Krilof and His Fables/The Ducat

Is civilization profitable? Profitable!—that is not the question. But we often give the name of civilization to luxury's seductions, and even to demoralization. There­fore you must pay close attention, so that, when you rid people of their superficial coarseness, you may not at the same time rob them of their good qualities, enfeeble their souls, spoil their morals, deprive them of their simplicity, and, having given them in exchange merely an empty brilliance, burden them with infamy instead of good repute.

About this sacred truth one might make a whole volume of serious sermons, but serious speaking does not befit every one; so, half in jest, I am going to prove it to you by means of a fable.

A Peasant, a thorough blockhead (there are plenty of such people everywhere) found a Ducat lying on the ground. The Ducat was dusty and dirty, but three double handfuls of five-kopeck pieces were ready to be given to the Peasant in ex­ change for it.

"Stop a bit!" thinks the Peasant: "they'll give me twice as much presently. I've hit on such a plan that they'll try to get it from me with both hands."

​Hereupon, having taken sand, gravel, chalk, and brick­ dust, our Moujik sets to work, and with all his might chafes the Ducat against the gravel, grinds it with sand and brick­ dust, and rubs it with chalk.

Well, to speak briefly, he wants to make it shine like fire, and like actual fire the Ducat begins to gleam. Only—its weight diminished, and so the Ducat lost its ancient value.

[During the early years of the reign of Alexander I., a great deal was done in the name of enlightenment. It was pro­ posed to found educational establishments all over. Russia. Three Universities were reformed, and two were completely reconstituted; three High Schools were founded, together with twenty-six Gymnasia and eighty District Schools. A thirst for instruction began to make itself felt among all the classes of the Russian people. The rich subscribed liberally; even the poor "laid their mite on the altar of national en­lightenment." Between the years 1800 and 1812 more than three hundred educational establishments of different kinds were opened. In the eventful year 1812 itself no less than fifty-one new schools were made available.

Even the peasants contributed towards the funds which were subscribed for the new colleges and schools. But in these new schools French teachers exercised great influence, and Krilof detested that influence as being hostile to patriotic feeling. Hence arose his want of sympathy with that desire for education which for a time seemed likely to become universal.]