Book Ten
boys

I
Kolya Krasotkin

November at the beginning. We had a frost of eleven degrees, and with it sleet. A bit of dry snow fell on the frozen ground during the night, and the “dry and sharp” wind picks it up and sweeps it through the boring streets of our town, and especially through the market square. Cloudy morning, but the snow stopped. Not far from the square, not far from the Plotnikovs' shop, there is a small, very clean house both outside and inside, the house of the official's widow, Krasotkina. The provincial secretary Krasotkin himself died a very long time ago, almost fourteen years ago, but his widow, thirty years old and still a very pretty lady, is alive and lives in her clean house "with her own capital." She lives honestly and timidly, with a gentle but rather cheerful character. She remained after her husband of eighteen years, having lived with him for only about a year and had just given birth to his son. Since then, since his death, she devoted herself entirely to raising this little boy Kolya of hers, and although she loved him all fourteen years without memory, she, of course, endured incomparably more suffering with him than she survived joys, trembling and dying from fear, almost every day, that he would fall ill, catch a cold, catch a cold, climb onto a chair and fall down, and so on and so forth. When Kolya began to go to school and then to our progymnasium, his mother rushed to study all the sciences with him in order to help him and rehearse lessons with him, rushed to get acquainted with teachers and their wives, even caressed Kolya’s comrades, schoolchildren, and foxed before them, so that they would not touch Kolya, would not mock him, would not beat him. She brought it to the point that the boys actually began to mock him through her and began to tease him with the fact that he was a sissy. But the boy managed to defend himself. He was a brave boy, "terribly strong," as the rumor about him in the class swept through and soon established itself, he was dexterous, stubborn in character, audacious and enterprising spirit. He studied well, and there was even a rumor that he, both from arithmetic and from world history, would knock down the teacher Dardanelov himself. But the boy, although he looked down on everyone, turning up his nose, was a good comrade and did not exalt himself. He took the respect of the schoolchildren for granted, but kept himself friendly. The main thing is that he knew the measure, he knew how to restrain himself on occasion, and in relations with his superiors he never crossed some last and cherished line, beyond which a misdemeanor can no longer be tolerated, turning into disorder, rebellion and lawlessness. And yet, he was very, very not averse to fooling around at every opportunity, fooling around like the very last boy, and not so much fooling around as tricking something, doing wonders, giving "extrafefer", chic, showing off. Most importantly, he was very selfish. He even managed to put subordinates into his relationship with his mother, acting on her almost arbitrarily. She obeyed, oh, she had long since obeyed, and only she could not endure the mere thought that the boy “loved her little.” It constantly seemed to her that Kolya was “insensitive” to her, and there were times when, shedding hysterical tears, she began to reproach him for being cold. The boy did not like this, and the more they demanded from him heartfelt outpourings, the more unyielding, as it were on purpose, became. But this happened with him not on purpose, but involuntarily - such was his character. His mother was wrong: he loved his mother very much, and did not love only “calf tenderness,” as he put it in his schoolboy language. After the father left a cupboard in which several books were kept; Kolya loved to read and had already read some of them to himself. Mother was not embarrassed by this, and only sometimes wondered how this boy, instead of going to play, stood by the cupboard for whole hours over some book. And in this way, Kolya read something that he should not have been allowed to read at his age. However, in Lately although the boy did not like to cross a certain line in his pranks, pranks began that frightened his mother in earnest - it is true, they were not immoral, but desperate, cutthroat. Just that summer, in the month of July, during vacations, it happened that mother and son went to stay for a week in another county, seventy miles away, to a distant relative, whose husband served at the station railway (the very station closest to our city from which Ivan Fyodorovich Karamazov left for Moscow a month later). There, Kolya began by looking at the railway in detail, studying the routines, realizing that he could show off his new knowledge when he returned home, among the schoolchildren of his progymnasium. But just at that time there were also several other boys, with whom he made friends; some of them lived at the station, others in the neighborhood - all the young people from twelve to fifteen years old came together about six or seven, and two of them happened from our town. The boys played together, played pranks, and on the fourth or fifth day of their stay at the station, an incredible bet of two rubles took place between the stupid youth, namely: Kolya, almost the youngest of all, and therefore somewhat despised by the elders, out of pride or out of shameless courage, suggested that he, at night, when the eleven o'clock train arrives, lie prone between the rails and lie motionless while the train rushes over him at full speed. True, a preliminary study was made, from which it turned out that it is really possible to stretch and flatten along between the rails so that the train, of course, will pass and not touch the one who is lying, but, nevertheless, what a lie! Kolya stood firmly that he would lie down. At first they laughed at him, called him a liar, a fanfare, but they encouraged him all the more. The main thing is that these fifteen-year-olds turned up their noses in front of him too much and at first did not even want to consider him a comrade, as a “little one”, which was already unbearably insulting. And so it was decided to leave in the evening for a verst from the station, so that the train, having left the station, had time to completely scatter. The boys have gathered. The night was moonless, not that dark, but almost black. At the proper hour, Kolya lay down between the rails. The five others who had wagered, with bated breath, and finally in fear and remorse, waited at the bottom of the embankment beside the road in the bushes. Finally, a train rumbled out of the station in the distance. Two red lanterns flashed out of the darkness, an approaching monster rumbled. "Run, run away from the rails!" the boys, who were dying of fear, shouted to Kolya from the bushes, but it was too late: the train galloped up and rushed past. The boys rushed to Kolya: he lay motionless. They began to pull at him, began to lift him up. He suddenly got up and silently descended from the embankment. Going downstairs, he announced that he had purposely been lying unconscious in order to frighten them, but the truth was that he had indeed lost consciousness, as he later admitted, long later, to his mother. Thus the glory of the "desperate" behind him was strengthened forever. He returned home to the station pale as a sheet. The next day he fell ill with a slightly nervous fever, but in spirit he was terribly cheerful, glad and pleased. The incident was announced not now, but already in our city, penetrated into the progymnasium and reached its superiors. But then mother Kolya rushed to pray to the authorities for her boy and ended up defending him and begging for him by the respected and influential teacher Dardanelov, and the matter was left in vain, as if it had never happened at all. This Dardanelov, a single and not old man, was passionately and for many years already in love with Madame Krasotkina, and already once, about a year ago, most respectfully and dying from fear and delicacy, he ventured to offer her his hand; but she flatly refused, considering consent to be a betrayal of her boy, although Dardanelov, according to some mysterious signs, might even have had some right to dream that he was not completely disgusted by the charming, but already too chaste and tender widow. Kolya's crazy prank, it seems, broke through the ice, and for his intercession a hint of hope was made to Dardanelov for his intercession, though a distant one, but Dardanelov himself was a phenomenon of purity and delicacy, and therefore it was enough for him for the time being to complete his happiness. He loved the boy, although he would have considered it humiliating to curry favor with him, and treated him sternly and demandingly in the classes. But Kolya himself kept him at a respectful distance, prepared his lessons perfectly, was the second student in the class, addressed Dardanelov dryly, and the whole class firmly believed that Kolya was so strong in world history that he would “knock down” Dardanelov himself. And indeed, Kolya once asked him the question: “Who founded Troy?” - to which Dardanelov answered only in general about the peoples, their movements and migrations, about the depth of time, about fables, but he could not answer who exactly founded Troy, that is, what kind of persons, and even found the question for some reason idle and bankrupt. But the boys remained convinced that Dardanelov did not know who founded Troy. Kolya read about the founders of Troy from Smaragdov, who was kept in a closet with books, which was left after his parent. It ended up that everyone, even the boys, finally became interested: who exactly founded Troy, but Krasotkin did not reveal his secret, and the glory of knowledge remained unshakable for him. After the incident on the railroad, Kolya's attitude towards his mother underwent some change. When Anna Fedorovna (Krasotkin's widow) found out about her son's feat, she almost went crazy with horror. She had such terrible fits of hysteria, which lasted intermittently for several days, that Kolya, already seriously frightened, gave her an honest and noble word that such pranks would never happen again. He swore on his knees before the image and swore by the memory of his father, as Madame Krasotkina herself demanded, and the "courageous" Kolya himself burst into tears, like a six-year-old boy, from "feelings", and mother and son all that day threw themselves into each other's arms and cried shaking . The next day, Kolya woke up still “insensitive”, but became more silent, more modest, stricter, more thoughtful. True, after a month and a half, he was again caught in one prank, and his name even became known to our justice of the peace, but the prank was already of a completely different kind, even funny and stupid, and, as it turned out, it was not he himself who committed it, but only found himself involved in it. But more on that later. The mother continued to tremble and suffer, and Dardanelov, as her worries, more and more perceived hope. It should be noted that Kolya understood and unraveled Dardanelov from this side and, of course, deeply despised him for his "feelings"; before, he even had the indelicacy to show his contempt in front of his mother, remotely hinting to her that he understood what Dardanelov was trying to achieve. But after the accident on the railroad, he changed his behavior on this subject too: he no longer allowed himself hints, even the most distant ones, and he began to speak of Dardanelov more respectfully in his mother’s presence, which the sensitive Anna Fedorovna immediately realized with boundless gratitude in her heart, but but at the slightest, most unexpected word, even from some stranger about Dardanelov, if Kolya was present at the same time, she suddenly flared up with shame, like a rose. Kolya, at that moment, either looked frowningly out the window, or looked to see if he was being asked for porridge boots, or fiercely called Chime, a shaggy, rather large and lousy dog, which he suddenly acquired from somewhere for a month, dragged into the house and kept for some reason something in secret in the rooms, not showing it to anyone from her comrades. He tyrannized terribly, teaching her all sorts of things and sciences, and brought the poor dog to the point that she howled without him when he went to classes, and when he came, she squealed with delight, jumped like crazy, served, fell to the ground and pretended to be dead and so on. , in a word, she showed all the things that she was taught, no longer on demand, but solely from the ardor of her enthusiastic feelings and a grateful heart. By the way: I forgot to mention that Kolya Krasotkin was the same boy whom the already familiar boy Ilyusha, the son of a retired staff captain Snegirev, stabbed in the thigh with a penknife, standing up for his father, whom the schoolchildren teased with a “washcloth”.

November at the beginning. We had a frost of eleven degrees, and with it sleet. A bit of dry snow fell on the frozen ground during the night, and the “dry and sharp” wind picks it up and sweeps it through the boring streets of our town, and especially through the market square. Cloudy morning, but the snow stopped. Not far from the square, not far from the Plotnikovs' shop, there is a small, very clean house both outside and inside, the house of the official's widow, Krasotkina. The provincial secretary Krasotkin himself died a very long time ago, almost fourteen years ago, but his widow, thirty years old and still a very pretty lady, is alive and lives in her clean house "with her own capital." She lives honestly and timidly, with a gentle but rather cheerful character. She remained after her husband of eighteen years, having lived with him for only about a year and had just given birth to his son. Since then, since his death, she devoted herself entirely to raising this little boy Kolya of hers, and although she loved him all fourteen years without memory, she, of course, endured incomparably more suffering with him than she survived joys, trembling and dying from fear, almost every day, that he would fall ill, catch a cold, catch a cold, climb onto a chair and fall down, and so on and so forth. When Kolya began to go to school and then to our progymnasium, his mother rushed to study all the sciences with him in order to help him and rehearse lessons with him, rushed to get acquainted with teachers and their wives, even caressed Kolya’s comrades, schoolchildren, and foxed before them, so that they would not touch Kolya, would not mock him, would not beat him. She brought it to the point that the boys actually began to mock him through her and began to tease him with the fact that he was a sissy. But the boy managed to defend himself. He was a brave boy, "terribly strong," as the rumor about him in the class swept through and soon established itself, he was dexterous, stubborn in character, audacious and enterprising spirit. He studied well, and there was even a rumor that he, both from arithmetic and from world history, would knock down the teacher Dardanelov himself. But the boy, although he looked down on everyone, turning up his nose, was a good comrade and did not exalt himself. He took the respect of the schoolchildren for granted, but kept himself friendly. The main thing is that he knew the measure, he knew how to restrain himself on occasion, and in relations with his superiors he never crossed some last and cherished line, beyond which a misdemeanor can no longer be tolerated, turning into disorder, rebellion and lawlessness. And yet, he was very, very not averse to fooling around at every opportunity, fooling around like the very last boy, and not so much fooling around as tricking something, doing wonders, giving "extrafefer", chic, showing off. Most importantly, he was very selfish. He even managed to put subordinates into his relationship with his mother, acting on her almost arbitrarily. She obeyed, oh, she had long since obeyed, and only she could not endure the mere thought that the boy “loved her little.” It constantly seemed to her that Kolya was “insensitive” to her, and there were times when, shedding hysterical tears, she began to reproach him for being cold. The boy did not like this, and the more they demanded from him heartfelt outpourings, the more unyielding, as it were on purpose, became. But this happened with him not on purpose, but involuntarily - such was his character. His mother was wrong: he loved his mother very much, and did not love only “calf tenderness,” as he put it in his schoolboy language. After the father left a cupboard in which several books were kept; Kolya loved to read and had already read some of them to himself. Mother was not embarrassed by this, and only sometimes wondered how this boy, instead of going to play, stood by the cupboard for whole hours over some book. And in this way, Kolya read something that he should not have been allowed to read at his age. However, lately, although the boy did not like to cross a certain line in his pranks, pranks began that frightened his mother in earnest - it is true, not some immoral ones, but desperate, cutthroat ones. Just that summer, in the month of July, during vacations, it happened that mother and son went to stay for a week in another county, seventy miles away, to a distant relative, whose husband worked at a railway station (the very same, nearest from our city, the station from which Ivan Fyodorovich Karamazov set off for Moscow a month later). There, Kolya began by looking at the railway in detail, studying the routines, realizing that he could show off his new knowledge when he returned home, among the schoolchildren of his progymnasium. But just at that time there were also several other boys, with whom he made friends; some of them lived at the station, others in the neighborhood - all the young people from twelve to fifteen years old came together about six or seven, and two of them happened from our town. The boys played together, played pranks, and on the fourth or fifth day of their stay at the station, an incredible bet of two rubles took place between the stupid youth, namely: Kolya, almost the youngest of all, and therefore somewhat despised by the elders, out of pride or out of shameless courage, suggested that he, at night, when the eleven o'clock train arrives, lie prone between the rails and lie motionless while the train rushes over him at full speed. True, a preliminary study was made, from which it turned out that it is really possible to stretch and flatten along between the rails so that the train, of course, will pass and not touch the one who is lying, but, nevertheless, what a lie! Kolya stood firmly that he would lie down. At first they laughed at him, called him a liar, a fanfare, but they encouraged him all the more. The main thing is that these fifteen-year-olds turned up their noses in front of him too much and at first did not even want to consider him a comrade, as a “little one”, which was already unbearably insulting. And so it was decided to leave in the evening for a verst from the station, so that the train, having left the station, had time to completely scatter. The boys have gathered. The night was moonless, not that dark, but almost black. At the proper hour, Kolya lay down between the rails. The five others who had wagered, with bated breath, and finally in fear and remorse, waited at the bottom of the embankment beside the road in the bushes. Finally, a train rumbled out of the station in the distance. Two red lanterns flashed out of the darkness, an approaching monster rumbled. "Run, run away from the rails!" the boys, who were dying of fear, shouted to Kolya from the bushes, but it was too late: the train galloped up and rushed past. The boys rushed to Kolya: he lay motionless. They began to pull at him, began to lift him up. He suddenly got up and silently descended from the embankment. Going downstairs, he announced that he had purposely been lying unconscious in order to frighten them, but the truth was that he had indeed lost consciousness, as he later admitted, long later, to his mother. Thus the glory of the "desperate" behind him was strengthened forever. He returned home to the station pale as a sheet. The next day he fell ill with a slightly nervous fever, but in spirit he was terribly cheerful, glad and pleased. The incident was announced not now, but already in our city, penetrated into the progymnasium and reached its superiors. But then mother Kolya rushed to pray to the authorities for her boy and ended up defending him and begging for him by the respected and influential teacher Dardanelov, and the matter was left in vain, as if it had never happened at all. This Dardanelov, a single and not old man, was passionately and for many years already in love with Madame Krasotkina, and already once, about a year ago, most respectfully and dying from fear and delicacy, he ventured to offer her his hand; but she flatly refused, considering consent to be a betrayal of her boy, although Dardanelov, according to some mysterious signs, might even have had some right to dream that he was not completely disgusted by the charming, but already too chaste and tender widow. Kolya's crazy prank, it seems, broke through the ice, and for his intercession a hint of hope was made to Dardanelov for his intercession, though a distant one, but Dardanelov himself was a phenomenon of purity and delicacy, and therefore it was enough for him for the time being to complete his happiness. He loved the boy, although he would have considered it humiliating to curry favor with him, and treated him sternly and demandingly in the classes. But Kolya himself kept him at a respectful distance, prepared his lessons perfectly, was the second student in the class, addressed Dardanelov dryly, and the whole class firmly believed that Kolya was so strong in world history that he would “knock down” Dardanelov himself. And indeed, Kolya once asked him the question: “Who founded Troy?” - to which Dardanelov answered only in general about the peoples, their movements and migrations, about the depth of times, about fables, but he could not answer who exactly founded Troy, that is, what kind of persons, and even found the question for some reason idle and bankrupt. But the boys remained convinced that Dardanelov did not know who founded Troy. Kolya read about the founders of Troy from Smaragdov, who was kept in a closet with books, which was left after his parent. It ended up that everyone, even the boys, finally became interested: who exactly founded Troy, but Krasotkin did not reveal his secret, and the glory of knowledge remained unshakable for him.

