Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

FAT AND THIN

FROM THE DIARY OF A VIOLENT-TEMPERED MAN

FROST

GONE ASTRAY

GOOSEBERRIES

GRISHA

GUSEV

HAPPINESS

HOME

HUSH!

IN A STRANGE LAND

IN AN HOTEL

IN EXILE

IN PASSION WEEK

IN THE COURT

IN THE DARK

IN THE GRAVEYARD

IN THE RAVINE

IN TROUBLE

IONITCH

IVAN MATVEYITCH

JOY

KASHTANKA

LADIES

LIGHTS

LOVE

MALINGERERS

MARI D’ELLE

MARTYRS

MINDS IN FERMENT

MIRE

MISERY

MY LIFE

NEIGHBOURS

NERVES

NOT WANTED

OH! THE PUBLIC

OLD AGE

ON OFFICIAL DUTY

ON THE ROAD

OVERDOING IT

OVERWHELMING SENSATIONS

OYSTERS

PANIC FEARS

PEASANT WIVES

PEASANTS

POLINKA

RAPTURE

REQUIEM

ROTHSCHILD’S FIDDLE

SHROVE TUESDAY

SLANDER

SLEEPY

SMALL FRY

SORROW

STRONG IMPRESSIONS

TALENT

TERROR

THE ALBUM

THE BEAUTIES

THE BEGGAR

THE BET

THE BIRD MARKET

THE BISHOP

THE BLACK MONK

THE CATTLE-DEALERS

THE CHEMIST’S WIFE

THE CHORUS GIRL

THE COACH-HOUSE

THE COOK’S WEDDING

THE COSSACK

THE DARLING

THE DEATH OF A GOVERNMENT CLERK

THE DEPENDENTS

THE DOCTOR

THE DUEL

THE EXAMINING MAGISTRATE

THE FATHER OF A FAMILY

THE FIRST-CLASS PASSENGER

THE FISH

THE FIT

THE GRASSHOPPER

THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY

THE HEAD-GARDENER’S STORY

THE HELPMATE

THE HORSE-STEALERS

THE HUNTSMAN

THE HUSBAND

THE JEUNE PREMIER

THE KISS

THE LADY WITH THE DOG

THE LETTER

THE LION AND THE SUN

THE LOOKING-GLASS

THE LOTTERY TICKET

THE MAN IN A CASE

THE MARSHAL’S WIDOW

THE MURDER

THE NEW VILLA

THE OLD HOUSE

THE ORATOR

THE PARTY

THE PETCHENYEG

THE PIPE

THE POST

THE PRINCESS

THE PRIVY COUNCILLOR

THE RUNAWAY

THE SCHOOLMASTER

THE SCHOOLMISTRESS

THE SHOEMAKER AND THE DEVIL

THE STEPPE

THE STUDENT

THE SWEDISH MATCH

THE TEACHER OF LITERATURE

THE TELEPHONE

THE TROUSSEAU

THE TWO VOLODYAS

THE WIFE

THE WITCH

THREE YEARS

TOO EARLY!

TRAGIC ACTOR

TYPHUS

UPROOTED

UPROOTED

VANKA

VEROTCHKA

VOLODYA

WARD NO. 6

WHITEBROW

WHO WAS TO BLAME?

ZINOTCHKA

RAPTURE

Translated byPeter Russell 2011

It was late evening.  Wild-looking and scruffy, Mitya Kuldarov stormed into his parents’ flat, dashing through every room. His mother and father were about to go to bed. His sister was already in bed and was on the last page of her novel, while his young brothers were fast asleep.

‘Where’ve you come from?’ his parents cried in shock. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘My God, I don’t know how to tell you! I’m shocked, completely shocked! It’s... so incredible!’

Mitya burst out laughing and sank into a chair, subdued with joy.

‘It’s unbelievable! You’d never suppose it! Look at this!’

His sister jumped out of bed and approached him, with a blanket round her. The young brothers woke up.

‘What’s wrong? You look awful!’

‘But I’m so happy, Mother! Now every single person  in Russia knows me! Everyone! A short time ago only you knew Dmitry Kuldarov, the clerical officer of the fourteenth grade, but now everyone in Russia knows me! Good God, mother!’

Mitya leapt up and ran round every room once more, before sitting down again.

‘Tell us what’s happened, for God’s sake!’

‘Parents, you live here like savages; you don’t read the newspapers, you’ve no idea what’s going on and yet the papers are full of such extraordinary things! As soon as anything happens, they make it public; it’s down there in plain black and white! O God, I’m so happy! Only celebrities get their names in the paper.  They’ve printed a story about me!’

‘They have?  Where?’

His father paled and his mother looked to the icon, crossing herself. The young brothers jumped out of bed, running over to their elder brother, naked save for their short nightshirts.

‘That’s right! All about me! Now I’m known all over the country! You’d better save this copy, mother, and we can always read it and remember this day. See!’

Mitya pulled a newspaper out of his pocket and handed it to his father, pointing at a passage circled in blue pen.

‘Read it aloud!’

His father reached for his glasses.

‘Go on, read it!’

His mother glanced at the icon again and crossed herself. His father cleared his throat and began redaing:  ‘On December 29th at 11 p.m. clerical officer of the fourteenth grade, Dmitry Kuldarov-’

‘You see? Read on, father!’

‘Clerical officer of the fourteenth grade, Dmitry Kuldarov, leaving the public house located at the Kozikhin’s Buildings in Little Bronaya Street and being in a drunken state-’

‘It was me and my friend!  See, they’ve got every detail! Read on! Listen to this next part!’

‘And being in a state of intoxication, he tripped and fell in front of a cab-horse belonging to Ivan Knoutoff, a peasant, from the village of Bumkino in the Pnoff district, which was waiting at that place. The terrified horse, knocking over Kuldarov, dragged the sledge over him in which was seated Ivan Lukov, a Moscow merchant of the Second Guild.  Horse and sledge thundered away down the street and was eventually stopped by several porters. Being at first in a state of unconsciousness, Kuldarov was taken to the policestation and examined by a doctor. The blow he received on the back of the head-’

‘I got it from the shaft, Father! Go on, finish reading it!’

‘Which he had received on the head, was judged as being not serious. A police report was drawn up regarding the incident and medical assistance was given to the victim-’