A Day in the Country by Anton Chekhov. Short summary

5 seconds

Terenty the cobbler takes care of two destitute orphans, the girl Fekla and her brother Danilka. He pulls the boy’s hand out of a hollow tree, talks to the children and brings them bread.

1 minute

In the morning, the six-year-old beggar girl Fekla runs through the village and searches for Terentiy, the cobbler. The girl finds him in the vegetable gardens. Terentiy is a tall old man with ragged clothes and a gaunt face.

She asks Thekla to help her eight-year-old brother Danilka. The boy wanted to show the girl the cuckoo egg and his hand got stuck in a hollow tree.

Terenty and Fekla hurry to help the child. They go to the forest, where Danilka is waiting. A heavy downpour begins, the girl and the old man get very wet, it is hard for them to walk on the soaked ground.

Finally they see the boy. Terenty helps him get his hand out. The downpour stops. The old man and the children walk through the fields. Terentiy talks about every plant, insect, and all kinds of mysteries of nature.

The children settle down for the night in an abandoned barn. Terentiy goes to the inn. He brings bread and puts it under the heads of the sleeping children.