After the incident on the railroad, Kolya's attitude towards his mother underwent some change. When Anna Fedorovna (Krasotkin's widow) found out about her son's feat, she almost went crazy with horror. She had such terrible fits of hysteria, which lasted intermittently for several days, that Kolya, already seriously frightened, gave her an honest and noble word that such pranks would never happen again. He swore on his knees before the image and swore by the memory of his father, as Madame Krasotkina herself demanded, and the "courageous" Kolya himself burst into tears, like a six-year-old boy, from "feelings", and mother and son all that day threw themselves into each other's arms and cried shaking . The next day, Kolya woke up still “insensitive”, but became more silent, more modest, stricter, more thoughtful. True, after a month and a half, he was again caught in one prank, and his name even became known to our justice of the peace, but the prank was already of a completely different kind, even funny and stupid, and, as it turned out, it was not he himself who committed it, but only found himself involved in it. But more on that later. The mother continued to tremble and suffer, and Dardanelov, in proportion to her worries, perceived hope more and more. It should be noted that Kolya understood and unraveled Dardanelov from this side and, of course, deeply despised him for his "feelings"; before, he even had the indelicacy to show his contempt in front of his mother, remotely hinting to her that he understood what Dardanelov was trying to achieve. But after the accident on the railroad, he changed his behavior on this subject too: he no longer allowed himself hints, even the most distant ones, and he began to speak of Dardanelov more respectfully in his mother’s presence, which the sensitive Anna Fedorovna immediately realized with boundless gratitude in her heart, but but at the slightest, most unexpected word, even from some stranger about Dardanelov, if Kolya was present at the same time, she suddenly flared up with shame, like a rose. Kolya, at that moment, either looked frowningly out the window, or looked to see if he was being asked for porridge boots, or fiercely called Chime, a shaggy, rather large and lousy dog, which he suddenly acquired from somewhere for a month, dragged into the house and kept for some reason something in secret in the rooms, not showing it to anyone from her comrades. He tyrannized terribly, teaching her all sorts of things and sciences, and brought the poor dog to the point that she howled without him when he went to classes, and when he came, she squealed with delight, jumped like crazy, served, fell to the ground and pretended to be dead and so on. , in a word, she showed all the things that she was taught, no longer on demand, but solely from the ardor of her enthusiastic feelings and a grateful heart.

By the way: I forgot to mention that Kolya Krasotkin was the same boy whom the already familiar boy Ilyusha, the son of a retired staff captain Snegirev, stabbed in the thigh with a penknife, standing up for his father, whom the schoolchildren teased with a “washcloth”.

II. kids

So, on that frosty and wild November morning, the boy Kolya Krasotkin was sitting at home. It was Sunday and there were no classes. But it was already eleven o'clock, and he certainly had to go from the yard "on one very important matter," and meanwhile he remained alone in the whole house and decidedly as its keeper, because it so happened that all its older inhabitants, for some urgent and original circumstance, they left the yard. In Krasotkina's widow's house, across the hallway from the apartment she herself occupied, there was another and the only apartment in the house consisting of two small rooms for rent, and her doctor's wife and her two small children occupied it. This doctor was the same age as Anna Fyodorovna and was a great friend of hers, but the doctor himself had been visiting for about a year, first to Orenburg, and then to Tashkent, and for half a year there was not a word from him, so if If it weren't for the friendship with Madame Krasotkina, which somewhat softened the grief of the abandoned doctor, she would definitely have shed tears from this grief. And so, to complete all the oppressions of fate, it had to happen that on that same night, from Saturday to Sunday, Katerina, the doctor's only maid, suddenly and quite unexpectedly for her mistress announced to her that she intended to give birth to a baby by morning. How it happened that no one noticed this in advance was almost a miracle for everyone. The amazed doctor's wife decided, while there was still time, to take Katerina to one institution adapted for such cases in our town with a midwife. Since she valued this servant very much, she immediately fulfilled her project, took her away and, moreover, remained there with her. Then, in the morning, for some reason, all the friendly participation and help of Mrs. Krasotkina herself was needed, who in this case could ask someone for something and provide some protection. Thus, both ladies were away, the maid of Madame Krasotkina herself, Baba Agafya, went to the market, and Kolya thus found himself for a time the guardian and guardian of the "bubbles", that is, the doctor's boy and girl, left alone. Kolya was not afraid to guard the house, besides, Chime was with him, who was ordered to lie face down in the hallway under the bench "without movement" and for this very reason, every time Kolya, who paced around the rooms, entered the hallway, he shook his head and gave two hard and ingratiating blows with their tails on the floor, but alas, there was no inviting whistle. Kolya looked menacingly at the unfortunate dog, and he again froze in an obedient stupor. But if anything confused Kolya, then only "bubbles". Of course, he looked at the unexpected adventure with Katerina with the deepest contempt, but he loved the orphaned bubbles very much and had already taken them some kind of children's book. Nastya, the eldest girl, already eight years old, knew how to read, and the younger bubble, a seven-year-old boy Kostya, loved to listen when Nastya read to him. Of course, Krasotkin could entertain them more interestingly, that is, put both of them side by side and start playing soldiers with them or hiding all over the house. He had done this more than once before and did not disdain to do it, so that even in the classroom it was once spread among them that Krasotkin was playing horses with his little tenants at home, jumping for the harness and bending his head, but Krasotkin proudly parried this accusation, exposing that with peers, with thirteen-year-olds, it would really be shameful to play horses “in our age”, but that he does this for “bubbles”, because he loves them, and in his feelings no one dares to ask him for an account . But both "bubbles" adored him. But this time there was no time for toys. He had one very important business of his own, and in appearance it was almost even mysterious, meanwhile time was running out, and Agafya, for whom one could have left the children, still did not want to return from the market. He had already crossed the passage several times, opened the door to the doctor's office, and anxiously looked around the "bubbles" who, on his orders, were sitting at the book, and every time he opened the door, they silently smiled at him from the bottom of their mouths, expecting that there he was. come in and do something beautiful and funny. But Kolya was in mental anxiety and did not enter. Finally it struck eleven, and he firmly and definitively decided that if in ten minutes the "damned" Agafya did not return, then he would leave the yard without waiting for her, of course, taking the word from the "bubbles" that they would not be afraid without him, they would not be naughty and will not weep for fear. In these thoughts, he dressed himself in his wadded winter coat with a fur collar made of some kind of cat, hung his bag over his shoulder and, despite his mother’s previous repeated entreaties, that he should always put on galoshes when leaving the yard in “such a cold”, only looked at them contemptuously as he passed through the ante-room, and went out in only his boots. The chime, seeing him dressed, began to vigorously tap his tail on the floor, nervously twitching all over, and even let out a plaintive howl, but Kolya, seeing such a passionate impetuosity of his dog, concluded that this was harmful to discipline, and at least a minute, but withstood he was still under the bench and, having already opened only the door to the passage, he suddenly whistled for him. The dog jumped up like crazy and rushed to jump in front of him with delight. Crossing the entrance, Kolya opened the door to the "bubbles". Both were still sitting at the table, but they were no longer reading, but were arguing heatedly about something. These children often argued with each other about various challenging everyday subjects, and Nastya, as the eldest, always prevailed; Kostya, if he did not agree with her, he almost always went to appeal to Kolya Krasotkin, and as he decided, so it remained in the form of an absolute verdict for all parties. This time Krasotkin was somewhat interested in the dispute between the "bubbles", and he stopped at the door to listen. The children saw that he was listening, and they continued their bickering with even greater passion.

“I will never, never believe,” Nastya babbled hotly, “that midwives find little children in the garden, between the beds with cabbage. Now it is winter, and there are no beds, and grandmother could not bring Katerina a daughter.

- Phew! Kolya whistled to himself.

- Or like this: they bring from somewhere, but only to those who get married.

Kostya looked intently at Nastya, listened thoughtfully and thought.

“Nastya, what a fool you are,” he finally said firmly and without getting excited, “how can Katerina have a baby when she is not married?

Nastya got terribly hot.

“You don’t understand anything,” she interrupted irritably, “maybe she had a husband, but only he is in prison, and she gave birth.”

Does she have a husband in prison? positive Kostya inquired importantly.

“Or like this,” Nastya quickly interrupted, completely abandoning and forgetting her first hypothesis, “she doesn’t have a husband, you’re right, but she wants to get married, so she began to think about how she would get married, and she kept thinking, thinking and thinking and Until then, I thought that here he was with her and became not a husband, but a baby.

“Well, isn’t it so,” Kostya, completely defeated, agreed, “but you didn’t say this before, so how could I know.

“Well, kids,” Kolya said, stepping into their room, “you are a dangerous people, I see!”

- And Chime with you? Kostya grinned and began snapping his fingers and calling Chime.

“Bubbles, I’m in trouble,” Krasotkin began importantly, “and you must help me: Agafya, of course, broke her leg, because she still hasn’t appeared, it’s been decided and signed, but I need it from the yard. Will you let me go or not?

The children exchanged worried glances with each other, their grinning faces began to express anxiety. However, they still did not fully understand what they were trying to achieve.

- Will you play pranks without me? Won't you climb on the closet, won't you break your legs? Do not cry from fear alone?

The faces of the children expressed a terrible longing.

- And I could show you one thing for that, a copper cannon, from which you can shoot with real gunpowder.

The children's faces instantly cleared up.

“Show me the cannon,” Kostya said, beaming all over.

Krasotkin put his hand into his bag and, taking out a small bronze cannon, placed it on the table.

- Show me something! Look, on wheels, - he rolled the toy on the table, - and you can shoot. Shot load and shoot.

- And kill?

“He’ll kill everyone, it’s only worth pointing,” and Krasotkin explained where to put the gunpowder, where to roll in the pellet, pointed to a hole in the form of a seed and said that there was a rollback. The children listened with great curiosity. They were especially struck by their imagination that there is a rollback.

- Do you have gunpowder? - Nastya inquired.

“Show me the gunpowder, too,” she drawled with a begging smile.

Krasotkin again climbed into the bag and took out a small vial, in which, indeed, some real gunpowder was poured, and in the folded piece of paper there were several grains of shot. He even uncorked the vial and poured a little gunpowder into his palm.

“Here, but there would be no fire anywhere, otherwise it would blow up and kill us all,” Krasotkin warned for effect.

The children looked at the gunpowder with awe that added to the pleasure. But Kostya liked the fraction more.

- And the shot does not burn? he inquired.

- The shot does not burn.

“Give me some fractions,” he said in an imploring voice.

- I’ll give you a little fraction, here, take it, just don’t show your mother before me until I come back, otherwise she’ll think it’s gunpowder, and she’ll die of fear, and she’ll flog you.

“Mom never flogs us with a rod,” Nastya immediately noticed.

- I know, I just said it for the sake of style. And you never deceive your mother, but this time - until I come. So, bubbles, can I go or not? Won't you cry without me from fear?

“For-crying,” Kostya drawled, already preparing to cry.

We will cry, we will certainly cry! - Nastya also picked up in a timid patter.

“Oh, children, children, how dangerous your years are. Nothing to do, chicks, I'll have to sit with you I don't know how long. And time, time, wow!

“Order Chime to pretend to be dead,” Kostya asked.

- Yes, there is nothing to do, you will have to resort to Chime. Isi, Chime! - And Kolya began to command the dog, and she imagined everything she knew. It was a shaggy dog, the size of an ordinary mongrel, with some kind of gray-lilac hair. Her right eye was crooked, and for some reason her left ear was slit. She squealed and jumped, served, walked on her hind legs, threw herself on her back with all four paws up and lay motionless as if dead. During this last thing, the door opened, and Agafya, Madame Krasotkina's fat maid, a pockmarked woman of about forty, appeared on the threshold, returning from the market with a bag of purchased provisions in her hand. She stood up and, holding a bag on a plumb line in her left hand, began to look at the dog. Kolya, no matter how he waited for Agafya, did not interrupt the performance and, having endured Chime for a certain time dead, finally whistled to him: the dog jumped up and started jumping for joy that he had fulfilled his duty.

- Look, dog! Agafya said instructively.

“What are you, female, late?” Krasotkin asked menacingly.

- Female, oh pimple!

- Bubble?

- And a pimple. It doesn’t matter to you that I’m late, it means that it’s necessary if I’m late, ”Agafya muttered, starting to fiddle around the stove, but in a voice that was not at all dissatisfied and not angry, but, on the contrary, very pleased, as if rejoicing at the opportunity to scoff with a cheerful barchon.

“Listen, frivolous old woman,” Krasotkin began, getting up from the sofa, “can you swear to me by everything that is sacred in this world, and, moreover, by something else, that you will tirelessly watch the bubbles in my absence?” I'm leaving the yard.

“Why would I swear to you?” Agafya laughed, “I’ll keep an eye on it.

