Too Dear!
Encyclopedia
"Too Dear!" is a short story by Russia
n author Leo Tolstoy
first published in 1897. It is a humorous account of the troubles of dealing with a criminal in the kingdom of Monaco
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and no executioner, so they ask the government of France to see if they could borrow them. France offers to send a guillotine and an executioner for 16,000 francs
. This would require levying more taxes, so the king tries requesting help from the king of Italy, but the cost would only be somewhat lower at 12,000 francs. The decision is made to simply keep the murderer imprisoned for life.
Life imprisonment, however, presents its own set of problems. There needs to be a guard at all times, and the man has to be fed. The yearly costs are calculated to be 600 francs, which would still necessitate an increase of taxes. It is decided that the guard should be dismissed, even at the risk of losing the prisoner.
The prisoner, however, does not try to escape and continues to eat the food provided by the government. The Minister of Justice decides that the criminal is not worth the trouble and asks him why he does not escape. The criminal responds that he has nowhere to go in Monaco and that his reputation is ruined. He is finally given an annual salary by the government to remain in exile just outside of the country.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n author Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
first published in 1897. It is a humorous account of the troubles of dealing with a criminal in the kingdom of Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
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Synopsis
All is well in the kingdom of Monaco until a man commits a murder. The king had never had to deal with a murderer before, and after the judicial process had run its course and the man had been sentenced to death, he runs into considerable trouble trying to carry out the sentence. Monaco has no guillotineGuillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
and no executioner, so they ask the government of France to see if they could borrow them. France offers to send a guillotine and an executioner for 16,000 francs
Monegasque franc
The franc was the official currency of the Principality of Monaco until 2002 , when it changed to the euro. The franc was subdivided into 100 centimes or 10 decimes. The Monégasque franc circulated alongside the French franc with the same value...
. This would require levying more taxes, so the king tries requesting help from the king of Italy, but the cost would only be somewhat lower at 12,000 francs. The decision is made to simply keep the murderer imprisoned for life.
Life imprisonment, however, presents its own set of problems. There needs to be a guard at all times, and the man has to be fed. The yearly costs are calculated to be 600 francs, which would still necessitate an increase of taxes. It is decided that the guard should be dismissed, even at the risk of losing the prisoner.
The prisoner, however, does not try to escape and continues to eat the food provided by the government. The Minister of Justice decides that the criminal is not worth the trouble and asks him why he does not escape. The criminal responds that he has nowhere to go in Monaco and that his reputation is ruined. He is finally given an annual salary by the government to remain in exile just outside of the country.