Widely considered one of the greatest of all Russian writers, Leo Tolstoy is best known to the Western world as the author of two monumental novels: the splendid and tragic tale Anna Karenina and the epic saga War and Peace. But the shorter works Tolstoy created during his long, prolific lifetime can fill many volumes. Presented here are brilliant examples of his shorter work—such as "Master and Man," "Al-yosha the Pot," and the title story—that are testaments to the literary genius of this incomparable artist.