Joy (Chekhov)
Division into chapters is editorial.
Mityas excited entrance and announcement of his news
At midnight, Mitya Kuldarov burst into his parents' apartment with an excited face and disheveled hair. He rushed through all the rooms in a state of obvious agitation. His parents had already gone to bed, his sister was finishing a novel, and his younger brothers were asleep.
"Mitya Kuldarov, with excited face and ruffled hair, flew into his parents' flat, and hurriedly ran through all the rooms... 'Oh, don't ask! I never expected it; no, I never expected it! It's... it's positively incredible!'"
His parents were astonished by his sudden appearance and asked what had happened. Mitya was so overcome with happiness that he could barely stand. He collapsed into an armchair, laughing with joy. His sister jumped out of bed, wrapped herself in a quilt, and came to see what was happening. The commotion also woke up his schoolboy brothers.
Mitya excitedly explained that all of Russia now knew about him. Until now, only his family had known about the existence of a registration clerk named Dmitry Kuldarov, but now the entire country was aware of him. His family, who according to Mitya lived like wild beasts and never read newspapers, couldn't understand what had happened.
"You live like wild beasts, you don't read the newspapers and take no notice of what's published, and there's so much that is interesting in the papers. If anything happens it's all known at once, nothing is hidden!"
Revelation and ironic realization about Mityas fame
Mitya explained that only celebrated people had their names published in newspapers, and now his name had appeared in print. His father turned pale at this announcement, while his mother glanced at a holy image and crossed herself. His schoolboy brothers, wearing only their nightshirts, gathered around their brother in curiosity.
"The papa turned pale. The mamma glanced at the holy image and crossed herself. The schoolboys jumped out of bed and, just as they were, in short nightshirts, went up to their brother. 'Yes! My name has been published!'"
Mitya pulled a newspaper from his pocket, handed it to his father, and pointed to a passage marked with blue pencil. He urged his father to read it aloud. His father put on his spectacles, cleared his throat, and began reading the article.
The newspaper article described how on the evening of December 29th, a registration clerk named Dmitry Kuldarov, coming from a beershop in Kozihin's buildings in Little Bronnaia in an intoxicated state, had slipped and fallen under a horse belonging to a sledge-driver. The sledge-driver was identified as Ivan Drotov, a peasant from the village of Durikino in the Yuhnovsky district.
"'a registration clerk of the name of Dmitry Kuldarov, coming from the beershop in Kozihin's buildings in Little Bronnaia in an intoxicated condition... slipped and fell under a horse belonging to a sledge-driver'"
The article continued to describe how the frightened horse had stepped over Kuldarov and drawn the sledge over him. The sledge also contained a Moscow merchant of the second guild named Stepan Lukov. The horse had then dashed along the street before being caught by some house-porters. Kuldarov, initially unconscious, was taken to the police station where a doctor examined him and determined that the blow to the back of his head was not serious. The incident was reported, and Kuldarov received medical aid.
Mitya eagerly interrupted his father's reading to explain that the blow came from the shaft of the sledge. After his father finished reading, Mitya grabbed the newspaper, folded it, and put it in his pocket. Despite the embarrassing nature of the incident—being drunk and falling under a horse—Mitya was elated by his newfound fame. He announced that he was going to show the article to the Makarovs, the Ivanitskys, and others. Putting on his cap with its cockade, he joyfully ran out into the street, triumphant about his moment of notoriety.
"Mitya seized the paper, folded it up and put it into his pocket. 'I'll run round to the Makarovs and show it to them... I must show it to the Ivanitskys too... I'll run! Goodbye!' Mitya put on his cap... and, joyful and triumphant, ran into the street."