THE JUDGMENT of SHEMYAKA
by Unknown · from The Russian Garland, Being Russian Folk Tales
Adapted Version
Once, there was a poor man. He had a rich brother.
The Poor Man borrowed a horse. He took it to the forest. The horse hit a board. It lost its tail. The Rich Man was very angry. The Rich Man was very angry. He took The Poor Man to The Judge. The Judge heard problems. The Rich Man wanted help. He told about the horse.
They walked to town. The Poor Man was tired. He went into a house. He saw a special vase. He bumped it. The vase broke. The Merchant was very angry. This was a big problem.
They walked on. The Poor Man was clumsy. He walked near a cart. A son was with his father. The cart had much fruit. The Poor Man bumped the cart. All the fruit fell. The Son was very angry.
They came to The Judge. The Poor Man held a lumpy towel. He held it up. The Judge saw the towel. He liked gifts. He thought it was a present. The Judge was interested.
The Rich Man spoke first. The Judge made a rule. The Rich Man must keep the horse. He must keep it until its tail grows. The Rich Man was surprised. This was a strange rule.
Then the Merchant spoke. The Judge made another rule. The Merchant must give a new vase. Or he must pay him much money. The Merchant was surprised. This was a strange rule.
Then The Son spoke. The Judge made a third rule. The Son must help fix the cart. He must pick up all the fruit. Or he must pay him much money. The Son was worried. This was a strange rule.
The Rich Man did not want to wait. He gave The Poor Man money. The Merchant did not want to give a new vase. He gave The Poor Man money. The Son did not want to fix the cart. He gave The Poor Man money.
The Judge was happy. He sent his helper to The Poor Man. "Bring me the big gift," The Judge said.
The Poor Man gave the towel to the helper. The helper unwrapped it. It was just a simple stone! The helper was surprised.
The helper told The Judge. The Judge heard it was just a stone. He was surprised. But he was happy. He made good rules. The Poor Man got help. The Judge learned a lesson. Being too greedy is not always good.
And so, the poor man was not poor anymore. The Judge learned that being too greedy is not always good. Sometimes, being clever can help you a lot!
Original Story
THE JUDGMENT OF SHEMYAKA
TWO brothers once lived upon a little plot of ground—one rich, the other poor. The poor brother went to the rich one to beg of him a horse that he might fetch wood from the forest. His brother gave him the horse; but the poor one begged of him likewise a horse-collar, whereat the other was angry and would not give it him. So the poor fellow in his trouble fastened the sledge to the horse’s tail and thus drove to the forest, and got such a load of wood that the horse had scarcely strength to draw it. When he came home, he opened the gate, but forgot to remove the foot-board, fastened to the side posts to keep the snow from coming in under the door; and the horse stumbled against the board and lost his tail. The poor fellow took the horse back, but when his brother saw the beast without a tail, he would not have him, and set out to go before the judge, Shemyaka, to make a complaint. The poor man saw that he would fall into trouble, and the judge would send for him: he considered for a long while that he had nothing to give, and he followed his brother on foot.
On the way, as night came on, they stopped at the house of a merchant. The rich brother was taken in to supper and well treated, but the poor man was not given anything to eat, and had to take his night’s rest on the kitchen stove. All night he was tossing and rolling about hungry, and at last he fell off the stove on to a cradle lying beside it, and killed the merchant’s baby in the fall. So the merchant was very angry, and next morning went with him to get the poor man punished by the judge Shemyaka.
It so happened that on the way to town the party had to go over a bridge, and the poor man was so frightened at the thought of what the judge Shemyaka might do to him that he threw himself over the bridge, to put an end to his life; but just at that instant a young man was driving his sick father to the bath-house, and the poor man fell upon the sledge and crushed the old man. So the son went with the rich brother and the merchant to the judge to make his complaint that the poor man had killed his father.
The Judge thought that the bundle was full of roubles.
The rich brother came first before the judge Shemyaka and complained that his brother had pulled off the tail of his horse. The poor man took a stone and tied it in a towel; and, standing up behind his brother, he held it up to the judge, intending to kill him unless he decided in his favour. The judge thought that the towel was filled with roubles, and so he ordered the rich man to give back the horse to the poor one until his tail had grown again.
Then the merchant came up to complain of the death of his baby, and the poor man again brandished his heavy towel before the judge, and because he hoped for another bribe the judge said: “You must send your wife to the poor man’s house till she has another baby, and then you will be as well off as before.”
