Singing In The Village by Leo Tolstoy. Short summary

5 seconds

The author went to the village, where they were seeing off five guys as soldiers. One recruit was playing the harmonica, very well and cheerfully. The guys went around the houses, saying goodbye, they were treated everywhere. But the author saw this as a tragedy.

1 minute

From the village came a cheerful song. The narrator went there to look. It turned out that it was seeing off 5 guys to soldiers — 1 married and 4 single.

The author began to watch. Cheerful songs put him in a festive mood. The guys went to their native homes — received the blessing of their parents, said goodbye to their relatives. The song was started by one of the recruits — a handsome guy with undoubted musical talent. He was accompanied by a second, married man.

The author met the man’s father. He said that, of course, it was a pity that his son was going into the army, but he was already a «cut off scrap» because he was married to a maid and lived in the city. The author caught a glimpse of his wife as well. The maid was strikingly different from the local women — with fancy hair, high-heeled shoes, silk city dress.

The broads were screaming as if they were dead. The author asked the old man whose tall guy was the Recruit. The old man said, «My this one,» and wept bitterly. And the author realized that behind cheerful songs people are hiding sorrow.