- No, not otherwise than by swearing the eternal salvation of your soul. Otherwise, I won't leave.

“And don't leave. What do I care, it's cold outside, stay at home.

“Bubbles,” Kolya turned to the children, “this woman will stay with you until my arrival or until your mother arrives, because she would have to return long ago. Moreover, he will give you breakfast. Will you give them something, Agafya?

– It is possible.

- Goodbye, chicks, I'm leaving with a calm heart. And you, grandma, - he said in an undertone and importantly, passing Agafya, - I hope you won’t lie to them your usual womanish nonsense about Katerina, you will spare your childhood. Isi, Chime!

- And well, you to God, - Agafya snapped already with a heart. - Funny! To flog himself, that's what, for such words.

III. Schoolboy

But Kolya was no longer listening. Finally, he could leave. Going out the gate, he looked around, shrugged his shoulders and, saying: "Frost!", Headed straight along the street and then to the right along the lane to the market square. Not reaching one house to the square, he stopped at the gate, took a whistle from his pocket and whistled with all his might, as if giving a conventional signal. He had to wait no more than a minute, and a ruddy-faced boy, about eleven years old, also dressed in a warm, clean and even smart coat, suddenly jumped out of the gate to him. It was the boy Smurov, who was in the preparatory class (while Kolya Krasotkin was already two classes higher), the son of a wealthy official and who, it seems, was not allowed by his parents to hang out with Krasotkin, as with the most famous desperate rascal, so Smurov, obviously, jumped out now furtively. This Smurov, if the reader has not forgotten, was one of the group of boys who two months ago threw stones across the ditch at Ilyusha, and who then told Alyosha Karamazov about Ilyusha.

"I've been waiting for you for an hour, Krasotkin," Smurov said with a resolute look, and the boys walked towards the square.

"I'm late," Krasotkin replied. - There are circumstances. They won't flog you, why are you with me?

- Well, come on, do they flog me? And Chime with you?

- And Chime!

- You and him there?

- And him there.

- Oh, if only the Bug!

- You can't Bug. The bug doesn't exist. The bug disappeared into the darkness of the unknown.

“Ah, couldn’t it be like that,” Smurov suddenly paused, “because Ilyusha says that Zhuchka was also shaggy and also the same gray-haired, smoky, like Chime, can’t you say that this is the same Beetle, he, maybe believe?

- Schoolboy, shun lies, this time; even for a good deed, two. And most importantly, I hope you did not announce anything about my arrival there.

“God forbid, I understand. But you can’t console him with Chimes,” Smurov sighed. - You know what: this father, captain, a washcloth, told us that today he would bring a puppy, a real Medelian, with a black nose; he thinks that this will console Ilyusha, but hardly?

- And what is he like, Ilyusha?

- Oh, bad, bad! I think he has tuberculosis. He is all in memory, only he breathes, breathes, he breathes badly. The other day he asked to be led, shod him in boots, he was about to go, and he falls down. “Ah, he says, I told you, dad, that I have bad boots, the old ones, it was embarrassing to walk in them before.” It was he who thought that he was falling down from his boots, but he was simply from weakness. It won't last a week. Herzenstube is driving. Now they are rich again, they have a lot of money.

- Rogues.

- Who are the rogues?

- Doctors, and all medical bastards, speaking in general, and, of course, in particular. I reject medicine. Useless institution. However, I am researching all of this. What kind of sentimentality do you have there, however, wound up? You are there with the whole class, it seems, stay?

“Not everyone, but about ten of ours go there, always, every day. It's nothing.

– The role of Alexei Karamazov surprises me in all this: tomorrow or the day after tomorrow his brother is on trial for such a crime, and he has so much time for sentimentalism with the boys!

“There is absolutely no sentimentality here. You yourself are now going to put up with Ilyusha.

- Reconcile? Funny expression. However, I do not allow anyone to analyze my actions.

- And how Ilyusha will be glad to see you! He does not imagine that you will come. Why, why didn't you want to go for so long? Smurov suddenly exclaimed with warmth.

“Dear boy, this is my business, not yours. I'm going on my own, because that's my will, and Alexei Karamazov dragged you all there, so that's the difference. And how do you know, maybe I'm not going to put up at all? Silly expression.

“Not Karamazov at all, not him at all. It's just that our people themselves began to go there, of course, first with Karamazov. And there was nothing like that, no nonsense. First one, then another. Father was terribly happy for us. You know, he'll just go crazy if Ilyusha dies. He sees that Ilyusha will die. And how glad we are that Ilyusha and I have reconciled. Ilyusha asked about you, but added nothing more. Ask and shut up. And the father will go crazy or hang himself. He had acted like a lunatic before. You know, he's a noble man, and then there was a mistake. All this parricide is to blame for beating him then.

– Still, Karamazov is a mystery to me. I could have known him long ago, but I like to be proud otherwise. Moreover, I formed an opinion about him, which still needs to be verified and explained.

Kolya importantly fell silent; Smurov too. Smurov, of course, was in awe of Kolya Krasotkin and did not even dare to think of equaling him. Now he was terribly interested, because Kolya explained that he was going “on his own”, and there was, therefore, certainly some kind of mystery in the fact that Kolya suddenly took it into his head now and just today to go. They walked along the market square, where this time there were many visiting carts and a lot of imported birds. City women traded bagels, threads and so on under their sheds. Such Sunday conventions are naively called fairs in our town, and there are many such fairs a year. The chime ran in a merry frame of mind, constantly dodging to the right and left to smell something somewhere. Meeting with other little dogs, he sniffed with them with unusual eagerness according to all dog rules.

“I like to observe realism, Smurov,” Kolya suddenly spoke up.

Have you noticed how dogs meet and sniff? There is a common law of nature between them.

- Yes, it's kind of funny.

- That is, not funny, you're wrong. There is nothing funny in nature, no matter how it may seem to a person with his prejudices. If dogs could reason and criticize, then they would probably find just as much, if not much more, in the social relations between people, their masters, if not much more; I repeat this because I am firmly convinced that we have much more stupidity. This is Rakitin's idea, a wonderful idea. I am a socialist, Smurov.

- What is a socialist? Smurov asked.

- This is if everyone is equal, everyone has one common property, there are no marriages, and religion and all laws are as anyone likes, well, everything else is there. You haven't grown up yet, it's too early for you. Cold, however.

- Yes. Twelve degrees. The other day my father looked at the thermometer.

“And you noticed, Smurov, that in the middle of winter, if it’s fifteen or even eighteen degrees, it doesn’t seem as cold as, for example, now, at the beginning of winter, when frost suddenly hits, as now, at twelve degrees, and even when the snow few. This means people are not used to it yet. People have a habit, in everything, even in state and political relations. Habit is the main driver. What a funny guy though.

Kolya pointed to a tall peasant in a sheepskin coat, with a good-natured physiognomy, who at his cart was clapping his mittened hands in the cold. His long blond beard was frosted all over.

- The man's beard is frozen! - Kolya shouted loudly and cockily, passing by him.

“It’s cold for many,” the peasant said calmly and sententiously in response.

"Don't bully him," Smurov remarked.

- Don't get mad, he's good. Farewell, Matthew.

- Goodbye.

- Are you Matthew?

- Matthew. You didn `t know?

- Did not know; I randomly said.

- Look, after all. Perhaps in schoolchildren?

- In schoolchildren.

- What are you, flogged?

- Not really, but yes.

- Hurt?

- Not without it!

- Oh, life! The man sighed from the bottom of his heart.

- Farewell, Matthew.

- Goodbye. Boy, you're cute, that's what.

"He's a good man," Kolya spoke to Smurov. “I love talking to people and am always happy to do justice to them.

“Why did you lie to him that they were whipping us?” Smurov asked.

Should I have consoled him?

– What is it?

“You see, Smurov, I don’t like it when they ask again if they don’t understand from the first word. Otherwise, it is impossible to interpret. According to the idea of ​​a peasant, a schoolboy is flogged and should be flogged: what, they say, is a schoolboy if he is not flogged? And suddenly I will tell him that we do not flog, because he will be upset by this. And yet, you don't understand it. You have to be able to speak with the people.

- Just don’t bully, please, otherwise the story will come out again, as then with this goose.

– Are you afraid?

“Don’t laugh, Kolya, by God, I’m afraid. The father will be terribly angry. I am strictly forbidden to go with you.

Don't worry, nothing will happen this time. Hello, Natasha, - he shouted to one of the merchants under a canopy.

“What kind of Natasha am I to you, I’m Marya,” the merchant, far from being an old woman, answered yellingly.

- It's good that Marya, goodbye.

- Oh, you shooter, you can’t see from the ground, but there too!

- Once, once I'm with you, next Sunday you will tell, - Kolya waved his hands, as if she was molesting him, and not he was molesting her.

What should I tell you on Sunday? I myself became attached, and not I to you, mischievous one, - Marya shouted, - to flog you, that's what, you are a well-known offender, that's what!

Laughter rang out among the other merchants, who were trading on their stalls next to Marya, when suddenly from under the arcade of the city shops jumped out for no reason at all an irritated person like a merchant clerk and not our merchant, but from visitors, in a long blue caftan, in a cap with a visor, still young, in dark blond curls and with a long, pale, pockmarked face. He was in some kind of stupid excitement and immediately began to threaten Kolya with his fist.

“I know you,” he exclaimed irritably, “I know you!”

Kolya looked at him intently. He could not remember anything when he could have had any kind of fight with this man. But you never know he had fights on the streets, it was impossible to remember all of them.

- You know? he asked ironically.

- Do I know you! Do I know you! - the tradesman ran like a fool.

- You're better off. Well, no time for me, goodbye!

- What are you arguing about? shouted the tradesman. – Are you being naughty again? Do I know you! Are you being naughty again?

“It’s none of your business now, brother, that I’m being naughty,” Kolya said, stopping and continuing to look at him.

- How not mine?

Yes, not yours.

- And whose is it? Whose? Well, whose is it?

- This, brother, is now Trifon Nikitich's business, and not yours.

- What kind of Trifon Nikitich? - with stupid surprise, although still getting excited, the guy stared at Kolya. Kolya gave him an important look.

- Did you go to Ascension? he suddenly asked sternly and insistently.

- To what Ascension? For what? No, I didn’t go, - the guy was taken aback a little.

Do you know Sabaneev? Kolya went on even more insistently and even more sternly.

- What are those Sabaneeva? No, I do not know.

- Well, to hell with you after that! Kolya suddenly snapped and, turning sharply to the right, quickly walked on his way, as if he despised talking to such an idiot that Sabaneeva does not even know.

- Stop, hey! What are those Sabaneeva? - the guy came to his senses, all excited again. - What was he saying? he suddenly turned to the merchants, looking at them stupidly.

The grandmothers laughed.

“Wise boy,” said one.

- What, what kind of Sabaneeva is he? - the guy repeated furiously, waving right hand.

“And this must be Sabaneeva, who served with the Kuzmichevs, that’s how it must be,” one woman suddenly guessed.

The boy glared at her wildly.

- Kuz-mi-cheva? - another woman spoke up, - but what kind of Tryphon is he? That Kuzma, not Trifon, but the boy called Trifon Nikitich, it became, not he.

- This, you see, is not Trifon and not Sabaneev, this is Chizhov, - suddenly picked up the third woman, who until now had been silent and seriously listening, - Alexei Ivanovich is his name. Chizhov, Alexey I.

“It is true that Chizhov,” the fourth woman insistently confirmed.

The stunned guy looked first at one, then at the other.

Why did he ask, why did he ask, good people? he exclaimed almost in despair, “do you know Sabaneyev?” And the devil knows what kind of Sabaneev he is!

- You are a stupid person, they say - not Sabaneev, but Chizhov, Alexei Ivanovich Chizhov, that's who! one woman shouted impressively to him.

- Which Chizhov? Well, what? Speak if you know.

- A long, hoary, flying in the bazaar was sitting.

- And why the hell do I need your Chizhov, good people, huh?

- And how do I know what the fuck Chizhov is for.

“And who knows what you need him for,” another one picked up, “he himself should know what you need him for, if you are making a noise. After all, he told you, not us, you stupid man. Do you not know the truth?

- Chizhov.

- And the devil take it, Chizhova, together with you! I'll cut him off, that's what! He laughed at me!

- Will you beat Chizhov off? Either he you! You're a fool, that's what!

- Not Chizhov, not Chizhov, you are an evil, harmful woman, I’ll beat the boy, that’s what! Give it, give it here, he laughed at me!

The grandmothers laughed. And Kolya was already walking far away with a victorious expression on his face. Smurov walked beside him, looking back at the group shouting in the distance. He also had a lot of fun, although he was still afraid of how not to get into history with Kolya.

- What did you ask Sabaneev about? he asked Kolya, anticipating the answer.

- And how do I know about what? Now they will cry until the evening. I love to stir up fools in all walks of life. Here and there is still a dolt, here is this guy. Note to yourself, they say: "There is nothing more stupid than a stupid Frenchman," but the Russian physiognomy also betrays itself. Well, isn't it written on this guy's face that he's a fool, this guy, huh?

- Leave him, Kolya, let's pass by.

“I won’t leave you, I’m on my way now.” Hey! hello man!

A hefty peasant, who was slowly passing by and must have already drunk, with a round, rustic face and a beard with gray hair, raised his head and looked at the boy.

“Well, hello, if you’re not joking,” he said leisurely in response.

- And if I'm kidding? Kolya laughed.

- And you joke, so joke, God is with you. Nothing, it's possible. It's always possible to joke around.

- I'm sorry, brother, I was joking.

- Well, God forgive you.

- Do you forgive?

- I really forgive you. Go.

- You see, you are, perhaps, a smart man.

“Smarter than you,” the man answered unexpectedly and still importantly.

- Hardly, - Kolya was somewhat taken aback.

- I'm telling the truth.

- And perhaps so.

- That's it, brother.

- Farewell, man.

- Goodbye.

“Guys are different,” Kolya remarked to Smurov after some silence. - How did I know that I would run into a smart guy. I am always ready to recognize the mind in the people.

In the distance, the cathedral clock struck half-past eleven. The boys hurried, and the rest of the rather long way to the dwelling of Staff Captain Snegirev went quickly and almost without speaking. Twenty paces from the house, Kolya stopped and ordered Smurov to go ahead and call Karamazov here for him.

“We must sniff first,” he remarked to Smurov.

“But why call,” Smurov began to object, “come in anyway, you will be terribly delighted.” And what about getting to know each other in the cold?

“I already know why I need him here in the cold,” Kolya snapped despotically (which he loved to do with these “little ones”), and Smurov ran to fulfill the order.