Then the son came and accused the poor man of having crushed his father to death, and asked the judge for justice. The poor man took up the stone again, and showed it as before to the judge, who fancied that the man would perhaps give him for this charge another hundred roubles. So he ordered the son to stand on the bridge while the poor man passed under it; and that the son should in like manner leap down upon the poor man and crush him.
So the poor brother came to the rich one to fetch the horse without a tail, according to the judge’s sentence, and to keep it until the tail grew again. The rich man was very loth to give up the horse, and instead, made him a present of five roubles, three bushels of corn, and a milch goat, and thus they settled their quarrel.
So then the poor man went to the merchant to take his wife away from him, and the merchant offered him fifty roubles, a cow with her calf, a mare with her foal, and five measures of grain, which he willingly accepted.
Then the poor man went to the son and said: “Come, the judge has said that you must place yourself on the bridge while I stand under it, and you must throw yourself down on me and kill me.” Then the son thought to himself: “Who knows but that, if I throw myself from the bridge, I may, perhaps, instead of falling on this man, dash myself to pieces.” So he tried to make peace with the poor man, and gave him two hundred roubles, a horse, and five measures of corn.
But the judge Shemyaka sent his servant to the poor man to ask for the three hundred roubles. The poor man showed him the stone and said: “If the judge had not decided in my favour I should have killed him.” So the servant went back to the judge and told him what the poor man had said; whereat the judge, overjoyed, exclaimed: “Heaven be thanked that I decided in this man’s favour!”
Story DNA
Moral
Justice can be perverted by greed and misunderstanding, sometimes leading to unexpected outcomes.
Plot Summary
A poor man, after accidentally causing his rich brother's horse to lose its tail, is taken to court. On the way, he accidentally kills a merchant's baby and then an old man, accumulating three serious charges. Before the corrupt Judge Shemyaka, the poor man brandishes a stone wrapped in a towel, which the judge mistakes for a bribe. Fearing a larger bribe, Shemyaka delivers three absurd judgments that, while seemingly unfair, are so unpalatable to the plaintiffs that they pay the poor man to settle. The judge later learns the 'bribe' was a threat, realizing his greed inadvertently saved his life.
Themes
Emotional Arc
desperation to relief
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Shemyaka's Judgment is a well-known Russian folk tale, often satirizing the corrupt judicial system of the past. Dmitry Shemyaka was a real 15th-century prince known for his harsh and often unjust rule.
Plot Beats (14)
- A poor brother borrows a horse from his rich brother but, due to a missing horse-collar and a forgotten foot-board, the horse loses its tail.
- The rich brother takes the poor brother to Judge Shemyaka to complain about the tailless horse.
- On the way, the poor brother, denied food, falls off a stove and accidentally kills a merchant's baby, adding a second complaint.
- Further on, in despair, the poor brother attempts suicide by jumping off a bridge but lands on a sledge, accidentally killing an old man, leading to a third complaint.
- Before Judge Shemyaka, the poor brother holds up a stone wrapped in a towel, which the judge mistakes for a bribe.
- Shemyaka rules that the rich brother must keep the tailless horse until its tail grows back, effectively giving it to the poor brother.
- For the merchant's baby, Shemyaka rules the merchant's wife must live with the poor man until she bears another child.
- For the old man's death, Shemyaka rules the son must stand on the bridge while the poor man passes underneath, then jump on him in the same manner.
- The rich brother, unwilling to wait for the horse's tail to regrow, pays the poor brother to settle the dispute.
- The merchant, unwilling to give his wife to the poor man, pays a large sum to settle the dispute.
- The son, fearing injury or death from jumping off the bridge, pays the poor brother to settle the dispute.
- Shemyaka sends his servant to collect the 'bribe' from the poor man.
- The poor man reveals the 'bribe' was a stone, intended to kill the judge if the judgments were unfavorable.
- Shemyaka is relieved and grateful he ruled in the poor man's favor, unknowingly saving his own life.
Characters
The Poor Brother
Lean and wiry from a life of hard labor, likely of average height for a Russian peasant of the era. His hands would be calloused and rough. His face, though perhaps once youthful, would be weathered by sun and toil, showing signs of hardship and worry.
Attire: Worn, patched, and simple peasant clothing typical of 19th-century rural Russia: a coarse linen rubakha (tunic shirt) in a muted color like grey or undyed flax, tied with a rope belt; rough wool trousers; and bast shoes (lapti) or worn leather boots. His clothes would be functional, showing signs of repair and heavy use.
Wants: To survive and escape punishment; to improve his impoverished circumstances.
