once again the poor man lifted up the same stone in a menacing way against the judge, behind the peasant’s back. And the judge this time felt perfectly sure of getting a hundred roubles more for the judgment. And he commanded the peasant to give his wife to the poor peasant until another son was born. “Then you can take your wife and the child back.” This time it was the son’s turn. And he brought in a plea that the poor man had murdered his father. Once again the poor man took the stone out of his pocket and showed it to the judge. Then the judge felt sure he would get altogether three hundred roubles in the case, and he commanded the son to go to the bridge, “and you, poor man, go there; stop under the bridge; and the son is to jump into the water plump on to you and to kill you.” Judge Shemyák sent his servant to the poor man to ask for the three hundred roubles. Then the poor man showed the servant the stone with which he had threatened the judge: “If the judge had not decided in my favour I should have killed him with this stone!” When the judge heard of this, he crossed himself piously and said: “Thank God I decided for the right party.” The poor brother went to the rich brother to fetch the horse from him in accordance with the judge’s decision, until the tail should grow again. The rich man did not want to give the horse, so he gave him instead five roubles, three quarters of corn, and a milch-goat; and made peace with him for all time. Then the poor man went to the peasant, and in accordance with the judgment, asked for the wife, in order that she might remain with him until another child came. Then the peasant made a compromise with the poor man, gave him fifty roubles, a cow and a calf, and a mare with a foal, and four quarters of corn, and settled matters with him. Then the poor man went to the son whose father he had killed, and read the judgment out to him, according to which the son was to jump on him from the bridge, so as to kill him. Then the son began to consider: “If I do jump, possibly I shall kill him, possibly I shall not; anyhow I shall be done for.” So he made terms with the poor man, gave him two hundred roubles and a horse, and five quarters of corn; and lived in peace with him for ever.
Moral of the Story
Justice can be swayed by perception and self-interest, sometimes leading to unexpected outcomes for the disadvantaged.
Characters
Shemyák the Judge ◆ supporting
None explicitly mentioned, likely a man of authority.
Attire: None explicitly mentioned, likely judicial robes or formal attire of the period.
Corruptible, easily swayed by perceived bribes, self-preserving.
The Poor Brother ★ protagonist
None explicitly mentioned, implied to be of humble means.
Attire: Simple, worn peasant clothing, likely patched and faded.
Resourceful, desperate, cunning, pragmatic.
The Rich Brother ⚔ antagonist
None explicitly mentioned, implied to be well-fed and cared for.
Attire: Finer, well-maintained clothing appropriate for a wealthy peasant or landowner.
Greedy, uncharitable, litigious.
The Rich Peasant ⚔ antagonist
None explicitly mentioned, implied to be prosperous.
Attire: Sturdy, good quality peasant attire.
Uncharitable, litigious, easily angered.
The Son (of the drowned father) ⚔ antagonist
None explicitly mentioned.
Attire: Simple, functional clothing, possibly wet from bathing his father.
Grieving, vengeful, pragmatic.
Locations
Forest
A wooded area where the poor brother cuts down so much wood that the horse can hardly drag it.
Mood: Laborious, challenging.
The poor brother acquires wood, leading to the horse's tail being torn off.
Rich Peasant's House
A house belonging to a rich peasant, featuring an oven where the poor man sleeps.
Mood: Unequal, tense, leading to an accidental tragedy.
The poor man accidentally kills the peasant's child while falling from the oven.
Bridge
A structure spanning a body of water, under which a son is bathing his sick father.
Mood: Desperate, leading to another accidental tragedy.
The poor man attempts suicide by jumping from the bridge, accidentally killing the sick father below.
Judge Shemyák's Court
The official setting where Judge Shemyák presides over cases, with petitioners presenting their complaints.
Mood: Formal, intimidating, but ultimately manipulated by the poor man's perceived threats.
All three cases are heard and decided here, with the poor man's 'threats' influencing the judge's rulings.
Story DNA
Moral
Justice can be swayed by perception and self-interest, sometimes leading to unexpected outcomes for the disadvantaged.
Plot Summary
A poor man, after accidentally ripping off his rich brother's horse's tail, inadvertently kills a child and an old man in subsequent misfortunes. Facing three severe charges before Judge Shemyák, the poor man repeatedly threatens the judge with a stone, which the judge misinterprets as a bribe. Believing he's being paid, the judge delivers three absurd judgments that heavily favor the poor man. Upon discovering the truth, the judge is relieved he ruled 'correctly,' while the poor man leverages these rulings to extort significant wealth from his accusers, transforming his misfortune into prosperity.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Shemyák the Judge (Шемякин суд) is a well-known Russian folk tale, often satirizing the corruption and arbitrary nature of justice, particularly for the poor, in pre-modern Russia. The name 'Shemyák' itself became synonymous with unfair judgment.
Plot Beats (14)
- Poor brother borrows horse from rich brother, but is denied a collar.
- Poor brother ties wood to horse's tail, accidentally rips it off when horse jumps over a beam.
- Rich brother refuses tailless horse and takes poor brother to Judge Shemyák.
- Poor brother, staying at a peasant's house, falls from an oven and accidentally kills the peasant's child.
- Poor brother attempts suicide by jumping from a bridge but accidentally kills an old man bathing below.
- All three accusers (rich brother, peasant, son of old man) bring charges against the poor man before Judge Shemyák.
- Poor man repeatedly threatens the judge with a stone wrapped in cloth, which the judge misinterprets as a bribe.
- Judge Shemyák rules that the rich brother must leave the horse with the poor man until its tail grows back.
- Judge Shemyák rules that the peasant must give his wife to the poor man until another son is born.
- Judge Shemyák rules that the son must jump from the bridge onto the poor man to kill him, as the poor man did to his father.
- Judge Shemyák sends his servant to collect the 'bribe' from the poor man.
- Poor man reveals the stone to the servant, explaining it was a threat, not a bribe.
- Judge Shemyák, upon hearing the truth, thanks God he ruled in the 'right' party's favor.
- Poor man uses the judgments to extort goods and money from the rich brother, the peasant, and the son, becoming wealthy and living in peace.