IV. bug

Kolya, with an important air in his face, leaned against the fence and began to wait for Alyosha to appear. Yes, he had long wanted to meet him. He had heard a great deal about him from the boys, but until now he had always outwardly shown a contemptuously indifferent air when they talked about him, he even "criticized" Alyosha, listening to what they told him about him. But about himself he really, really wanted to get to know him: there was something in all the stories he heard about Alyosha that was sympathetic and enticing. Thus, the present minute was important; firstly, it was necessary not to hit oneself in the dirt, to show independence: “Otherwise he will think that I am thirteen years old and take me for the same boy as these. And what are these boys to him? I'll ask him when I get there. It's bad, though, that I'm so short. Tuzikov is younger than me, but half a head taller. My face, however, is intelligent; I'm not good, I know that my face is ugly, but my face is smart. It’s also necessary not to speak out too much, otherwise he’ll immediately think with hugs ... Ugh, what an abomination it will be if he thinks! .. ”

Kolya was so worried, trying with all his might to assume the most independent air. Most importantly, he was tormented by his small stature, not so much by his "vile" face as by his height. At home, in the corner on the wall, since last year a line was made with a pencil, with which he marked his height, and since then every two months he excitedly approached again to measure himself: how much did he have to grow? But alas! he grew terribly small, and this sometimes led him simply to despair. As for the face, it was not at all "nasty", on the contrary, rather pretty, white, pale, with freckles. Gray, small, but lively eyes looked boldly and often lit up with feeling. The cheekbones were somewhat broad, the lips small, not very thick, but very red; the nose is small and resolutely upturned: "Quite snub-nosed, completely snub-nosed!" Kolya muttered to himself when he looked in the mirror, and he always walked away from the mirror indignantly. “Yes, and hardly a smart face?” he sometimes thought, even doubting it. However, it is not necessary to assume that concern for his face and growth absorbed his whole soul. On the contrary, no matter how caustic the minutes in front of the mirror were, he quickly forgot about them, and even for a long time, "giving himself all over to ideas and real life," as he himself defined his activity.

Alyosha appeared soon and hurriedly went up to Kolya; after a few steps he could see that Alyosha had some kind of completely joyful face. "Are you so happy for me?" Kolya thought with pleasure. Here, by the way, we note that Alyosha has changed a lot since we left him: he threw off his cassock and now wore a beautifully tailored frock coat, a soft round hat and short cropped hair. All this greatly brightened him up, and he looked quite handsome. His pretty face always had a cheerful look, but this gaiety was somehow quiet and calm. To Kolya's surprise, Alyosha came out to him in the clothes he was wearing in the room, without a coat, it was obvious that he was in a hurry. He held out his hand directly to Kolya.

- Here you are at last, as we all have been waiting for you.

There were reasons that you will now learn about. Anyway, nice to meet you. I've been waiting for a chance for a long time and heard a lot, - Kolya muttered, a little breathless.

- Yes, we would have met without that, I myself have heard a lot about you, but here, here, you are late.

- Tell me, how is it here?

- Ilyusha is very bad, he will certainly die.

- What do you! Agree that medicine is vile, Karamazov,” Kolya exclaimed with fervor.

- Ilyusha often, very often mentioned you, even, you know, in a dream, in delirium. It can be seen that you were very, very dear to him before ... before that incident ... with a knife. There is another reason… Tell me, is this your dog?

- My. Chime.

- And not the Bug? Alyosha looked pitifully into Kolya's eyes. - Has she disappeared yet?

“I know that you would like all the Bug, I heard everything,” Kolya grinned enigmatically. “Listen, Karamazov, I will explain the whole matter to you, the main thing is that I have come with this, and for this I have summoned you to explain the whole passage to you in advance before we enter,” he began animatedly. - You see, Karamazov, in the spring Ilyusha enters the preparatory class. Well, you know, our preparatory class: boys, kids. Ilyusha immediately began to bully. I am two classes higher and, of course, I look from afar, from the side. I see the boy is small, weak, but does not obey, he even fights with them, proud, his eyes are burning. I love these. And they are bigger than him. The main thing is that he then had a bad dress, his pants climb up, and his boots ask for porridge. They are his and for it. Humiliate. No, I don’t like it, I immediately interceded and asked the extrafefer. I beat them, and they adore me, do you know that, Karamazov? Kolya boasted expansively. “Yes, I do love kids. I still have two chicks sitting on my neck at home, even today I was detained. Thus, they stopped beating Ilyusha, and I took him under my protection. I see that the boy is proud, I tell you that he is proud, but ended up surrendering to me slavishly, fulfilling my slightest commands, listening to me like God, trying to imitate me. In the intermissions between classes now to me, and we go with him. Sundays too. In our gymnasium, they laugh when the elder converges on such a leg with the little one, but this is a prejudice. This is my fantasy, and that's it, isn't it? I teach him, develop him - why, tell me, can't I develop him if I like him? After all, you, Karamazov, agreed with all these chicks, so you want to act on the younger generation, develop, be useful? And I confess that this trait in your character, which I learned by hearsay, interested me most of all. However, to the point: I note that some kind of sensitivity, sentimentality develops in the boy, and, you know, I am a resolute enemy of all calf tenderness, from my very birth. And besides, there are contradictions: he is proud, but slavishly devoted to me, - slavishly devoted, and suddenly his eyes sparkle and he doesn’t even want to agree with me, he argues, he climbs the wall. I sometimes put forward different ideas: it’s not that he doesn’t agree with the ideas, but I simply see that he personally rebels against me, because I respond to his tenderness with composure. And so, in order to endure it, I, the more tender it is, the more cold-blooded I become, I do it on purpose, such is my conviction. I meant to train the character, level, create a person ... well, there ... you, of course, understand me perfectly. Suddenly I notice that for a day or two, he is embarrassed, mourns, but not about tenderness, but about something else, stronger, higher. What do you think is a tragedy? I step on him and find out a thing: somehow he got along with the lackey of your late father (who was still alive then) Smerdyakov, and he teach him, fool, a stupid joke, that is, a brutal joke, a vile joke - to take a piece of bread , crumb, stick a pin into it and throw it to some yard dog, one of those who, from hunger, swallow a piece without chewing, and see what comes of it. So they made such a piece and threw it to this very shaggy Beetle, about which such a story is now, to one yard dog from such a yard, where they simply did not feed her, but she barks into the wind all day. (Do you like this stupid barking, Karamazov? I can't stand it.) So she rushed, swallowed and squealed, spun and started to run, she ran and squealed, and disappeared - that's how Ilyusha himself described it to me. He confesses to me, and he cries, cries, hugs me, shakes: “Running and squealing, running and squealing” - this is all he repeats, this picture struck him. Well, I see remorse. I took it seriously. Most importantly, I also wanted to scold him for the past, so, I confess, I cheated here, pretended that in such indignation, which, perhaps, I didn’t have at all: “You, I say, did a low deed, you scoundrel, Of course, I will not divulge, but for the time being I am interrupting relations with you. I’ll think over this matter and let you know through Smurov (this very boy who has now come with me and who has always been devoted to me): will I continue my relationship with you in the future, or will I leave you forever, like a scoundrel. This shocked him terribly. I confess, at the same time I felt that, perhaps, I was too strict, but what to do, that was my then thought. A day later, I send Smurov to him and through him tell him that I no longer “talk” to him, that is, that is what we call it when two comrades break off relations with each other. The secret is that I wanted to keep him on ferbant for only a few days, and then, seeing repentance, again stretch out my hand to him. This was my firm intention. But what do you think: he listened to Smurov, and suddenly his eyes sparkled. “Tell,” he shouted, “from me to Krasotkin that I will now throw pieces with pins to all the dogs, to everyone, to everyone!” “Ah, I think the free spirit has wound up, it needs to be smoked out,” and I began to show him complete contempt, at every meeting I turn away or smile ironically. And suddenly this incident happens with his father, remember, a washcloth? Understand that in this way he was already prepared for a terrible irritation. The boys, seeing that I had left him, pounced on him, teasing: "Washcloth, washcloth." It was then that they began to fight, which I terribly regret, because it seems that he was beaten very painfully then. That time he rushes at everyone in the yard when they were leaving the classrooms, and I was just standing ten steps away and looking at him. And I swear I don't remember laughing then, on the contrary, I felt very, very sorry for him then, and another moment and I would have rushed to defend him. But he suddenly met my gaze: I don’t know what it seemed to him, but he grabbed a penknife, rushed at me and poked it in my thigh, right here, near my right leg. I did not move, I confess, sometimes I am brave, Karamazov, I only looked with contempt, as if saying with my eyes: “Would you like more, they say, for all my friendship, so I am at your service.” But he did not stab another time, he could not stand it, he himself was frightened, threw down the knife, burst into tears and started to run. Of course, I did not fiscally and ordered everyone to be silent so that it would not reach the authorities, I even told my mother only when everything had healed, and the wound was empty, a scratch. Then I hear that on the same day he threw stones and bit your finger - but, you understand, what a state he was in! Well, what to do, I did something stupid: when he fell ill, I did not go to forgive him, that is, to make peace, now I repent. But here I have special goals. Well, that's the whole story ... only, it seems, I did stupidly ...

“Oh, what a pity,” Alyosha exclaimed with emotion, “that I did not know your relationship with him before, otherwise I myself would have come to you long ago to ask you to go to him with me. Believe me, in the heat, in the disease, he raved about you. I didn't know how much you love him! And really, didn't you find this Beetle? Father and all the boys around the city were looking for. Believe me, he, sick, in tears, repeated to my father three times in front of me: “It’s because I’m sick, dad, that I killed Zhuchka then, God punished me,” - you won’t lead him away from this thought! And if only they would now take out this Bug and show that she was not dead, but alive, then it seems that he would be resurrected with joy. We all hoped for you.

- Tell me, why on earth did they hope that I would find the Beetle, that is, what exactly would I find? - Kolya asked with extreme curiosity, - why did they count on me, and not on another?

- There was some rumor that you were looking for her and that when you find her, you will bring her. Smurov said something along these lines. We, most importantly, are trying to assure that the Bug is alive, that she was seen somewhere. The boys got him a live bunny from somewhere, only he looked, smiled a little and asked to be released into the field. So we did. That very minute his father came back and brought him a Medelian puppy, also got it from somewhere, thought to console him with this, only it seemed to get worse ...

“Tell me again, Karamazov: what is this father?” I know him, but what is he according to your definition: a jester, a clown?

- Oh, no, there are people who feel deeply, but are somehow crushed. Their buffoonery is like a malicious irony towards those to whom they do not dare to tell the truth in their eyes because of their long-term humiliating timidity in front of them. Believe me, Krasotkin, that such buffoonery is sometimes extremely tragic. He has everything now, everything on earth is united in Ilyusha, and if Ilyusha dies, he will either go crazy with grief, or take his own life. I'm almost convinced of it when I look at it now!

“I understand you, Karamazov, I see you know the man,” Kolya added heartily.

- And when I saw you with a dog, I thought that you had brought that same Beetle.

“Wait, Karamazov, maybe we will find her, and this one is Chime. I'll let her into the room now and maybe amuse Ilyusha more than with a Medelian puppy. Wait, Karamazov, you will learn something now. Oh, my God, why am I holding you! Kolya suddenly exclaimed swiftly. - You are in one frock coat in such a cold, and I detain you; see, see what an egoist I am! Oh, we are all egoists, Karamazov!

- Do not worry; True, it's cold, but I'm not cold. Come on, however. By the way: what's your name, I know it's Kolya, what's next?

“Nikolai, Nikolai Ivanov Krasotkin, or, as they say in official language, son Krasotkin,” Kolya laughed at something, but suddenly added: “Of course, I hate my name Nikolai.

Why not?

- Trivial, official ...

Are you thirteen years old? Alyosha asked.

- That is, the fourteenth, in two weeks fourteen, very soon. I confess to you in advance in one weakness, Karamazov, this is so before you, for the first acquaintance, so that you can immediately see my whole nature: I hate it when people ask me about my years, I more than hate ... and finally ... about me, for example, there is a slander that I played robbers with the preparatory last week. What I played is reality, but what I played for myself, for my own pleasure, is decidedly slander. I have reason to think that this has reached you, but I didn’t play for myself, but for the children, because they couldn’t invent anything without me. And here we always dissolve nonsense. It's a city of gossip, I assure you.

- And even if they played for their own pleasure, what's wrong with that?

- Well, for yourself ... You won’t play horses, will you?

“But you talk like this,” Alyosha smiled, “for example, adults go to the theater, and in the theater they also present the adventures of all kinds of heroes, sometimes also with robbers and with war - isn’t it the same, in its own, of course, kind? And playing war with young people, during recreational time, or playing robbers there - this is also an emerging art, an emerging need for art in a young soul, and these games are sometimes even composed more smoothly than theater performances, only the difference is that in the theater go to see the actors, and here the youth themselves are the actors. But it's only natural.

- You think so? Is that your belief? Kolya looked at him intently. - You know, you said a rather curious thought; I will now come home and use my brains on this matter. I confess, I was expecting that I could learn something from you. I came to study with you, Karamazov,” Kolya concluded in a penetrating and expansive voice.

“And I’m with you,” Alyosha smiled, shaking his hand.

Kolya was extremely pleased with Alyosha. He was struck by the fact that with him he was on an equal footing to the highest degree and that he spoke to him as to "the biggest."

“I’ll show you one trick now, Karamazov, also one theatrical performance,” he laughed nervously, “I came with that.

- Let's go first to the left to the owners, there they leave all your coats, because the room is cramped and hot.

- Oh, I'm just for a moment, I'll come in and sit in my coat. The chime will remain here in the hallway and die: "Isi, Chime, kush and die!" You see, he died. And first I will go in, look out for the situation, and then, when necessary, I will whistle: “Isi, Chime!” - and you will see, he will immediately fly in like mad. Only it is necessary that Smurov does not forget to open the door at that moment. I’ll make arrangements, and you will see the trick ...

V. At Ilyushin's bed

In the room already familiar to us, in which the family of the retired staff captain Snegirev known to us lived, it was at that moment both stuffy and cramped from the large crowd that had gathered. This time several boys were sitting with Ilyusha, and although they were all ready, like Smurov, to deny that Alyosha had reconciled and brought them together with Ilyusha, but it was so. All his skill in this case consisted in bringing them together with Ilyusha, one after the other, without "veal tenderness", but not at all on purpose and by accident. This brought Ilyusha great relief in his suffering. Seeing the almost tender friendship and participation of all these boys, his former enemies, he was very touched. Only Krasotkin was missing, and this lay on his heart as a terrible oppression. If there was something bitterest in Ilyushechka's bitter reminiscences, then it was precisely this whole episode with Krasotkin, his former only friend and protector, whom he then rushed with a knife. So did the clever little boy Smurov (the first to come to make peace with Ilyusha). But Krasotkin himself, when Smurov remotely informed him that Alyosha wanted to come to him "on one business," immediately broke off and cut off the approach, instructing Smurov to immediately inform "Karamazov" that he himself knew how to act, that advice from no one he does not ask, and that if he goes to the patient, he himself knows when to go, because he has "his own calculation." It was still two weeks before this Sunday. That is why Alyosha did not go to him himself, as he had intended. However, although he waited, he nevertheless sent Smurov to Krasotkin again and again. But on both these occasions, Krasotkin responded with the most impatient and sharp refusal, conveying to Alyosha that if he came for him himself, he would never go to Ilyusha for this, and that he would not be bothered again. Even before this last day Smurov himself did not know that Kolya had decided to go to Ilyusha that morning, and only the night before, while saying goodbye to Smurov, Kolya suddenly announced to him abruptly that he should wait for him at home tomorrow morning, because he would go with him to the Snegirevs, but not to he dared, however, notify anyone of his arrival, since he wants to come by accident. Smurov obeyed. The dream that he would bring the missing Zhuchka came to Smurov on the basis of Krasotkin’s words thrown in a glimpse that “they are all donkeys if they cannot find the dog, if only it is alive.” When Smurov timidly, after waiting for a while, hinted about his guess about the dog to Krasotkin, he suddenly became terribly angry: “What kind of donkey am I to look for other people's dogs all over the city when I have my own chime? And is it possible to dream that a dog that swallowed a pin would remain alive? Veal tenderness, nothing else!

