Woodcocks by Alexandr Kuprin. Short summary

5 seconds

In early spring, the author hunts woodcock with pointer John.

The forester’s daughter, Ustinia, is offered game for a kiss by the author She laughs and calls to her father’s house for dinner to hear different stories again.

1 minute

White Poynter John is an excellent hunting dog of the English breed. But he has one weakness: he becomes unmanageable at the sight of a hare. And it happens because of the negligence of the round dog trainer Verevkin who trains the dog.

The dog is not suitable for the noble grouse and snipe hunting. The rider becomes frustrated and loses his fame as an expert in the hunt.

Now John and the author go on a woodcock hunt. No hares are seen in the early spring and it is safe to hunt. The pointer feels the birds coming up and makes a stand. The shot rattles. The dog searches for game.

Ustinya, the forester’s daughter, is standing on a hill and watching the hunt. The author offers her a few woodcocks for a kiss. But Ustinia laughs and shames him for his liberties. They bicker merrily.

Ustinia invites the author to dinner. She expects interesting stories about everything in the world. Subsequently, the author finds her a good groom.

Time passes and, as it seems to the author, there are no more competent foresters, no more Russian hunting, no more good dogs. Why so? The author does not know the answer.