A Day in the Country (Chekhov)
Short summary
A stormy morning in May. Six-year-old beggar girl Fyokla sought out Terenty the cobbler to help her brother Danilka, who had gotten his hand stuck in a tree hole while trying to get a cuckoo's egg for her.
Terenty agreed to help and they walked through the rain to the count's copse. There, he freed Danilka's hand from the tree. As they walked back, the storm subsided and Terenty shared his extensive knowledge of nature with the children, explaining about nightingales, sparrows, ants, bees, and medicinal herbs. The orphans listened eagerly as they wandered through fields and along the river.
By evening, they returned to the village. The children went to sleep in a deserted barn while Terenty headed to the tavern. That night, Terenty came to check on the sleeping children, made the sign of the cross over them, and placed bread under their heads.
And no one sees his love. It is seen only by the moon which floats in the sky and peeps caressingly through the holes in the wall of the deserted barn.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The approaching storm and introduction of characters
A storm was approaching on a morning between eight and nine o'clock. Dark clouds moved toward the sun, with lightning zigzagging across the sky and distant thunder rumbling. The wind stirred the grass, trees, and dust, signaling an imminent May rain.
A dark leaden-coloured mass is creeping over the sky towards the sun. Red zigzags of lightning gleam here and there across it. There is a sound of faraway rumbling. A warm wind frolics over the grass, bends the trees, and stirs up the dust.
Fyokla, a little beggar-girl, ran through the village looking for Terenty the cobbler. The pale, barefoot child with trembling lips asked everyone she met about his whereabouts, but no one answered as they were preoccupied with the approaching storm. Finally, she encountered Silanty Silitch, Terenty's friend, who told her Terenty was at the kitchen gardens.
Fyokla found Terenty standing near the vegetable plots, looking at the storm clouds with drowsy, drunken eyes. When she addressed him, his grim face softened with a tender smile. The little girl explained that her brother Danilka had an accident - he had stuck his hand in a tree hole while trying to get a cuckoo's egg for her and couldn't get it out.
Terenty bends down to Fyokla, and his grim, drunken face is overspread with a smile, such as come into people's faces when they look at something little, foolish, and absurd, but warmly loved.
The journey to help Danilka
Terenty agreed to help, calling Fyokla "little orphan" and setting off quickly through the village. He walked rapidly without looking around, as if afraid of being pursued, while Fyokla struggled to keep up. They left the village and headed toward the count's copse, which appeared dark blue in the distance.
The clouds had covered the sun completely, and darkness fell. The first heavy raindrops began to fall, marking dark spots on the dusty road. Terenty reassured the frightened child about the thunder and rain, telling her not to be afraid as the rain nourished the grass and trees just as bread nourished people.
"The rain has begun," mutters the cobbler... "The grass and the trees are fed by the rain, as we are by bread. And as for the thunder, don't you be frightened, little orphan. Why should it kill a little thing like you?"
As they continued their journey, the rain intensified. Lightning flashed overhead, followed by loud thunder that terrified Fyokla. Their feet became covered with heavy, wet clay, making walking difficult, but Terenty pressed on with the exhausted little girl following behind.
Rescuing Danilka from the tree
Finally, they entered the count's copse where rain-soaked trees showered them with water. Terenty slowed his pace as he stumbled over stumps and asked Fyokla to lead him to her brother. After walking a quarter of a mile through the thicket, she pointed to Danilka.
The boy stood leaning against a tree with his head to one side, looking at the stormy sky. One hand held his shabby cap while the other was trapped in a hole in an old lime tree. Despite his predicament, he seemed more fascinated by the thunder than concerned about his situation, remarking to Terenty about the unprecedented amount of thunder.
Terenty examined the situation and found that the wood had broken at the edge of the hole, jamming Danilka's hand. He snapped off the broken piece, freeing the boy's crushed red hand. When Danilka asked what caused thunder, Terenty simply explained that it happened when one cloud ran against another.
Observations after the storm
The three left the copse and walked along its edge toward the road as the thunder gradually subsided. Danilka, still rubbing his injured hand, chatted about ducks he had seen flying to the marshes and offered to show Fyokla a nightingale's nest. Terenty advised against disturbing the nightingale, explaining it was a singing bird without sin, given a voice to praise God and gladden human hearts.
When Danilka asked about sparrows, Terenty described them as bad, spiteful birds that disliked human happiness. He claimed that when Christ was crucified, it was the sparrow that brought nails to the Jews. As they walked, a patch of blue appeared in the sky, signaling the storm's end.
The trio came upon an ant-heap damaged by the rain. Terenty observed the agitated insects trying to rescue their drowned companions and reassured them they would recover once the sun warmed them again. He called it a lesson for the ants not to settle on low ground in the future.
Further along, Danilka spotted a swarm of bees huddled together on an oak branch. Terenty explained they had been looking for a home when the rain forced them to settle. He described how one could capture such a swarm by shaking the branch into a sack. Meanwhile, Fyokla began rubbing her neck, where Danilka noticed a swelling. Terenty identified it as caused by rainwater that had trickled off Spanish flies from a tree.
Lessons from nature
The sun emerged from behind the clouds, flooding the wood, fields, and the three wanderers with warm light. The threatening storm clouds had moved away, and the air became fragrant with the scents of bird-cherry, meadowsweet, and lilies-of-the-valley. Terenty pointed out various herbs and explained their medicinal properties.
A goods train thundered past, catching the children's attention. They were curious about how an engine without horses could move and pull such heavy weights. Terenty attempted to explain the concept of steam power, though his explanation was somewhat vague and incomplete.
After crossing the railway line, they walked toward the river, conversing all the way. Danilka asked questions, and Terenty answered them all with confidence. He demonstrated extensive knowledge about wild flowers, animals, stones, medicinal herbs, and could even predict weather by observing natural signs. This wisdom wasn't unique to Terenty but was shared by other villagers who had learned not from books but from nature itself.
"These people have learned not from books, but in the fields, in the wood, on the river bank. Their teachers have been the birds themselves, when they sang to them, the sun when it left a glow of crimson behind it..."
Terenty and Danilka walked through the fields, engaged in endless conversation about the wonders of nature. They were so absorbed in their talk that they failed to notice the exhausted Fyokla struggling to keep up. The frail little girl had no choice but to follow them despite her fatigue, as she had no home or people of her own to turn to.
Return to the village and nightfall
At midday, the three sat on the riverbank to rest. Danilka took out a piece of soaked bread from his bag, and they shared it. After eating, Terenty said a prayer, stretched out on the sandy bank, and fell asleep. While he slept, the boy watched the fish in the water and observed a viper swimming across the river.
They returned to the village only in the evening. The children went to sleep in a deserted barn where the commune's corn was once kept, while Terenty headed to the tavern. Lying on the straw, Danilka couldn't sleep. His mind was filled with all he had seen that day - the storm clouds, sunshine, birds, and fish. Overwhelmed by these impressions, along with exhaustion and hunger, he felt feverish.
The boy does not sleep. He gazes into the darkness, and it seems to him that he is seeing all that he has seen in the day... The number of his impressions, together with exhaustion and hunger, are too much for him; he is as hot as though he were on fire...
Danilka longed to share his thoughts with someone but knew Fyokla was too young to understand. He decided to tell Terenty everything the next day. Later that night, Terenty came to the barn, made the sign of the cross over the sleeping children, and placed bread under their heads. His act of love went unseen by anyone except the moon, which peeked through the holes in the wall of the deserted barn.