Meanwhile, Ilyusha had hardly left his bed for two weeks now, in the corner, by the icons. He had not gone to classes since the very moment when he met Alyosha and bit his finger. However, from the same day he fell ill, although for another month he could somehow walk around the room and in the hallway, occasionally getting up from his bed. Finally, he was completely exhausted, so that without the help of his father he could not move. His father trembled over him, even stopped drinking completely, almost went mad with fear that his boy would die, and often, especially after he would lead him around the room by the arm and put him back to bed, he would suddenly run out into the hallway, into a dark corner, and, leaning his forehead against the wall, he began to sob in a sort of flooded, trembling weeping, suppressing his voice so that Ilyushechka could not hear his sobs.

Returning to the room, he usually began to entertain and console his dear boy with something, told him fairy tales, funny anecdotes, or pretended to be various funny people whom he managed to meet, even imitated animals, how funny they howl or scream. But Ilyusha did not like very much when his father distorted himself and pretended to be a jester. Although the boy tried not to show that this was unpleasant for him, he realized with pain of his heart that his father was humiliated in society, and always, persistently, recalled the “washcloth” and that “terrible day”. Ninochka, Ilyushechka's legless, meek and quiet sister, also did not like it when her father distorted himself (as for Varvara Nikolaevna, she had long gone to St. used to present something or make some funny gestures. This was the only thing that could console her, but all the rest of the time she was constantly grumbling and crying that now everyone had forgotten her, that no one respected her, that they offended her, and so on and so forth. But in the very last days, she suddenly seemed to have completely changed. She often began to look into the corner at Ilyusha and began to think. She became much more silent, quieted down, and if she began to cry, then quietly so that they would not hear. The staff captain noticed this change in her with bitter bewilderment. At first she did not like the visits of the boys and only made her angry, but then the cheerful cries and stories of the children began to amuse her, and she liked them so much in the end that if these boys stopped coming, she would be terribly bored. When the children told something or started to play, she laughed and clapped her hands. She called others to her and kissed them. Smurova especially fell in love with the boy. As for the staff captain, the appearance in his apartment of children who came to amuse Ilyusha filled his soul from the very beginning with enthusiastic joy and even hope that Ilyusha would now cease to yearn and, perhaps, would soon recover. He did not doubt for a single minute, until very recently, despite all his fear for Ilyusha, that his boy would suddenly recover. He met the little guests with reverence, walked around them, waited, was ready to carry them on himself, and even really began to carry them, but Ilyusha did not like these games and were left. He began to buy gifts, gingerbread, nuts for them, arranged tea, spread sandwiches. It should be noted that during all this time no money was transferred from him. He accepted the then two hundred rubles from Katerina Ivanovna exactly as Alyosha had predicted. And then Katerina Ivanovna, having found out more about their circumstances and about Ilyusha's illness, visited their apartment herself, got acquainted with the whole family and even managed to charm the half-witted staff captain. Since then, her hand has not failed, and the staff captain himself, crushed by horror at the thought that his boy would die, forgot his former ambition and humbly accepted alms. All this time, Dr. Herzenshtube, at the invitation of Katerina Ivanovna, went constantly and carefully every other day to the patient, but there was little sense from his visits, and he stuffed him with medicines terribly. But on the other hand, on that day, that is, on this Sunday morning, a new doctor was expected at the staff captain's, who had come from Moscow and was considered a celebrity in Moscow. He was specially discharged and invited from Moscow by Katerina Ivanovna for a lot of money - not for Ilyushechka, but for another one purpose, which will be discussed below and in its place, but since he arrived, she asked him to visit Ilyushechka, about which The staff captain was forewarned. He had no foreboding about the arrival of Kolya Krasotkin, although he had long wished that this boy, for whom his Ilyushechka was so tormented, would finally come. At the very moment when Krasotkin opened the door and appeared in the room, everyone, the staff captain and the boys, crowded around the sick bed and looked at the tiny Medelian puppy that had just been brought in, which had just been born yesterday, but had been ordered by the staff captain a week before to entertain and console Ilyushechka, who was always yearning for the disappeared and, of course, already dead Zhuchka. But Ilyusha, who had already heard and knew three days before that he would be presented with a small dog, and not a simple one, but a real Medelian dog (which, of course, was terribly important), although he showed from a subtle and delicate feeling that he was pleased with the gift, but that’s all. , and the father and the boys, clearly saw that the new dog, perhaps, only stirred the memory of the unfortunate, tortured by him Beetle even more strongly in his heart. The puppy lay and scurried about beside him, and he, smiling painfully, stroked him with his thin, pale, withered hand; it was even evident that he liked the dog, but ... Bugs were still not there, after all, this is not a Beetle, but if the Beetle and the puppy were together, then there would be complete happiness!

- Krasotkin! one of the boys suddenly shouted, the first to see Kolya come in. There was a visible excitement, the boys parted and stood on both sides of the bed, so that all of Ilyushechka was suddenly revealed. The captain quickly rushed towards Kolya.

- Please, please ... dear guest! he whispered to him. - Ilyushechka, Mr. Krasotkin came to you ...

But Krasotkin, hastily giving him his hand, instantly showed his extraordinary knowledge of social decorum. He immediately and first of all turned to the captain's wife, who was sitting in her armchair (who at that very moment was terribly displeased and grumbled that the boys had covered Ilyusha's bed with them and did not allow her to look at the new dog) and extremely politely he shuffled his foot in front of her, and then, turning to Ninochka, gave her the same bow as a lady. This polite act made an unusually pleasant impression on the sick lady.

- Now you can see a well-educated young man, - she said loudly, spreading her arms, - but the fact that the other guests are ours: they come one on the other.

- How, mommy, one on top of the other, how is it? - although affectionately, but fearing a little for the "mommy", the staff captain murmured.

- And they're coming in. He will sit in the entryway one to the other astride the shoulders and into a noble family and ride in, sitting on horseback. What kind of guest is this?

- But who, who, mommy, drove in like that, who?

- Yes, this boy rode in on this boy today, but that one on that ...

But Kolya was already standing by Ilyusha's bed. The patient appears to have turned pale. He sat up in his bed and looked intently at Kolya. He had not seen his former little friend for two months now, and suddenly stopped in front of him completely amazed: he could not even imagine that he would see such a thinner and yellowed face, such burning in a feverish heat and as if terribly enlarged eyes, such thin hands. He peered with woeful surprise that Ilyusha was breathing so deeply and often, and that his lips were so dry. He took a step toward him, offered his hand, and, almost at a loss, said:

“Well, old man… how are you?”

But his voice was cut off, there was not enough swagger, his face somehow suddenly twitched, and something quivered around his lips. Ilyusha smiled painfully at him, still unable to say a word. Kolya suddenly raised his hand and for some reason ran his palm through Ilyusha's hair.

- Nothing! he murmured to him quietly, half encouraging him, half not knowing why he said it. They were silent again for a minute.

- What is it with you, a new puppy? Kolya suddenly asked in the most insensitive voice.

- Yeees! Ilyusha answered in a long whisper, out of breath.

“A black nose means one of the evil ones, one of the chain ones,” Kolya remarked importantly and firmly, as if it was all about the puppy and its black nose. But the main thing was that he was still struggling to overcome the feeling in himself, so as not to cry like a "little one", and still could not overcome it. - When he grows up, he will have to be put on a chain, I know.

- It will be huge! exclaimed one boy from the crowd.

- It is known, Medelyansky, huge, like this, from a calf, - several voices suddenly rang out.

“From a calf, from a real calf, sir,” the staff captain jumped up, “I purposely found this one, the most furious, and his parents are also huge and the most furious, like that, from half the height ... Sit down, sir, right here on the bed at Ilyusha's, or else here on the bench. You are welcome, dear guest, long-awaited guest... Did you deign to come with Alexei Fyodorovich, sir?

Krasotkin sat down on the bed, at Ilyusha's feet. Although he may have prepared on the way, where to start the conversation in a cheeky way, but now he has decidedly lost the thread.

- No ... I'm with Chime ... I have such a dog now, Chime. Slavic name. Waiting there... whistle, and fly in. I, too, with the dog, - he suddenly turned to Ilyusha, - do you remember, old man, Zhuchka? – he suddenly warmed him with a question.

Ilyushechka's face twisted. He looked painfully at Kolya. Alyosha, who was standing at the door, frowned and nodded furtively to Kolya so that he would not talk about the Beetle, but he did not notice or did not want to notice.

- Well, brother, your Bug - wow! Your bug is gone!

Ilyusha was silent, but intently, intently looked once more at Kolya. Alyosha, catching Kolya's eye, again nodded to him with all his might, but he again averted his eyes, pretending that he did not notice even now.

- Ran somewhere and disappeared. How not to disappear after such an appetizer, - Kolya cut mercilessly, and meanwhile he himself seemed to be suffocating from something. - But I have a Chime ... Slavic name ... I brought you ...

- No need! Ilyushechka said suddenly.

- No, no, you must, by all means look ... You will have fun. I purposely brought ... the same shaggy as that one ... Will you allow me, madam, to call my dog ​​here? he suddenly turned to Mrs. Snegireva in some quite incomprehensible excitement.

- Don't, don't! Ilyusha exclaimed with a bitter strain in his voice. Reproach lit up in his eyes.

“You sir…” the staff captain suddenly rushed from the chest by the wall on which he was sitting down, “you sir… at another time, sir…” he murmured, but Kolya, irrepressibly insisting and hurrying, suddenly shouted to Smurov: "Smurov, open the door!" - and as soon as he opened it, he whistled into his whistle. The chime quickly flew into the room.

- Jump, Chime, serve! Serve! yelled Kolya, jumping up from his seat, and the dog, standing on its hind legs, stretched out right in front of Ilyusha's bed. Something happened that no one expected: Ilyusha shuddered and suddenly moved forward with force, bent down to Chime and, as if fading, looked at him.

- This is ... a bug! he shouted in a voice cracked with suffering and happiness.

- Look, old man, you see, the eye is crooked and the left ear is notched, exactly the same signs as you told me. I tracked him down according to these signs! Then he sought out, soon. She was a draw, she was a draw! - he explained, quickly turning to the staff captain, to his wife, to Alyosha and then again to Ilyusha, - she was in the backyards of the Fedotovs, took root there, but they did not feed her, and she is a runaway, she is a runaway from the village ... I found her... You see, old man, then she didn't swallow your piece. If she had swallowed it, she would certainly have died, because of course! So, she managed to spit it out, if she is now alive. And you didn't notice that she spat out. She spat out, but nevertheless pricked her tongue, which is why she squealed then. She ran and squealed, and you thought that she completely swallowed it. She must have been very squealing because a dog has very delicate skin in its mouth... softer than a human, much softer! Kolya exclaimed furiously, his face flushed and beaming with delight.

Ilyusha couldn't even speak. He looked at Kolya with his large and somehow terribly protruding eyes, with his mouth open and turning as pale as a sheet. And if only Krasotkin, who did not suspect anything, knew how painfully and deadly such a minute could affect the health of a sick boy, then he would never have decided to throw out such a thing as he threw out. But in the room only Alyosha, perhaps, understood this. As for the staff captain, he seemed to have completely turned into the smallest boy.

- Bug! So this is a bug? he shouted in a blissful voice. - Ilyushechka, it's a Bug, your Bug! Mom, it's a Bug! - He almost cried.

- I didn't even know! Smurov exclaimed sadly. - Oh yes, Krasotkin, I said that he would find the Bug, so he found it!

- I found it! Someone else cheered.

- Well done, well done! all the boys shouted and began to applaud.

- Yes, wait, wait, - Krasotkin tried to shout down everyone, - I'll tell you how it was, the thing is how it was, and not in anything else! After all, I found him, dragged him to me and immediately hid him, and locked the house, and did not show it to anyone until the very last day. Only Smurov found out two weeks ago, but I assured him that it was Chime, and he did not guess, and during the intermission I taught Zhuchka all the sciences, you look, just look what things he knows! That's why he taught, to bring to you, old man, trained, smooth: here, they say, old man, what is your Bug now! But don't you have some piece of beef, he will show you one such thing that you will fall with laughter - beef, a piece, well, don't you?

The staff captain quickly rushed across the entry to the hut to the owners, where the staff captain's food was also cooked. Kolya, in order not to lose precious time, in a desperate hurry, shouted to Chime: “Die!” And he suddenly spun, lay on his back and stood motionless with all four of his paws up. The boys laughed, Ilyusha looked with his former pained smile, but they all liked it better that Chime, “mother,” had died. She burst out laughing at the dog and began to snap her fingers and call:

- Chime, Chime!

“It won’t rise for anything, for nothing,” Kolya shouted victoriously and justly proud, “even if the whole world screams, but I’ll shout, and in an instant he will jump up!” Isi, Chime!

The dog jumped up and began to jump, squealing with joy. The captain ran in with a piece of boiled beef.

- Not hot? Kolya inquired hurriedly and businesslike, accepting a piece. Look, everyone, Ilyushechka, look, but look, look, old man, why aren’t you looking? I brought it, but he does not look!

The new thing was to put a tidbit of beef on the very nose of the dog, standing still and stretching its nose. The unfortunate dog, not moving, had to stand with a piece on his nose as long as the owner orders, not to move, not to move, even for half an hour. But Chime lasted only the smallest minute.

- Peel! Kolya shouted, and in an instant a piece flew from Chime's nose into his mouth. The audience, of course, expressed enthusiastic surprise.

- And really, really, just to train the dog, you didn’t come all the time! Alyosha exclaimed with involuntary reproach.

“Exactly for this,” Kolya shouted in the most ingenuous way. - I wanted to show it in all its splendor!

- Chime! Chime! Ilyusha suddenly snapped his thin fingers, beckoning the dog.

- What do you want! Let him jump on your bed himself. Isi, Chime! - Kolya slammed his palm on the bed, and Chime flew like an arrow to Ilyusha. He promptly hugged his head with both hands, and Chime instantly licked his cheek for it. Ilyushechka clung to him, stretched out on the bed and hid his face from everyone in his shaggy fur.

- Lord, Lord! exclaimed the captain.

Kolya sat down again on the bed next to Ilyusha.

- Ilyusha, I can show you one more thing. I brought you a cannon. Do you remember, I told you about this cannon back then, and you said: “Oh, how I would like to see it!” Well, now I brought it.

And Kolya, in a hurry, pulled out his bronze cannon from his bag. He was in a hurry because he himself was very happy: at another time he would have waited so long for the effect produced by the Chime to pass, but now he hurried, despising all restraint: “we are already so happy, so here you have more happiness!” He himself was very drunk.

