Too Dear is a famous short story written by Russian author Leo Tolstoy. The story was originally published in 1897. The story explores the theme of governance and the economic value of human life.
Too Dear 2nd Puc Summary in English
Summary of Too Dear Lesson By Leo Tolstoy
The story of “Too Dear” begins with the description of a small kingdom called Monaco. Only seven thousand people live in Monaco. This kingdom is so small that if the land of the kingdom is divided among its people, no one will get even 1 acre of land. In this small kingdom there is a kinglet who has a palace, courtiers, ministers, a bishop, a general and an army. The kinglet’s army has only seventeen people.
The king collects taxes from his villagers for his living. He collects taxes by imposing taxes on tobacco, alcohol and spirits. The money earned by the king from taxes is insufficient for him and the reason for this is its low population.
So, King found a new and special source of income for himself, his main income comes from a gaming house where people play roulette games. Whether people win or lose, the gaming house keeper earns a good percentage on the game. This creates a good income for the gaming house keeper through which King also earns a good amount.
Gaming house keepers earn a lot of money because in the entire continent of Europe, such gaming houses are only in Monaco. Such gaming houses used to exist in the German sovereign as well but it was banned because it was causing loss of income to the people.
People used to come to the gambling den to gamble, put everything at stake and eventually lost everything in gambling. That is why gambling is banned in Germany. But there is no one to stop the Prince of Monaco.
He has a monopoly on the gaming house. So whoever wants to gamble goes to Monaco, through which the Prince earns a lot of money. The King of Monaco knows how much the gaming house can influence people, but he does not care about it, he just wants to live his royal life, for which he needs money.
In the story that follows, we learn that there has been a murder in Monaco, the people of the kingdom were peaceful, there had not been a single murder so far, the murder case goes to the judges. In the court, there were judges, prosecutors, jurors, and barristers.
After the debate and verdict, it was decided that the criminal should be beheaded. The prince read out the sentence and ordered the criminal to be beheaded. But there was a problem that Monaco neither had a guillotine machine nor an executioner. The minister wrote a letter to the French government to inquire and asked them for the hire of a guillotine machine and an executioner.
And if yes, how much would it cost? A week later the reply came in which they told that it would cost 16,000 francs. The king thought that this money was too much and he considered it a waste of money. The king also thought about the fact that for 16,000 francs he would have to charge more than 2 francs from the people of his kingdom and the people would not accept this financial burden.
Next, the king wrote a letter to the Italian government and asked for the same. In response, the Italian government wrote that they would take 12,000 francs including travel expenses. The council thought that this amount was cheaper than the French government’s offer but it was still expensive. For 12,000 francs, they had to collect about 2 francs more from the population of Monaco. The council was then called and they discussed how this could be done at a lesser cost.
The council wondered if any of their soldiers could do the job. They called the army general and asked him to find a soldier who could behead the criminal. The army general talked to his soldiers but none of them knew how to do it. The soldier told the general that they had not been taught about this job.
After this the ministers met and thought about what to do? They formed a commission committee and a sub-committee so that they could find a way to punish the criminals at a lower cost. Ultimately it was decided that the punishment should be changed from death penalty to life imprisonment as it would be cheaper.
The criminal was sent to prison and a constable was appointed to guard him. The criminal spent 1 year in prison, one day the king was checking his income and expenditure, he saw the new expense that the criminal was spending. The criminal’s expenses were 600 francs more per year. The king thought that the criminal was still young and healthy so maybe he could live another 50 years, he called his council and asked them to find a way to punish the criminal with less money as their present plan is very expensive.
The council came to the conclusion that they will dismiss the guard who was guarding the criminal. They believe that if they dismiss the guard then the criminal will escape from the prison and their problem will be solved. The king agreed with their decision, he dismissed the guard and they waited for the criminal to see what he would do now. But nothing went as planned, at dinner time, the criminal came out of the prison, he saw that there was no guard so he went to the palace himself to get his food. He came to the prison with his food and locked himself up. The next day, he did the same.
The king again held a meeting and the council decided that they will tell the criminal honestly that they don’t want to keep him in their prison. The council called the prisoner and asked him, why don’t you run away from the prison? The criminal replied that I have no place to go anywhere because you people have destroyed my character by giving me the death sentence.
And now he doesn’t have the habit of working. The criminal told the council that they are doing injustice to him, first you should have given me the death sentence but you didn’t do that and I don’t say anything about it. After that, you sentence me to life imprisonment for which you allotted a guard for me who used to bring food for me but you removed him also due to which I go myself to take my food.
Finally the criminal told them that he would not leave the prison. The council met again and discussed the convict’s case. They came to the conclusion that there was only one way to get rid of the convict and that was to give him a pension. They fixed the pension amount at 600 francs.
The council told the criminal about the pension scheme and he accepted their offer and said that he would come out of prison but on one condition. That condition was that he should receive his pension regularly. The matter was settled and the criminal received one-third of his annuity in advance.
The criminal goes abroad where he starts living on the border of the country. The criminal bought a little land there and started gardening. He is living his life peacefully and goes on time to take out his pension. He also goes for gambling where he gambles 2-3 francs, sometimes he wins and sometimes he loses. The criminal is now living his life peacefully.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about “Too Dear!” by Leo Tolstoy
1. What is the central theme of “Too Dear!” by Leo Tolstoy?
The central theme is the absurdity of bureaucracy and the inefficiency of government systems. Tolstoy satirizes how government procedures can become so convoluted that they prevent justice and common sense from prevailing.
2. What is the plot of “Too Dear!” in a nutshell?
The story follows a small European principality that captures a murderer and wants to execute him. However, due to the high costs and bureaucratic hurdles involved, the government ends up spending more money trying to save money—ultimately releasing the criminal because it’s the cheapest option.
3. Why is the title “Too Dear!” significant?
The phrase “Too Dear!” refers to the high cost—financial and moral—of carrying out justice in a bureaucratic system. The government finds that executing or imprisoning the man is too expensive, so they absurdly let him go free, showing how cost outweighs justice in flawed systems.
4. How does Tolstoy use satire in the story?
Tolstoy uses humor and exaggeration to criticize the inefficiency and ridiculous nature of bureaucratic governance. The fact that a criminal is released simply because the system can’t afford to punish him is both absurd and eye-opening.
5. What moral lesson does Tolstoy convey in “Too Dear!”?
The story conveys that moral justice often gets lost in red tape, and when governments prioritize budgets over principles, justice suffers. It also suggests that simplicity and humanity are often more effective than complex institutions.
6. Who are the main characters in the story?
The Prince – The ruler of the tiny state who initially wants justice served.
The Criminal – A man condemned to death, who ironically benefits from the government’s inefficiency.
The Officials – Bureaucrats who represent the flawed administrative system.
7. Is “Too Dear!” based on a true story?
While not a direct account of real events, the story is inspired by Tolstoy’s observations of European states and their flawed justice systems. He uses fiction to reflect real political and social issues.
8. How does the story reflect Tolstoy’s political and philosophical beliefs?
Tolstoy believed in non-violence, moral responsibility, and the simplification of life. “Too Dear!” aligns with his views by criticizing the cruelty and inefficiency of institutional punishment and advocating for humane, rational decision-making.
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