The Fool, or The Retired Sea Captain by Anton Chekhov. Short summary

5 seconds

A retired captain has decided to get married. He asks a matchmaker to find him a bride, who must be a fool. Then she will surely idolize her husband.

1 minute

The retired captain Sousoff has decided to get married. He sits and discusses his wishes for a bride with the matchmaker Lukinishna.

The man does not need riches, he is not poor himself, and he considers it shameful to use his wife’s money. He does not need beauty, much less intelligence. What matters most to the captain is that the bride should be a fool.

Such a woman, when she marries, will respect and adore her husband and obey him in everything. Stupid women are the most malleable, have no opinion and idolize their spouse. This is exactly the kind of wife the retired captain needs.

Lukinishna tells him about one «fool» — the merchant’s daughter. But Sousov does not like her.

He thinks that this woman is not suitable for him and asks to find another bride. Lukinishna agrees and offers to meet on Saturday to discuss other candidates.