- I have seen this little thing for a long time at the official Morozov - for you, old man, for you. He had it for nothing, he got it from his brother, and I traded it for him for a book from my father's closet: "A relative of Mohammed, or Healing tomfoolery." A hundred years old book, tambourine, came out in Moscow when there was still no censorship, and Morozov is a hunter for these things. Also thanked...

Kolya held the cannon in his hand in front of everyone, so that everyone could see and enjoy. Ilyusha got up and, continuing to hug Chime with his right hand, looked at the toy with admiration. The effect reached a high degree when Kolya announced that he also had gunpowder and that he could shoot right away, "if it doesn't bother the ladies." "Mama" immediately asked to be given a closer look at the toy, which was immediately done. She liked the bronze cannon on wheels very much, and she began to roll it on her knees. To the request for permission to shoot, she answered with the most complete consent, not understanding, however, what she was being asked about. Kolya showed gunpowder and shot. The staff captain, as a former military man, himself disposed of the charge, pouring in the smallest portion of gunpowder, but asked the shot to be postponed until another time. The cannon was placed on the floor, with the muzzle in an empty place, three powders of powder were squeezed into the seed and lit with a match. The most brilliant shot was fired. Mamma shuddered, but immediately laughed with joy. The boys watched with silent triumph, but most of all, looking at Ilyusha, the staff captain was blissful. Kolya picked up the cannon and immediately presented it to Ilyusha, along with shot and gunpowder.

- It's me for you, for you! I cooked it a long time ago,” he repeated again, in the fullness of happiness.

- Oh, give it to me! No, give me a cannon better! - suddenly, like a little one, mother began to ask. Her face depicted sorrowful anxiety from fear that she would not be given. Kolya was confused. The staff captain became restless.

- Mommy, mommy! - he jumped up to her, - the cannon is yours, yours, but let Ilyusha have it, because it was given to him, but it’s all the same as yours, Ilyushechka will always let you play, let it be common, common ...

“No, I don’t want a common one, no, to be completely mine, and not Ilyushina,” continued mother, preparing to cry completely.

- Mom, take it, take it! Ilyusha suddenly shouted. - Krasotkin, can I give it to my mother? he suddenly turned to Krasotkin with a pleading look, as if afraid that he would not be offended that he was giving his gift to another.

– Absolutely possible! Krasotkin immediately agreed and, taking the cannon from Ilyusha's hands, he himself handed it over to his mother with the most polite bow. She even burst into tears of emotion.

- Ilyushechka, dear, that's who loves his mother! she exclaimed tenderly, and immediately began to roll the cannon on her knees again.

“Mother, let me kiss your hand,” her husband jumped up to her and immediately fulfilled his intention.

- And who else is the sweetest young man, so this kind boy! said the grateful lady, pointing to Krasotkin.

- And I’ll carry gunpowder for you, Ilyusha, now I’ll carry as much as I like. We now make our own gunpowder. Borovikov recognized the composition: twenty-four parts of saltpeter, ten sulfur and six birch charcoal, crush everything together, pour in water, mix into the pulp and rub through the drum skin - that's gunpowder.

“Smurov already told me about your gunpowder, but only dad says that it’s not real gunpowder,” Ilyusha replied.

How not real? - Kolya blushed, - we are on fire. However, I don't know...

“No, sir, I’m fine,” the staff captain suddenly jumped up with a guilty air. - True, I said that real gunpowder is not made up like that, but it's okay, sir, it can be done like that.

I don't know, you know better. We lit it in a fondant stone jar, it burned gloriously, everything burned down, the smallest soot remained. But it’s only pulp, and if you rub it through the skin ... But, by the way, you know better, I don’t know ... And Bulkin’s father tore for our gunpowder, did you hear? he suddenly turned to Ilyusha.

“I heard,” Ilyusha replied. He listened to Kolya with infinite interest and pleasure.

- We prepared a whole bottle of gunpowder, he kept it under the bed. Father saw. Blow up, he says, maybe. Yes, cut it out right away. He wanted to complain about me to the gymnasium. Now they won't let him in with me, now they won't let anyone in with me. Smurov is also not allowed in, he has become famous among everyone; they say that I am “desperate,” Kolya chuckled contemptuously. “It all started with the railroad here.

“Ah, we heard about that passage of yours too! - exclaimed the staff captain, - how did you lie there? And weren't you so afraid of nothing at all when you were lying under the train. Were you scared?

The staff captain was terribly foxed in front of Kolya.

“N-not especially! Kolya replied casually. “My reputation is best here this damned goose podkuzmil,” he turned again to Ilyusha. But although he made a careless air as he talked, he still could not control himself and continued, as it were, to lose his tone.

- Oh, I heard about the goose! - Ilyusha laughed, beaming all over, - they told me, but I didn’t understand, were you really tried by the judge?

- The most brainless thing, the most insignificant, from which, as usual, we composed a whole elephant, - Kolya began cheekily. - It was I who was walking along the square here, but the geese were just brought in. I stopped and looked at the geese. Suddenly, one local guy, Vishnyakov, he now serves as a messenger for the Plotnikovs, looks at me and says: “Why are you looking at geese?” I look at him: a stupid, round mug, a guy of twenty years old, you know, I never reject the people. I love with the people... We are lagging behind the people - it's an axiom - you seem to want to laugh, Karamazov?

“No, God forbid, I am listening to you very much,” Alyosha replied with the most ingenuous air, and the suspicious Kolya instantly cheered up.

"My theory, Karamazov, is clear and simple," he hurried on again joyfully. “I believe in the people and am always happy to do justice to them, but by no means spoiling them, this is sine qua. Yes, I'm talking about the goose. So I turn to this fool and answer him: "But I think what the goose is thinking about." He looks at me completely stupidly: “And what does the goose think about?” “But you see, I say, a cart with oats is standing. The oats are pouring out of the sack, and the goose stretched its neck under the very wheel and pecks at the grain - see? “I see it very clearly,” he says. “Well, I say, if this very cart is now moved forward a little bit, will it cut the goose’s neck with a wheel or not?” - "Certainly, he says, he will cut it," - and he himself is already grinning from ear to ear, so he melted all over. "Well, let's go, I say, boy, come on." “Come on, he says.” And we didn’t have to do it for long: he stood so inconspicuously near the bridle, and I on the side, in order to direct the goose. And the peasant at that time gaped, talked with someone, so that I didn’t have to direct at all: right by itself, the goose stretched its neck behind the oats, under the cart, under the very wheel. I blinked at the guy, he jerked and - k-crack, and moved the goose's neck in half! And now it must be so that at that very second all the peasants saw us, well, and shouted at once: "It's you on purpose!" “No, not on purpose.” “No, on purpose!” Well, they are shouting: "To the world!" They also captured me: “And you, they say, were here, you helped, the whole market knows you!” And for some reason, the whole bazaar really knows me, ”Kolya added proudly. - We all reached out to the world, and they carry a goose. I look, and my boyfriend got scared and roared, really, roars like a woman. And the driver shouts: “In this manner, you can crush them, geese, as much as you like!” Well, of course, the witnesses. The world officer finished in an instant: give the driver a ruble for the goose, and let the guy take the goose for himself. Yes, henceforth, so that such jokes are by no means allowed. And the guy keeps roaring like a woman: “It’s not me, he says, he’s the one who set me up,” and he points at me. I answer with complete composure that I did not teach at all, that I only expressed the main idea and spoke only in the draft. The world Nefedov chuckled, and was now angry with himself for having chuckled: “I’ll certify you,” he says to me, “I’m now certifying your superiors so that you don’t start such projects in the future, instead of sitting behind books and teaching your lessons ". He did not attest me to the authorities, these are jokes, but the matter really spread and reached the ears of the authorities: our ears are long! The classic Kolbasnikov especially rose, but Dardanelov again defended. And now Kolbasnikov is angry with us all, like a green donkey. You, Ilyusha, have heard that he got married, took a dowry of a thousand rubles from the Mikhailovs, and the bride is a snout of the first hand and the last degree. The third-graders immediately composed an epigram:

I was struck by the news of the third graders,

That the slut Kolbasnikov married.

“However, you brought him down on the one who founded Troy!” Smurov suddenly added, resolutely proud of Krasotkin at that moment. He really liked the story about the goose.

- Is that really how they shot down, sir? - flatteringly picked up the staff captain. “Is it about who founded Troy, sir?” We already heard that they shot down, sir. Ilyushechka told me at the same time, sir ...

- He, dad, knows everything, knows better than anyone among us! - Ilyushechka also picked up, - after all, he only pretends that he is like that, and he is our first student in all subjects ...

Ilyusha looked at Kolya with boundless happiness.

- Well, this is nonsense about Troy, nothing. I myself consider this question empty, ”Kolya replied with proud modesty. He had already managed to quite get into the tone, although, by the way, he was also in some uneasiness: he felt that he was in great agitation and that, for example, he spoke too wholeheartedly about the goose, but meanwhile Alyosha was silent all the time of the story and was is serious, and little by little the proud boy began to scratch his heart: “Isn't he silent because he despises me, thinking that I'm looking for his praise? In that case, if he dares to think that, then I…”

“I consider this question decidedly empty,” he snapped once more proudly.

“And I know who founded Troy,” a boy, silent and apparently shy, very handsome, about eleven years old, by the name of Kartashov, suddenly spoke quite unexpectedly, one boy who had hardly said anything until now. He was sitting at the very door. Kolya looked at him with surprise and importance. The fact is that the question: “Who exactly founded Troy?” - resolutely turned into a secret in all classes, and in order to penetrate it, one had to read Smaragdov. But no one except Kolya had Smaragdov. And once the boy Kartashov slowly, when Kolya turned away, quickly unfolded Smaragdov, who was lying between his books, and went straight to the place where it was said about the founders of Troy. This happened quite a long time ago, but he was somehow embarrassed and did not dare to open publicly that he also knew who founded Troy, fearing that something would not come out and that Kolya would somehow embarrass him for this. And now, for some reason, he could not resist and said. Yes, he wanted to for a long time.

- Well, who founded it? Kolya turned to him arrogantly and condescendingly, already guessing from his face that he really knew, and, of course, immediately preparing for all the consequences. There was what is called a dissonance in the general mood.

“Tevkr, Dardanus, Illus and Tros founded Troy,” the boy rapped out at once, and in an instant he blushed all over, so reddened that it became a pity to look at him. But the boys kept looking at him point-blank, staring for a full minute, and then suddenly all those point-blank eyes turned at once to Kolya. The other, with contemptuous composure, still continued to measure the insolent boy with his eyes.

So how did they set it up? he finally deigned to say, “and what does it mean to found a city or a state at all? Well, they came and laid bricks, or what?

There was laughter. The guilty boy went from pink to crimson. He was silent, he was ready to cry. Kolya held it like that for another minute.

- To talk about such historical events, as the basis of nationality, one must first of all understand what it means, - he strictly minted out as an edification. - However, I do not attach importance to all these women's tales, and in general world history I don’t have much respect,” he added suddenly casually, addressing everyone in general.

“Is this world history, sir?” the staff captain inquired with a sort of fright.

Yes, world history. The study of a number of human stupidities, and nothing more. I respect only mathematics and the natural sciences, - Kolya forcefully and glanced at Alyosha: he was afraid of his only opinion here.

But Alyosha remained silent and was as serious as ever. If Alyosha had said anything now, it would have ended there, but Alyosha was silent, and "his silence could be contemptuous," and Kolya was already completely irritated.

“Again those classical languages ​​we now have: nothing but madness, and nothing more… You seem to disagree with me again, Karamazov?”

“I don’t agree,” Alyosha smiled restrainedly.

“Classical languages, if you want all my opinion about them, are a police measure, that’s the only reason they were brought up,” Kolya began to suddenly gasp again, little by little, “they are wound up because they are boring, and because they dull one’s abilities. It was boring, so here's how to make it even more boring? It was stupid, so how to make it even more stupid? This is how classical languages ​​were invented. Here is my full opinion about them, and I hope that I will never change it, - Kolya finished abruptly. There was a red dot of blush on both cheeks.

- And the first Latin! one boy suddenly shouted from the crowd.

“Yes, dad, he speaks himself, and he himself is the first in Latin in the class,” Ilyusha also responded.

– What is it? - Kolya considered it necessary to defend himself, although praise was also very pleasant to him. “I am cramming Latin because I have to, because I promised my mother to finish my course, and in my opinion, what I have undertaken is good to do, but in my heart I deeply despise classicism and all this meanness ... Don’t you agree, Karamazov?

- Well, why the "meanness"? Alyosha chuckled again.

- Yes, for mercy, after all, the classics have all been translated into all languages, therefore, it was not at all for studying the classics that they needed Latin, but solely for police measures and to dull their abilities. How then is it not meanness?

- Well, who taught you all this? exclaimed Alyosha, surprised at last.

- Firstly, I myself can understand, without learning, and secondly, you know, this is the same thing that I just explained to you about the translated classics, the teacher Kolbasnikov himself said aloud to the entire third grade ...

The doctor has arrived! exclaimed Ninochka, who had been silent all the time.

Indeed, a carriage belonging to Mrs. Khokhlakov drove up to the gates of the house. The captain, who had been waiting all morning for the doctor, rushed headlong to the gate to meet him. Mommy got up and put on airs of importance. Alyosha went up to Ilyusha and began straightening his pillow. Ninochka, from her armchair, watched anxiously as he straightened the bed. The boys hurriedly began to say goodbye, some of them promised to come back in the evening. Kolya called out Chime, and he jumped out of bed.

“I won’t leave, I won’t leave!” Kolya said in a hurry to Ilyusha.

But the doctor was already entering, an important figure in a bearskin coat, with long dark sideburns and a slickly shaven chin. Stepping over the threshold, he suddenly stopped, as if taken aback: it must have seemed to him that he had gone in the wrong place: “What is this? Where I am?" he muttered, without taking off his fur coat from his shoulders and without taking off his seal cap with a seal peak from his head. The crowd, the poverty of the room, the laundry hanging on a line in the corner confused him. The staff captain bent before him in three deaths.

“You are here, sir, here, sir,” he muttered servilely, “you are here, sir, at my place, you come to me sir ...

- Snow-gi-roar? - said the doctor importantly and loudly. - Mr. Snegirev - is that you?

- It's me!

The doctor looked around the room with disgust once more and threw off his fur coat. An important order on the neck flashed into everyone's eyes. The captain picked up his fur coat on the fly, and the doctor took off his cap.

- Where is the patient? he asked loudly and urgently.

VI. Early development

What do you think the doctor will say to him? - Kolya said quickly, - what a disgusting, however, mug, isn't it? I can't stand medicine!

- Ilyusha will die. That, it seems to me, is quite certain,” Alyosha replied sadly.

- Rogues! Rogue medicine! I am glad, however, that I recognized you, Karamazov. I have long wanted to know you. It's just a pity that we met so sadly ...

Kolya would very much like to say something even hotter, even more expansive, but something seemed to jar him. Alyosha noticed this, smiled and shook hands with him.

“I learned a long time ago to respect a rare being in you,” Kolya muttered again, confused and confused. “I heard you are a mystic and you were in a monastery. I know you're a mystic, but... that didn't stop me. A touch of reality will heal you ... With natures like you, it does not happen otherwise.

