Afonka Bida by Isaac Babel. Short summary

5 seconds

Afonka Bida’s horse is killed during the battle. The man takes the death of his faithful comrade hard. He goes into the woods to fetch a new stallion. The collector does not miss a chance to take revenge on his enemies.

1 minute

Battle of Leshnyuv. Kommbrig Maslak entrusts the command to platoon leader Afonka Bide. During the attack, the Cossack was cheerful. This cheerfulness was transmitted to his comrades-in-arms. Soon, however, enemy bullets flew. The brigade was forced to hide in the bushes. At that time a bullet hits Afonka’s horse in the neck.

Stepan’s horse falls to the ground. Afonka bows to the dying horse. He is angry and shouts: «…well, mercilessly I will chop the unspeakable nobleman!» Then Bida calms down and lies down next to him. Maslak shoots the stallion in the ear to put him out of his misery.

In the morning Athanasius disappeared. Everyone knew that the grief-stricken Conarmean had gone to get his own horse. Bida «set fire to villages and shot Polish headmen,» and was seen ambushing him more than once.

Afonka returned on the stallion’s dewy stallion. The horse’s left eye had bulged out, and a terrible pink swelling was visible in its place. Anger did not leave Bidu. He continued to avenge his enemies for the death of his friend, Stepan the stallion.