The Fish (Chekhov)
Short summary
A summer morning in the countryside. Two carpenters, Gerassim and Lubim, were floundering in the water near an unfinished bathing shed, trying to catch an eelpout fish that had hidden under tree roots. They argued and struggled, unable to extract the fish despite their efforts.
Yefim, an old one-eyed shepherd, joined them after his cattle wandered into a garden. Soon after, the master of the property, Andrey Andreitch, appeared and scolded them for neglecting the bathing shed construction. When he learned they were trying to catch an eelpout, his anger turned to excitement, and he ordered his coachman Vassily to help.
With Vassily's assistance failing, Andrey Andreitch himself undressed and entered the water. After much struggle and chopping at the root with an axe, the master finally got his fingers under the gills of the large eelpout and triumphantly pulled it to the surface. Everyone admired the impressive fish, which was nearly a yard long.
The fish makes a sudden, unexpected upward movement with its tail and the fishermen hear a loud splash... they all put out their hands, but it is too late; they have seen the last of the eelpout.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
A summer morning by the river
On a peaceful summer morning, two carpenters were struggling in the water near an unfinished bathing shed. The air was still, with only the sounds of a grasshopper and a distant turtledove breaking the silence. Feathery clouds stood motionless in the sky as the men worked in the water, trying to catch something beneath the willow roots.
A summer morning. The air is still; there is no sound but the churring of a grasshopper on the river bank, and somewhere the timid cooing of a turtledove. Feathery clouds stand motionless in the sky, looking like snow scattered about.
Gerassim and Lubims first attempts to catch the eelpout
Gerassim, a tall gaunt peasant with a curly red head, was floundering in the water trying to catch something hidden under the willow roots. He was joined by Lubim, a young hunchback with a triangular face and narrow eyes, who stood up to his neck in water. Both men were blue with cold, having been in the water for over an hour.
Lubim kept shouting instructions at Gerassim, telling him to grab the fish by the gills, while Gerassim insisted the fish was slippery and difficult to hold. When Lubim tried to help by standing on a root, he slipped into the water. Despite their continued efforts, the eelpout remained firmly hidden under the roots.
The sun is baking hot. The shadows begin to grow shorter and to draw in on themselves, like the horns of a snail... The high grass warmed by the sun begins to give out a strong, heavy smell of honey. It will soon be midday, and Gerassim and Lubim are still floundering.
Shepherd Yefim joins the fishing effort
As the carpenters continued their struggle, a herd of cattle approached the river bank, driven by Yefim, the shepherd. He was a decrepit old man with one eye and a crooked mouth who walked with his head bowed, looking at his feet. The sheep reached the water first, followed by horses and then cows.
Hearing the commotion in the water, Yefim asked what the men were doing. When they explained they were trying to catch an eelpout trapped under the roots, the shepherd decided to help. He removed his shoes, sack, and shirt, then waded into the water. Soon all three men were crowded around the same spot, shoving each other with their knees and elbows as they tried to capture the elusive fish.
The master discovers and joins the fishermen
Meanwhile, shouts from the river attracted the attention of Andrey Andreitch, the master, who appeared wearing a dressing-gown made of a Persian shawl and carrying a newspaper. He approached the bathing shed and sternly asked what was happening. When told they were catching a fish, he reprimanded them for neglecting their work on the bathing shed, which had already taken two days with little progress.
However, when Andrey Andreitch learned they were trying to catch an eelpout, his demeanor changed completely. His eyes began to glisten with excitement, and he eagerly asked them to get the fish out quickly. Gerassim suggested they might receive half a rouble for their trouble, describing the eelpout as fat and valuable.
'An eelpout?' says the master, and his eyes begin to glisten. 'Get him out quickly then.' 'You'll give us half a rouble for it presently if we oblige you... A huge eelpout, as fat as a merchant's wife... It's worth half a rouble, your honour, for the trouble.'
Vassilys involvement and the collective struggle
After watching the men struggle for several minutes, Andrey Andreitch lost patience and called for his coachman, Vassily. When Vassily arrived, he was chewing something and breathing hard. The master ordered him to get into the water and help catch the eelpout.
Vassily quickly undressed and entered the water, confidently declaring he would catch the fish in a minute. However, he soon encountered the same difficulties as the others. Despite his boasting, he couldn't reach the eelpout's head under the root. Growing impatient with the four men's failure, Andrey Andreitch himself began undressing to join the effort.
Even with the master's intervention, they couldn't extract the fish. Finally, Lubim suggested they chop the root off. Gerassim fetched an axe, and they began hacking at the underwater root while the master warned them not to cut their fingers.
The final attempt and loss of the eelpout
After partially breaking the root, Andrey Andreitch managed to get his fingers under the gills of the fish. With great satisfaction, he began pulling the eelpout out of the water. The head of the large fish appeared, followed by its long black body, nearly a yard in length. The eelpout flapped its tail heavily as it tried to escape, but the master held firm.
A honied smile overspreads all the faces. A minute passes in silent contemplation. 'A famous eelpout,' mutters Yefim, scratching under his shoulder-blades. 'I'll be bound it weighs ten pounds.' 'Mm!... Yes,' the master assents. 'The liver is fairly swollen!'
Just as they were admiring their catch, the fish made a sudden, unexpected upward movement with its tail. There was a loud splash, and despite everyone reaching out to grab it, the eelpout escaped. The fishermen had seen the last of their prize.