What do you call a mystic? What will it heal? Alyosha was a little surprised.

- Well, there is God and so on.

“How, don’t you believe in God?”

On the contrary, I have nothing against God. Of course, God is only a hypothesis ... but ... I admit that he is needed for order ... for world order and so on ... and if he did not exist, then we would have to invent him, ”Kolya added, starting to blush. He suddenly imagined that Alyosha would now think that he wanted to show off his knowledge and show how "big" he was. “But I don’t want to expose my knowledge to him at all,” Kolya thought indignantly. And he suddenly became terribly annoyed.

“I confess that I hate to enter into all these bickerings,” he snapped, “it’s possible to love humanity without believing in God, what do you think? Voltaire did not believe in God, but loved humanity? (“Again, again!” he thought to himself.)

“Voltaire believed in God, but it seems he had little and, it seems, little love for humanity either,” Alyosha said quietly, restrainedly and completely naturally, as if talking to a person equal in age or even to an older person. It was Kolya who was struck by this, as it were, Alyosha's uncertainty about his opinion about Voltaire, and that it was as if he, little Kolya, were giving this question to be decided.

Have you read Voltaire? Alyosha concluded.

- No, not that I read ... I, however, read Candide, in Russian translation ... in an old, ugly translation, funny ... (Again, again!)

– Did you understand?

“Oh yes, that’s all… that is… why do you think I wouldn’t understand?” There are, of course, a lot of smut... Of course, I am able to understand that this is a philosophical novel and was written to convey the idea... - Kolya was already completely confused. “I am a socialist, Karamazov, I am an incorrigible socialist,” he suddenly interrupted for no apparent reason.

- A socialist? - Alyosha laughed, - but when did you manage to do this? After all, you are only thirteen years old, don't you think?

Kolya was twisted.

“Firstly, not thirteen, but fourteen, in two weeks fourteen,” he flushed, “and secondly, I don’t understand at all what my years are for? It's about what my beliefs are, not what year I'm in, isn't it?

“When you are older, you will see for yourself how important age is to persuasion. It also seemed to me that you were not speaking your own words, ”Alyosha answered modestly and calmly, but Kolya interrupted him hotly.

– Excuse me, you want obedience and mysticism. Agree that, for example, the Christian faith served only the rich and noble in order to keep the lower class in slavery, isn't it?

“Ah, I know where you read this, and someone must have taught you!” Alyosha exclaimed.

- Excuse me, why did you read it without fail? And no one has ever taught. I myself can ... And if you want, I'm not against Christ. He was a completely humane person, and had he lived in our time, he would have directly joined the revolutionaries and, perhaps, would have played a prominent role ... This is even indispensable.

- Well, where, well, where did you get this! What idiot are you messing with? Alyosha exclaimed.

“Forgive me, you can’t hide the truth. Of course, on one occasion, I often talk with Mr. Rakitin, but ... This is old Belinsky, too, they say, he spoke.

- Belinsky? I do not remember. He didn't write it anywhere.

– If he didn’t write, then, they say, he spoke. I heard this from one ... but damn ...

- Have you read Belinsky?

“You see… no… I didn’t quite read it, but… I read the passage about Tatyana, why she didn’t go with Onegin.

- Why didn't you go with Onegin? Do you really… understand?

“Excuse me, you seem to take me for the Smurov boy,” Kolya grinned irritably. “However, please don’t think that I’m such a revolutionary. I very often disagree with Mr. Rakitin. If I'm talking about Tatyana, then I'm not at all for the emancipation of women. I recognize that a woman is a subordinate being and must obey. Les femmes tricottent, as Napoleon said, - Kolya chuckled for some reason, - and at least in this I completely share the conviction of this pseudo-great man. For example, I also think that fleeing to America from the fatherland is meanness, worse than meanness is stupidity. Why go to America, when we can do a lot of good for humanity? Right now. A whole host of fruitful activities. So I answered.

- How did they answer? To whom? Has anyone already invited you to America?

- I confess, I was urged on, but I rejected it. This, of course, is between us, Karamazov, you hear, not a word to anyone. This is me only for you. I do not want to fall into the clutches of the Third Section and take lessons at the Chain Bridge,

Will you remember the building

At the Chain Bridge!

Remember? Fabulous! What are you laughing at? Don't you think that I lied to you all? (“But what if he finds out that in my father’s closet there is only this one issue of The Bells, and I didn’t read anything else from it?” thought Kolya briefly, but with a shudder.)

“Oh no, I'm not laughing, and I don't think you've lied to me at all. That's just it, I don't think so, because all this, alas, is the absolute truth! Well, tell me, have you read Pushkin, Onegin, then ... So you just talked about Tatyana?

No, I haven't read it yet, but I want to. I have no prejudice, Karamazov. I want to hear both sides. Why did you ask?

“Tell me, Karamazov, do you despise me terribly?” Kolya suddenly snapped, and he straightened himself out in front of Alyosha, as if he were in position. Do me a favor, don't be shy.

- I despise you? Alyosha looked at him in surprise. - Yes, for what? I am only sad that a lovely nature like yours, which has not yet begun to live, has already been perverted by all this rude nonsense.

“Don’t worry about my nature,” Kolya interrupted, not without self-satisfaction, “but that I’m suspicious, that’s so. Stupidly suspicious, rudely suspicious. You just smiled, and it seemed to me that you seemed to ...

“Ah, I chuckled quite differently. You see what I chuckled at: I recently read a review by a foreign German who lived in Russia about our current student youth: “Show you,” he writes, “a map of the starry sky to a Russian schoolboy, about which he had no idea until then. and he will return this card to you corrected tomorrow.” No knowledge and selfless conceit - that's what the German wanted to say about the Russian schoolboy.

“Ah, yes, that is absolutely true! Kolya suddenly burst out laughing. Bravo, German! However, the chukhna did not even consider the good side, but what do you think? Self-conceit - let it be, it is from youth, it will be corrected, if only it is necessary that it be corrected, but on the other hand, an independent spirit, from almost childhood, but courage of thought and conviction, and not the spirit of their sausage-like servility to authorities ... But all- the German said well! Bravo, German! Although all the same, the Germans must be strangled. Let them be strong in the sciences there, but they still need to be strangled ...

- Why strangle something? Alyosha smiled.

- Well, I lied, maybe I agree. I am sometimes a terrible child, and when I am happy about something, I can not restrain myself and am ready to lie nonsense. Listen, you and I, however, are chatting about trifles here, and this doctor has been stuck there for a long time. However, he, maybe, will examine the “mother” there and this legless Ninochka. You know, I liked this Ninochka. She suddenly whispered to me when I was leaving: “Why didn’t you come earlier?” And in such a voice, with reproach! I think she's awfully kind and pathetic.

- Yes Yes! Here you will walk, you will see what kind of creature it is. It is very useful for you to recognize such creatures in order to be able to appreciate and many other things that you learn precisely from acquaintance with these creatures, Alyosha remarked with fervor. “That will change you the best.

“Oh, how I regret and scold myself for not coming earlier! Kolya exclaimed with a bitter feeling.

- Very pity. You saw for yourself what a joyful impression you made on the poor little one! And how he was killed, waiting for you!

- Do not tell me! You are irritating me. And by the way, it serves me right: I did not come from pride, from egoistic pride and vile autocracy, from which I can not get rid of all my life, although I break myself all my life. I see it now, I'm a scoundrel in many ways, Karamazov!

“No, you are a charming nature, though perverted, and I understand too well why you could have such an influence on this noble and morbidly susceptible boy!” Alyosha replied warmly.

“And you are telling me!” - exclaimed Kolya, - and I, imagine, I thought - I already several times, now that I'm here, I thought that you despise me! If you only knew how much I value your opinion!

“But are you really so suspicious? In such years! Well, just imagine, I was just thinking there in the room, looking at you, when you told me that you must be very suspicious.

- Have you thought about it? What, however, you have an eye, see, see! I bet it was at the same place when I told about the goose. It was in this place that I imagined that you deeply despise me for my haste to show off as a fine fellow, and I even suddenly hated you for this and began to talk nonsense. Then I imagined (this is already now, here) at the place when I said: “If there were no God, then it would have to be invented,” that I was in too much of a hurry to expose my education, especially since I read this phrase in a book. But I swear to you, I was in a hurry to expose not out of vanity, but so, I don’t know why, out of joy, by God, as if out of joy ... although this is a deeply shameful trait when a person climbs on everyone’s neck with joy. I know it. But I am convinced now that you do not despise me, but I invented all this myself. Oh, Karamazov, I am profoundly unhappy. I sometimes imagine, God knows what, that everyone is laughing at me, the whole world, and then I, I'm just ready then to destroy the whole order of things.

“And you are torturing those around you,” Alyosha smiled.

- And I torture others, especially my mother. Karamazov, tell me, am I very ridiculous now?

Don't think about it, don't think about it at all! Alyosha exclaimed. - And what is funny? You never know how many times a person seems or seems ridiculous? Moreover, today almost all people with abilities are terribly afraid of being ridiculous and therefore unhappy. It only surprises me that you began to feel this so early, although, by the way, I have noticed this for a long time and not on you alone. Nowadays, even almost children have begun to suffer from this. It's almost crazy. The devil was embodied in this self-love and crawled into the whole generation, the devil, ”added Alyosha, not at all grinning, as Kolya, who was looking at him point-blank, thought. “You are like everyone else,” Alyosha concluded, “that is, like very many, but you don’t have to be like everyone else, that’s what.

“Even though everyone is like that?”

- Yes, despite the fact that everyone is like that. One you and be not such. You really are not like everyone else: now you are not ashamed to admit to being bad and even funny. And now who is aware of this? No one, and even the need, ceased to be found in self-condemnation. Be not like everyone else; even though you alone remain not like that, but still be not like that.

- Fabulous! I didn't mistake you. You are able to comfort. Oh, how I longed for you, Karamazov, how long have I been looking for a meeting with you! Did you think of me too? Did you say the other day that you thought of me too?

“Yes, I heard about you and thought about you too ... and if some pride has forced you to ask this now, then it’s nothing.

“You know, Karamazov, our explanation is like a declaration of love,” Kolya said in some relaxed and bashful voice. - It's not funny, isn't it funny?

“It’s not funny at all, but even if it’s funny, it’s nothing, because it’s good,” Alyosha smiled brightly.

“You know, Karamazov, you must admit that you yourself are now a little ashamed of me… I can see it in your eyes,” Kolya chuckled somehow slyly, but also with some kind of almost happiness.

- Why is it embarrassing?

- Why are you blushing?

- Yes, you did it so that I blushed! Alyosha laughed and really blushed all over. “Well, yes, a little ashamed, God knows why, I don’t know why ...” he muttered, almost even embarrassed.

“Oh, how I love and appreciate you at this moment, precisely because you, too, are somehow ashamed of me!” Because you are definitely me! Kolya exclaimed in resolute delight. His cheeks burned, his eyes shone.

“Listen, Kolya, you, by the way, will be a very unhappy person in life,” Alyosha said suddenly for some reason.

- I know I know. How do you know all this in advance! Kolya immediately confirmed.

“But on the whole, bless life.

- Exactly! Hooray! You are a prophet! Oh, we'll get along, Karamazov. You know, what delights me most of all is that you are completely equal to me. And we are no match, no, no match, you are higher! But we'll get along. You know I'm all last month He said to himself: “Either we will become friends with him forever, or from the very first time we will disperse as enemies to the grave!”

- And speaking so, of course, they loved me! Alyosha laughed merrily.

“I loved, I loved terribly, I loved and dreamed of you!” And how do you know everything in advance? Bah, here comes the doctor. Lord, he will say something, look at his face!

VII. Ilyusha

The doctor came out of the hut again already wrapped in a fur coat and with a cap on his head. His face was almost angry and disgusted, as if he was always afraid of getting dirty on something. He glanced briefly at the entrance, and at the same time looked sternly at Alyosha and Kolya. Alyosha waved from the door to the coachman, and the carriage that had brought the doctor drove up to the exit doors. The staff captain rushed out after the doctor and, bending over, almost squirming in front of him, stopped him for the last word. The face of the poor man was killed, his eyes were frightened:

“Your Excellency, Your Excellency… really?…” he began and did not finish, but only clasped his hands in despair, although he was still looking at the doctor with his last entreaty, as if, in fact, the sentence on the poor boy could change from the doctor’s now word. .

- What to do! I am not God,” the doctor answered in a casual, though habitually impressive voice.

“Doctor… Your Excellency… and soon it, soon?”

“Get ready for everything,” the doctor rapped out, striking each syllable, and, bowing his gaze, he himself was about to step over the threshold to the carriage.

“Your Excellency, for Christ’s sake! - the staff captain stopped him again in fright, - your excellency! .. so nothing, really nothing, nothing at all will save now? ..

“It doesn’t depend on me now,” the doctor said impatiently, “and, nevertheless, um,” he paused suddenly, “if you, for example, could ... direct ... your patient ... now and not at all without delay (the words "now and without delay at all" the doctor uttered not only sternly, but almost angrily, so that the staff captain even shuddered) in Shi-ra-ku-zy, then ... as a result of new favorable kli- ma-ti-cal conditions ... could, perhaps, happen ...

- To Sicaruza! cried the staff captain, as if he still did not understand anything.

“Syracuse is in Sicily,” Kolya suddenly snapped loudly, for clarification. The doctor looked at him.

- To Sicily! Father, Your Excellency, - the staff captain was lost, - but you saw it! - he circled with both hands, pointing to his situation, - and mama, and the family?

- N-no, the family is not in Sicily, but your family is in the Caucasus, in early spring ... your daughter is in the Caucasus, and your spouse ... having kept the course of the waters also in the Caucasus due to her rheumatism ... immediately after that, go right to Paris, to the hospital of the psychiatrist Dr. Lepelleletier, I could give you a note to him, and then ... it could, perhaps, happen ...

- Doctor, doctor! Why, you see! the captain suddenly waved his arms again, pointing in desperation at the bare log walls of the entrance hall.

“Ah, it’s none of my business,” the doctor chuckled, “I just said what I could say to your question about the last resort, and the rest ... unfortunately for me ...

“Don’t worry, doctor, my dog ​​won’t bite you,” Kolya snapped loudly, noticing the doctor’s somewhat restless look at Chime, who stood on the threshold. An angry note rang out in Kolya's voice. The word "healer", instead of a doctor, he said on purpose and, as he himself later announced, "he said it as an insult."

- What's happened? the doctor tossed his head, staring at Kolya in surprise. - Which one? he suddenly turned to Alyosha, as if asking him for a report.

“This is the owner of Chime, a doctor, don’t worry about my personality,” Kolya minted again.

- Ringing? the doctor said, not understanding what Chime was.

- He doesn't know where he is. Goodbye doctor, see you in Syracuse.

- Who is it? Who, who? the doctor suddenly boiled up terribly.

“He’s a local schoolboy, doctor, he’s a naughty one, don’t pay attention,” Alyosha said, frowning and pattering. - Kolya, shut up! he shouted to Krasotkin. "Don't pay attention, doctor," he repeated, somewhat more impatiently.

