The Lion and the Sun (Chekhov)
Short summary
A small town in Russia near the Urals, presumably late 19th century. The mayor of the town learned that a Persian dignitary named Rahat-Helam was staying at the Japan Hotel. Seeing an opportunity to fulfill his secret ambition, he visited the Persian.
Despite the language barrier, Kutsyn managed to communicate with Rahat-Helam through gestures and broken French. He took the Persian around town, showing him the sights and entertaining him with meals. Repeatedly, Kutsyn pointed to a stone gate with lions, then to the sun, and finally to his own chest, hoping the Persian would understand his desire for the order.
The townspeople mocked the mayor's efforts, even sending him a caricature depicting him as a donkey begging for the order. Nevertheless, Kutsyn continued entertaining the Persian until his departure. A year and four months later, Kutsyn proudly wore his new Persian order of The Lion and the Sun, walking with his coat open despite the bitter frost, hoping people would notice.
There was a burning sensation inside him, and his heart throbbed uneasily; he had a longing now to get a Serbian order. It was a painful, passionate longing.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The arrival of the Persian visitor and the mayors ambition
In a town on the Russian side of the Urals, a rumor circulated that a Persian magnate named Rahat-Helam was staying at the Japan Hotel. While this news made little impression on most townspeople, it greatly intrigued the town mayor, Stepan Ivanovitch Kutsyn. When informed by the secretary of the Town Hall about the Persian visitor, the mayor grew thoughtful and inquired about the visitor's destination, learning he was traveling to Paris or London.
It is well known that the more orders and medals you have the more you want—and the mayor had long been desirous of receiving the Persian order of The Lion and the Sun; he desired it passionately, madly.
The mayor already possessed several medals and badges, including the Stanislav of the third degree and badges from various societies. He had even crafted a small gold ornament resembling a gun crossed by a guitar, which from a distance looked like a special badge of distinction. The arrival of Rahat-Helam seemed to present the perfect opportunity to fulfill his secret ambition of obtaining the Persian order of The Lion and the Sun.
The mayors first meeting with the Persian
The following day at noon, Kutsyn put on his chain and all his badges of distinction and went to the Japan Hotel to meet the Persian visitor. Fortune favored him as he found Rahat-Helam alone in his apartment, sitting on the floor and rummaging through his portmanteau.
The mayor introduced himself with a formal greeting he had prepared in advance, expressing solidarity with Persia as a friendly neighboring state. The Persian responded by muttering something in very poor French that was barely comprehensible. Kutsyn, who knew no foreign languages, was faced with a communication challenge.
Struggling to express himself, Kutsyn attempted to use foreign words he had picked up from newspapers. When that failed, he resorted to improvised sign language. Noticing a picture of Venice on the wall, he pointed first at the town in the picture, then at his own head, trying to convey that he was the head of the town. Though the Persian did not understand, he smiled politely and said, "Goot, monsieur... goot..."
After half an hour of awkward communication, the mayor was slapping the Persian on the knee and shoulder, suggesting they take a promenade around town. Rahat-Helam, who seemed to recognize Kutsyn as an important person based on his medals, understood the word "promenade" and agreed with a polite grin. They put on their coats and left the room.
The mayor entertaining the Persian and showing him the town
Near the restaurant of the Japan Hotel, Kutsyn decided to entertain his guest. He indicated the tables and explained that Russian custom called for a meal with puree, entrecote, and champagne. The Persian understood, and soon they were sitting in the best room of the restaurant, eating and drinking champagne. The mayor proposed a toast to the prosperity of Persia, declaring that Russians loved Persians despite their different faiths, citing common interests and mutual sympathies.
The Persian ate and drank with excellent appetite, enthusiastically praising the smoked sturgeon by saying "Goot, bien." Delighted by his guest's enjoyment, the mayor instructed the waiter to send two pieces of the best smoked sturgeon to the Persian's room later.
The townspeople saw him stop near some stone gates with lions on it, and point out to the Persian first the lion, then the sun overhead, and then his own breast; then again he pointed to the lion and to the sun...
After their meal, the mayor took the Persian to see the menagerie and led him around the principal streets and bazaar. The townspeople observed their mayor, flushed with champagne and visibly pleased, showing the visitor the points of interest in the town, even taking him up the fire tower. Most notably, they saw Kutsyn stop near stone gates decorated with lions, where he repeatedly pointed to the lion, then to the sun overhead, and then to his own chest, while the Persian nodded and smiled in apparent agreement.
In the evening, they sat in the London Hotel listening to harp players, though where they spent the night remained unknown.
The aftermath of the Persians visit
The next morning, the mayor arrived at the Town Hall where the officials seemed to know something about his activities with the Persian visitor. The secretary approached him with an ironical smile and mentioned a Persian custom of slaughtering a sheep with one's own hands when an illustrious visitor comes. Shortly after, the mayor received an envelope containing a caricature of himself kneeling before Rahat-Helam, with a mocking verse suggesting he would slaughter himself like a lamb for Persian friendship, if not for being a donkey.
The mayor felt an unpleasant sensation in the pit of his stomach, but it didn't last long. By midday, he was again with the Persian, entertaining him and showing him more sights around town. Once more, he led Rahat-Helam to the stone gates and pointed to the lion, the sun, and his own chest. They dined at the Japan Hotel, and afterward, both flushed and happy, they climbed the fire tower again. The mayor, wanting to impress his visitor with an unusual spectacle, shouted to a sentry below to sound the alarm, but it wasn't sounded as the firemen were at the baths.
That evening, they supped at the London Hotel, after which the Persian departed. When seeing him off, Stepan Ivanovitch kissed him three times in the Russian fashion and grew tearful. As the train started, he shouted, "Give our greeting to Persia! Tell her that we love her!"
The mayors disappointment and new longing
A year and four months had passed. There was a bitter frost, thirty-five degrees, and a piercing wind was blowing. Stepan Ivanovitch was walking along the street with his fur coat thrown open over his chest...
A year and four months after the Persian's visit, during a bitterly cold winter day with temperatures at thirty-five degrees and a piercing wind, Stepan Ivanovitch walked through the streets with his fur coat deliberately open over his chest. He was annoyed that he met no one who could see the Persian order of The Lion and the Sun that he now wore upon his breast.
He continued walking with his coat open until evening, becoming chilled to the bone. That night, he tossed restlessly in bed, unable to sleep. His heart felt heavy and throbbed uneasily, with a burning sensation inside him. Despite having finally obtained the Persian order he had so desperately coveted, Stepan Ivanovitch now found himself consumed by a new, painful, and passionate longing - to acquire a Serbian order.