An Adventure (a Driver's Story) Page #2

"An Adventure (A Driver's Story)" by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is a compelling short story that explores the life of a humble carriage driver who finds himself involved in a series of unexpected events during a fateful journey. Through vivid characterizations and Chekhov's signature style, the narrative delves into themes of class disparity, the human condition, and the often-overlooked struggles of everyday life. The driver's reflections and encounters reveal profound insights into the nature of existence, leaving readers with a sense of empathy for those who navigate the challenges of their circumstances.

								

with her, and was so attentive to her that the girl, only think, gave
her the parcel of notes.

"I will put it away, darling, and to-morrow morning I will give it you
back and take you home, dearie."

The woman took the money, and put Anyutka to sleep on the stove where at
the time the brooms were drying. And on the same stove, on the brooms,
the forester's daughter, a girl as small as our Anyutka, was asleep. And
Anyutka used to tell us afterwards that there was such a scent from the
brooms, they smelt of honey! Anyutka lay down, but she could not get to
sleep, she kept crying quietly; she was sorry for father, and terrified.
But, sir, an hour or two passed, and she saw those very three robbers
who had tortured father walk into the hut; and the one in the crimson
shirt, with big jaws, their leader, went up to the woman and said:

"Well, wife, we have simply murdered a man for nothing. To-day we killed
a man at dinner-time, we killed him all right, but not a farthing did we
find."

So this fellow in the crimson shirt turned out to be the forester, the
woman's husband.

"The man's dead for nothing," said his ragged companions. "In vain we
have taken a sin on our souls."

The forester's wife looked at all three and laughed.

"What are you laughing at, silly?"

"I am laughing because I haven't murdered anyone, and I have not taken
any sin on my soul, but I have found the money."

"What money? What nonsense are you talking!"

"Here, look whether I am talking nonsense."

The forester's wife untied the parcel and, wicked woman, showed them the
money. Then she described how Anyutka had come, what she had said, and
so on. The murderers were delighted and began to divide the money
between them, they almost quarrelled, then they sat down to the table,
you know, to drink. And Anyutka lay there, poor child, hearing every
word and shaking like a Jew in a frying-pan. What was she to do? And
from their words she learned that father was dead and lying across the
road, and she fancied, in her foolishness, that the wolves and the dogs
would eat father, and that our horse had gone far away into the forest,
and would be eaten by wolves too, and that she, Anyutka herself, would
be put in prison and beaten, because she had not taken care of the
money. The robbers got drunk and sent the woman for vodka. They gave her
five roubles for vodka and sweet wine. They set to singing and drinking
on other people's money. They drank and drank, the dogs, and sent the
woman off again that they might drink beyond all bounds.

"We will keep it up till morning," they cried. "We have plenty of money
now, there is no need to spare! Drink, and don't drink away your wits."

And so at midnight, when they were all fairly fuddled, the woman ran off
for vodka the third time, and the forester strode twice up and down the
cottage, and he was staggering.

"Look here, lads," he said, "we must make away with the girl, too! If we
leave her, she will be the first to bear witness against us."

They talked it over and discussed it, and decided that Anyutka must not
be left alive, that she must be killed. Of course, to murder an innocent
child's a fearful thing, even a man drunken or crazy would not take such
a job on himself. They were quarrelling for maybe an hour which was to
kill her, one tried to put it on the other, they almost fought again,
and no one would agree to do it; then they cast lots. It fell to the
forester. He drank another full glass, cleared his throat, and went to
the outer room for an axe.

But Anyutka was a sharp wench. For all she was so simple, she thought of
something that, I must say, not many an educated man would have thought
of. Maybe the Lord had compassion on her, and gave her sense for the
moment, or perhaps it was the fright sharpened her wits, anyway when it
came to the test it turned out that she was cleverer than anyone. She
got up stealthily, prayed to God, took the little sheepskin, the one the
forester's wife had put over her, and, you understand, the forester's
little daughter, a girl of the same age as herself, was lying on the
stove beside her. She covered this girl with the sheepskin, and took the
woman's jacket off her and threw it over herself. Disguised herself, in
fact. She put it over her head, and so walked across the hut by the
drunken men, and they thought it was the forester's daughter, and did
not even look at her. Luckily for her the woman was not in the hut, she
had gone for vodka, or maybe she would not have escaped the axe, for a
woman's eyes are as far-seeing as a buzzard's. A woman's eyes are sharp.

Anyutka came out of the hut, and ran as fast as her legs could carry
her. All night she was lost in the forest, but towards morning she came
out to the edge and ran along the road. By the mercy of God she met the
clerk Yegor Danilitch, the kingdom of Heaven be his. He was going along
with his hooks to catch fish. Anyutka told him all about it. He went
back quicker than he came--thought no more of the fish--gathered the
peasants together in the village, and off they went to the forester's.

They got there, and all the murderers were lying side by side, dead
drunk, each where he had fallen; the woman, too, was drunk. First thing
they searched them; they took the money and then looked on the stove--the
Holy Cross be with us! The forester's child was lying on the brooms,
under the sheepskin, and her head was in a pool of blood, chopped off by
the axe. They roused the peasants and the woman, tied their hands behind
them, and took them to the district court; the woman howled, but the
forester only shook his head and asked:

"You might give me a drop, lads! My head aches!"

Afterwards they were tried in the town in due course, and punished with
the utmost rigour of the law.

So that's what happened, sir, beyond the forest there, that lies behind
the creek. Now you can scarcely see it, the sun is setting red behind
it. I have been talking to you, and the horses have stopped, as though
they were listening too. Hey there, my beauties! Move more briskly, the
good gentleman will give us something extra. Hey, you darlings!
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