What People Live By (1886)

""What People Live By"" is a short story written by the renowned Russian author Leo Tolstoy and was first published in 1886. The story revolves around a poor shoemaker named Simon who is struggling to make ends meet. One night, he discovers a stranger lying unconscious in the snow and takes him in. As the stranger recovers, he reveals himself to be an angel who has been sent to earth on a mission. In exchange for Simon's kindness, the angel offers to grant him three wishes. However, Simon is unsure of what to wish for and asks the angel to reveal to him the three things that people need in order to live a meaningful life. The angel tells him that the three things people need are truth, love, and labor. Through this simple yet profound tale, Tolstoy explores the universal themes of human kindness, compassion, and the importance of leading a purposeful life. The book is a timeless classic that continues to inspire readers to this day.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.