The Gray Hare (Tolstoy)
Division into chapters is editorial.
Near the village: listening and preparation
A gray hare lived through the winter near a village, surviving the harsh conditions with careful vigilance. As night fell, he demonstrated his natural alertness and caution.
When night came, he pricked one ear and listened; then he pricked his second ear, moved his whiskers, sniffed, and sat down on his hind legs.
After his careful listening ritual, he took several leaps through the deep snow, pausing frequently to survey his surroundings. The winter landscape stretched endlessly before him, covered in pristine snow that sparkled in the starlight.
Nothing could be seen but snow. The snow lay in waves and glistened like sugar. Over the hare's head hovered a frost vapour, and through this vapour could be seen the large, bright stars.
The highway crossing: peasants and pursuit
The hare needed to cross the busy highway to reach a familiar threshing-floor where he could find food. The road bustled with activity as sleighs moved through the winter night, their runners squeaking against the snow while horses snorted and harnesses creaked. The hare stopped cautiously near the road to observe the travelers.
The peasants walked alongside their sleighs with raised collars on their caftans, their faces barely visible in the cold. Steam rose from their mouths and noses as they breathed in the frigid air. Their horses struggled through the snowdrifts, sweating despite the cold, with hoarfrost clinging to their wet coats. The men ran beside and in front of their horses, beating them with whips to keep them moving. Two peasants walked together, one telling the other about a horse that had once been stolen from him.
When the carts finally passed, the hare leaped across the road and headed softly toward the threshing-floor. However, a dog traveling with the peasants spotted him from one of the carts.
The dog began barking loudly and darted after the hare in pursuit. The chase was brief but intense.
The hare leaped toward the threshing-floor over the snowdrifts, which held him back; but the dog stuck fast in the snow after the tenth leap, and stopped.
Seeing that the dog had given up the chase, the hare also stopped and sat up on his hind legs, then continued softly toward his destination.
Meeting fellow hares and feeding
On his journey to the threshing-floor, the hare encountered two other hares on the sowed winter field.
On his way he met two other hares on the sowed winter field. They were feeding and playing. The hare played awhile with his companions, dug away the frosty snow with them, ate the wintergreen.
After this pleasant interlude with his fellow hares, sharing food and companionship, he continued on his way toward the threshing-floor.
At the threshing-floor: food and shelter
The village lay quiet and peaceful as the hare approached his destination. The fires had been extinguished for the night, and most inhabitants were asleep.
In the village everything was quiet; the fires were out. All one could hear was a baby's cry in a hut and the crackling of the frost in the logs of the cabins.
The hare reached the threshing-floor and discovered more companions waiting there. He spent time playing with them on the cleared floor, enjoying their company and the relative safety of the area. The open granary provided a welcome source of nourishment, and he ate some oats that had been left accessible. His exploration continued as he climbed onto the kiln, moving across the snow-covered roof. From there, he made his way across the wicker fence, ready to begin his journey back to his own territory and the familiar ravine where he made his home.
Dawn and return home
As the night drew to a close, the first signs of dawn began to appear in the eastern sky.
The dawn was glimmering in the east; the stars grew less, and the frost vapours rose more densely from the earth.
In the nearby village, the daily routine began as women rose to fetch water and peasants brought feed from the barn. Children's voices could be heard shouting and crying as the settlement awakened. More carts appeared on the road, with peasants talking loudly to each other as they went about their morning business. The hare completed his nighttime adventure by crossing the road one final time and returning to his familiar territory.
The hare leaped across the road, went up to his old lair, picked out a high place, dug away the snow, lay with his back in his new lair, dropped his ears on his back, and fell asleep with open eyes.