Flaw: His initial desperation and fear of authority make him vulnerable.
Transforms from a fearful, desperate man into a cunning individual who uses a clever bluff to turn his misfortunes into significant gains, ultimately escaping punishment and enriching himself.
Desperate, cunning, resourceful, fearful (initially), opportunistic.
The Rich Brother
A man of sturdy build, well-fed, and likely a bit portly, reflecting his comfortable lifestyle. He would be of average height, with a presence that suggests self-importance and a lack of empathy.
Attire: Better quality, but still practical, clothing for a prosperous Russian farmer: a clean, perhaps embroidered, linen rubakha, a sturdy wool caftan or vest, and well-made leather boots. His clothes would be free of patches and stains, indicating his wealth.
Wants: To protect his property and assert his dominance over his poorer brother; to seek retribution for perceived wrongs.
Flaw: His greed and fear of losing his possessions make him susceptible to manipulation.
Begins as an antagonist seeking retribution but is ultimately forced to pay his brother to avoid further complications from the judge's bizarre rulings, losing some of his wealth in the process.
Greedy, uncharitable, self-important, easily angered, litigious.
Shemyaka
A man of authority, likely of average build, perhaps a bit soft from a sedentary life. His appearance would be formal, reflecting his position as a judge in a Russian town.
Attire: Formal, dark-colored robes or a caftan, possibly made of wool or a finer fabric, indicating his status. He might wear a tall, brimless cap (kolpak) or a simple head covering. His attire would be clean and well-maintained, befitting a judge.
Wants: To gain personal wealth through bribes; to avoid personal harm.
Flaw: His overwhelming greed and cowardice make him susceptible to manipulation and misjudgment.
Remains largely unchanged in his corrupt nature, but his fear of the poor man's perceived threat leads him to make absurd judgments, ultimately resulting in his own relief when he realizes he was not actually threatened.
Corrupt, easily bribed (or perceived to be), self-serving, easily intimidated, relieved.
The Merchant
A man of comfortable means, likely a bit stout, indicating a life less physically demanding than a peasant's. He would be of average height, with a generally well-groomed appearance.
Attire: Practical but good quality clothing for a Russian merchant: a clean linen shirt, a sturdy wool vest or caftan, and well-made leather boots. His clothes would be free of patches and stains, reflecting his status.
Wants: To seek justice and compensation for the death of his child.
Flaw: His desire for compensation makes him willing to compromise on true justice.
Begins seeking justice for his child's death but is ultimately satisfied with a substantial monetary and material settlement, abandoning his pursuit of true justice.
Indignant, protective of his family and property, easily appeased by monetary compensation.
The Son
A young man, likely of average build, perhaps still growing into his full strength. His appearance would be that of a dutiful son, concerned for his family.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing for a young Russian man, perhaps a clean linen rubakha and trousers, with sturdy boots. His clothes would be functional, but not as worn as the poor brother's.
Wants: To seek justice for the death of his father.
Flaw: His fear of personal harm makes him willing to compromise on true justice.
Begins seeking justice for his father's death but is ultimately terrified by the judge's ruling and pays the poor man to avoid a potentially fatal re-enactment, abandoning his pursuit of true justice.
Dutiful, distressed, fearful, pragmatic.
Locations
Poor Brother's Homestead
A small, humble plot of ground with a simple gate and a foot-board used to keep snow from entering under the door. Likely features a small, rustic dwelling.
Mood: Struggling, meager, rural
The poor brother returns from the forest, and his horse loses its tail, initiating the first conflict.
Merchant's House
A merchant's home, featuring a kitchen with a large stove and a cradle beside it. Suggests a comfortable, if not luxurious, interior for the rich brother, but a more utilitarian space for the poor brother.
Mood: Unequal, tense, domestic
The poor brother, hungry and restless, falls from the stove onto the cradle, accidentally killing the merchant's baby.
Wooden Bridge over a River
A bridge over a river, likely made of wood, used for travel between the countryside and the town where Judge Shemyaka resides. It's a place of desperation and accidental tragedy.
Mood: Desperate, fateful, open
The poor man attempts suicide by jumping off the bridge, but instead falls onto a sledge, killing an old man.
Judge Shemyaka's Courtroom
The official setting where Judge Shemyaka presides. Implied to be a formal, perhaps somewhat austere, room where legal judgments are made. The judge's bench is a key feature.
Mood: Formal, tense, corrupt
All three cases are heard before Judge Shemyaka, who is swayed by the poor man's perceived 'bribes' (the stone in the towel).