Here is a summary of the 2nd PUC English chapter “Too Dear!” by Leo Tolstoy:
Summary of “Too Dear!”
“Too Dear!” is a satirical short story by Leo Tolstoy that critiques the absurdities of government, law, and the modern state by presenting a seemingly logical system that produces a ridiculous outcome.
The story is set in the Principality of Monaco, a tiny, peaceful kingdom with a small population. Despite its size, it boasts all the trappings of a sovereign state: a king, a army (of just 60 men), a minister, a bishop, and a court of law.
The central conflict begins when a murder is committed—a rare and shocking event for the principality. The murderer is caught, tried, and sentenced to death according to the law. However, a problem arises: Monaco has no guillotine for execution and no executioner.
To solve this, the king’s council decides to borrow a guillotine and an executioner from neighboring France. The French government agrees but demands 16,000 francs. This sum is deemed “too dear” for the small state’s budget. They then approach the King of Italy, who offers a cheaper rate of 12,000 francs, but even this is considered excessive.
The ministers then debate: could they not get the sentence carried out even more cheaply? They realize that keeping a permanent executioner would be cheaper, but he would have little work and demand a high annual salary. After much deliberation, they arrive at a “modern” and “humanitarian” solution: to commute the death sentence to life imprisonment.
This, too, presents a problem, as Monaco has no proper prison with a cell for a life term. A guard is appointed to watch the prisoner in an old shed. The guard, bored with his sole duty, soon begins to neglect his job. The prisoner, seeing his chance, simply walks away and escapes.
The ministers, upon discovering this, are in a fix. They cannot now re-arrest him, as it would acknowledge their failure. After another round of meetings, they reach their final, absurd decision: to officially reduce the sentence to banishment from the principality. They inform the prisoner, who is now living just across the border, of this “sentence.” The “criminal” accepts it, promising never to return, and the matter is closed.
The kingdom saves a great deal of money, and everyone is happy with the “wise” and “economical” resolution.
Satirical Message / Moral
Tolstoy uses this ironic tale to expose the foolishness and hypocrisy of state machinery. The story illustrates how governments can get trapped by their own procedures, valuing economy and administrative convenience over justice and moral principle. The title “Too Dear!” refers not just to the cost of the executioner, but to the ultimate price paid: the complete abandonment of the law’s intent and the reduction of justice to a farce. It questions the logic of a punishment system that is more concerned with budget and appearances than with actual crime, punishment, or reform.