- You have to cut it, you have to cut it, you have to cut it! - the doctor, already for some reason already enraged, stamped his feet.

- And you know, doctor, because the Chime seems to bite me! Kolya said in a trembling voice, turning pale and his eyes flashing. - Ishi, Chime!

- Kolya, if you say only one more word, then I will break with you forever! Alyosha shouted authoritatively.

“Healer, there is only one creature in the whole world that can order Nikolai Krasotkin, this is this man,” Kolya pointed to Alyosha, “I obey him, goodbye!”

He jumped up and, opening the door, quickly went into the room. The chime followed him. The doctor stood for about five more seconds, as if in tetanus, looking at Alyosha, then suddenly spat and quickly went to the carriage, repeating loudly: "Etta, etta, etta, I don't know what etta is!" The captain rushed to lift him up. Alyosha followed Kolya into the room. He was already standing by Ilyusha's bed. Ilyusha held his hand and called for dad. A minute later the captain also returned.

“Papa, papa, come here ... we ...” Ilyusha was murmuring in extreme excitement, but apparently unable to continue, he suddenly threw his both emaciated arms forward and hugged them both at once, as tightly as he could, and Kolya and papa, joining them in one embrace and clinging to them himself. The staff captain suddenly shook all over from silent sobs, and Kolya's lips and chin trembled.

- Dad, dad! I feel sorry for you, dad! Ilyusha groaned bitterly.

"Ilyushechka... darling... the doctor said... you'll be well... we'll be happy... doctor..." the staff captain began to speak.

- Oh, dad! I know what the new doctor told you about me... I saw it! Ilyusha exclaimed, and again firmly, with all his strength, pressed them both to him, hiding his face on his father’s shoulder.

- Dad, don't cry ... but when I die, then take a good boy, another ... choose yourself from all of them, good, call him Ilyusha and love him instead of me ...

- Shut up, old man, get well! Krasotkin suddenly shouted, as if angry.

“And never forget me, dad, never forget me,” continued Ilyusha, “come to my grave ... yes, dad, you bury me near our big stone, to which we went for a walk, and go to me there with Krasotkin, in the evening... And Chime... And I'll be waiting for you... Dad, dad!

- Ilyushechka! Ilyushechka! she exclaimed.

Krasotkin suddenly freed himself from Ilyusha's embrace.

“Goodbye, old man, my mother is waiting for me for dinner,” he said quickly. What a pity I didn't warn her! He will be very worried ... But after dinner I will immediately come to you, for the whole day, for the whole evening, and I will tell you so much, I will tell you so much! And I’ll bring Chime, and now I’ll take it with me, because without me he will start howling and will interfere with you; Goodbye!

And he ran out into the hallway. He did not want to burst into tears, but in the passage he did cry. Alyosha found him in this state.

“Kolya, you must certainly keep your word and come, otherwise he will be in terrible grief,” Alyosha said insistently.

– Absolutely! Oh, how I swear to myself that I didn’t come earlier, - Kolya muttered crying and no longer embarrassed that he was crying. At that moment, the staff captain suddenly seemed to jump out of the room and immediately shut the door behind him. His face was furious, his lips trembled. He stood in front of both young men and threw up both hands.

"I don't want a good boy!" I don't want another boy! he whispered in a wild whisper, grinding his teeth. - If I forget you, Jerusalem, let it cling ...

He did not finish, as if choking, and sank on his knees in impotence before the wooden bench. Clenching his head with both fists, he began to sob, squealing somehow absurdly, bracing himself with all his strength, however, so that they would not hear his screams in the hut. Kolya ran out into the street.

Farewell, Karamazov! Will you come yourself? he shouted sharply and angrily to Alyosha.

- I'll definitely be there tonight.

- What is it about Jerusalem ... What is this?

- This is from the Bible: “If I forget you, Jerusalem,” that is, if I forget everything that I myself have precious, if I exchange it for something, then let it strike ...

- I understand, that's enough! Come yourself! Isi, Chime! he shouted quite ferociously to the dog, and with long, quick steps he walked home.

An indispensable condition (lat.).

The business of a woman is knitting (fr.).

Children are a strange people, they dream and imagine. In front of the Christmas tree, and right before Christmas, on the street, on a certain corner, I always met a boy, no more than seven years old. In the terrible frost, he was dressed almost like a summer dress, but his neck was tied with some kind of junk, which means that someone still equipped him, sending him. He walked "with a pen"; this is a technical term, it means to beg. The term was invented by these boys themselves. There are many like him, they spin on your road and howl something learned by heart; but this one did not howl, and spoke somehow innocently and unusually, and looked trustingly into my eyes, - therefore, he was just beginning his profession. In response to my questions, he said that he had a sister, she was unemployed, sick; maybe it’s true, but only later I found out that these boys are in darkness and darkness: they are sent out “with a pen” even in the most terrible frost, and if they don’t get anything, then they will probably be beaten. Having collected kopecks, the boy returns with red, stiff hands to some basement, where some gang of negligent people is drinking, one of those who, “having gone on strike at the factory on Sunday on Saturday, return to work again no earlier than on Wednesday evening” . There, in the cellars, their hungry and beaten wives drink with them, their hungry babies squeak right there. Vodka, and dirt, and debauchery, and most importantly, vodka. With the collected kopecks, the boy is immediately sent to the tavern, and he brings more wine. For fun, they sometimes pour a pigtail into his mouth and laugh when, with a choked breath, he falls almost unconscious on the floor.

... and bad vodka in my mouth

Ruthlessly poured...

When he grows up, they quickly sell him somewhere to the factory, but everything that he earns, he is again obliged to bring to the caretakers, and they again drink it away. But even before the factory, these children become perfect criminals. They wander around the city and know such places in different basements that you can crawl into and where you can spend the night unnoticed. One of them spent several nights in a row with a janitor in a basket, and he never noticed him. Of course, they become thieves. Theft turns into a passion even in eight-year-old children, sometimes even without any consciousness of the criminality of the action. In the end, they endure everything - hunger, cold, beatings - for only one thing, for freedom, and they run away from their negligent wanderers already from themselves. This wild creature sometimes does not understand anything, neither where he lives, nor what nation he is, whether there is a god, whether there is a sovereign; even such convey things about them that are unbelievable to hear, and yet they are all facts.

THE BOY AT CHRIST ON THE TREE

But I am a novelist, and it seems that I composed one "story" myself. Why do I write: “it seems”, because I myself know for sure what I composed, but I keep imagining that it happened somewhere and at some time, that’s exactly what happened just on the eve of Christmas, in some a huge city and in a terrible frost.

It seems to me that there was a boy in the basement, but still very small, about six years old or even less. This boy woke up in the morning in a damp and cold basement. He was dressed in some kind of robe and was trembling. His breath came out in white steam, and he, sitting in the corner on the chest, out of boredom, purposely let this steam out of his mouth and amused himself, watching how it flies out. But he really wanted to eat. Several times in the morning he approached the bunks, where on a bedding as thin as a pancake and on some bundle under his head, instead of a pillow, lay his sick mother. How did she get here? She must have come with her boy from a foreign city and suddenly fell ill. The mistress of the corners was captured by the police two days ago; the tenants dispersed, it was a festive matter, and the remaining one dressing gown had been lying dead drunk for a whole day, not even waiting for the holiday. In another corner of the room, some eighty-year-old old woman was moaning from rheumatism, who had once lived somewhere in nannies, and now she was dying alone, groaning, grumbling and grumbling at the boy, so that he already began to be afraid to come close to her corner. He got a drink somewhere in the entryway, but he didn’t find a crust anywhere, and once in the tenth he already came up to wake his mother. He felt terrible, at last, in the darkness: evening had already begun long ago, but no fire was lit. Feeling his mother's face, he was surprised that she did not move at all and became as cold as a wall. “It’s very cold here,” he thought, stood a little, unconsciously forgetting his hand on the dead woman’s shoulder, then breathed on his fingers to warm them, and suddenly, groping for his cap on the bunk, slowly, gropingly, went out of the basement. He would have gone earlier, but he was always afraid upstairs, on the stairs, of a big dog that had been howling all day at the neighbor's door. But the dog was gone, and he suddenly went out into the street.

God, what a city! Never before had he seen anything like it. There, from where he came, at night such black darkness, one lamp on the whole street. Wooden low houses are locked with shutters; on the street, it gets a little dark - nobody, everyone shuts up at home, and only whole packs of dogs howl, hundreds and thousands of them, howl and bark all night. But it was so warm there and they gave him food, but here, God, if only he could eat! And what a knock and thunder here, what light and people, horses and carriages, and frost, frost! Frozen steam pours from driven horses, from their hotly breathing snouts; horseshoes clinking against the stones through the loose snow, and everyone is pushing like that, and, Lord, I so want to eat, at least a piece of some kind, and my fingers suddenly hurt so much. A law enforcement officer passed by and turned away so as not to notice the boy.

Here again the street - oh, what a wide! Here they will probably crush them like that; how they all shout, run and ride, but the light, the light! And what's that? Wow, what a big glass, and behind the glass is a room, and in the room there is a tree up to the ceiling; this is a Christmas tree, and there are so many lights on the Christmas tree, how many gold pieces of paper and apples, and around there are dolls, little horses; and children running around the room, smart, clean, laughing and playing, and eating, and drinking something. This girl started dancing with the boy, what a pretty girl! Here is the music, you can hear it through the glass. The boy looks, marvels, and already laughs, and his fingers and legs already hurt, and his hands have become completely red, they can’t bend and move painfully. And suddenly the boy remembered that his fingers hurt so much, began to cry and ran on, and again he sees through another glass a room, again there are trees, but on the tables there are pies, all sorts - almond, red, yellow, and four people are sitting there. rich ladies, and whoever comes, they give him pies, and the door opens every minute, many gentlemen enter them from the street. A boy crept up, suddenly opened the door and went in. Wow, how they shouted and waved at him! One lady came up quickly and thrust a kopeck into his hand, and she herself opened the door to the street for him. How scared he was! And the kopeck immediately rolled out and rang on the steps: he could not bend his red fingers and hold it. The boy ran out and went quickly, quickly, but where he did not know. He wants to cry again, but he's afraid, and he runs, runs and blows on his hands. And longing takes him, because he suddenly felt so lonely and terrifying, and suddenly, Lord! So what is it again? People are standing in a crowd and marveling: on the window behind the glass are three dolls, small, dressed in red and green dresses and very, very much like they are alive! Some old man sits and seems to be playing a big violin, two others stand right there and play small violins, and shake their heads to the beat, and look at each other, and their lips move, they talk, they really talk, - only now because of the glass is not audible. And at first the boy thought that they were alive, but when he completely guessed that they were pupae, he suddenly laughed. He had never seen such dolls and did not know that there were such! And he wants to cry, but it's so funny, funny on pupae. Suddenly it seemed to him that someone grabbed him by the dressing gown from behind: a big angry boy stood nearby and suddenly cracked him on the head, tore off his cap, and gave him a leg from below. The boy rolled to the ground, then they screamed, he was stupefied, jumped up and ran, ran, and suddenly he ran he didn’t know where, into the doorway, into someone else’s yard, and sat down for firewood: “They won’t find it here, and it’s dark.”

The novel The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky, written in 1880, was conceived by the writer as the first part of the epic work The History of the Great Sinner. However, Fedor Mikhailovich's creative plans were not destined to come true - two months after the publication of the book, he died.

For reader's diary and preparing for a literature lesson, we recommend reading the online summary of The Brothers Karamazov in chapters and parts. You can also take a special test to test your knowledge on our website.

Main characters

Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov- the head of the Karamazov family, a small landowner, a depraved, greedy, selfish old man.

Dmitry Fedorovich (Mitya)- the eldest son of Karamazov, a drunkard, a reveler, a brawler, a man with unbridled passions.

Ivan Fedorovich- the middle son, restrained, rational, in whose soul there is a struggle between faith in God and his denial.

Alexey Fedorovich- the youngest son, a sincere, honest, deeply believing young man.

Other characters

Katerina Ivanovna- Mitya's bride, a proud, determined, sacrificial girl.

Grushenka- a cohabitant of a wealthy merchant, a vile, prudent young woman, the subject of enmity between the old man Karamazov and Mitya.

Zosima- an old man, Alyosha's mentor, who foresaw the plight of Mitya.

Smerdyakov- a young lackey in the house of Karamazov Sr., his illegitimate son, cruel, vicious person.

Mrs. Khokhlakov- widow, landowner, neighbor of the Karamazovs, whose daughter Liza is in love with Alyosha.

Petr Alexandrovich Miusov- Mitya's cousin, a nobleman, an enlightened intellectual.

Part one

Book one. The history of one family

I. Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov

The first wife of Fyodor Pavlovich was a girl from the noble noble family of the Miusovs. From a despotic husband, a young woman fled to St. Petersburg, "leaving Fyodor Pavlovich in the arms of a three-year-old Mitya", and after a while she died of typhus.

II. He sent away his first son

The boy was brought up by his cousin, Pyotr Aleksandrovich Miusov. Having matured, Mitya tried to extort the maternal inheritance from his father. Fyodor Pavlovich began to "get off with small handouts, temporary deportations", and four years later announced that all the money had run out.

III. Second marriage and second children

Having given Mitya upbringing, Fyodor Pavlovich “married a second time very soon after.” This time he chose an unrequited orphan who gave him two sons, Ivan and Alexei. After a while, the second wife also died, unable to bear the difficult married life with Karamazov.

IV. Third son Alyosha

Everyone "loved Alyosha wherever he appeared, and this from his very childhood, even from his childhood." Having matured, "chaste and pure" the young man decided to leave as a novice in a monastery. This choice was made by Alyosha under the influence of the elder Zosima.

V. Elders

The conflict between Dmitry and Fyodor Pavlovich over the inheritance heats up to the limit. Then Alexei offers the whole family to gather at the elder Zosima and discuss the problem together.

Book two. Inappropriate meeting

I. Arrived at the monastery

The entire Karamazov family gathers at the monastery, as well as Pyotr Miusov, Dmitry's guardian. The whole company agrees to "behave decently here."

II. stern jester

In Zosima's cell, a verbal skirmish takes place between Peter Miusov and the elder Karamazov. Pyotr Alexandrovich asks forgiveness from the elder for the unworthy behavior of Fyodor Pavlovich.

III. believing women

The elder asks those present for permission to go out for a while, "to bless those who were waiting for him."

In a small outhouse crowded with women who came to the old man with their troubles. Zosima listens to everyone, consoles and blesses.

IV. lady of little faith

The landowner Khokhlakov comes to the elder, who confesses her absence true faith. The elder replies that faith is achieved by "the experience of active love".

V. Wake up! Wake up!

During the absence of the elder in the cell, a heated argument breaks out between Ivan Fedorovich, Peter Miusov and two hieromonks on religious topics.

VI. Why does such a person live?

Fyodor Pavlovich scandals, accusing his eldest son of embezzlement of maternity capital and his love affairs - having brought his bride, Katerina Ivanovna, he, according to his father, "goes to one local seductress."

"A scene that has come down to disgrace" ends with Zosima swearing at Dmitri's feet.

VII. Seminarian careerist

Left alone with Alyosha, Zosima punishes him to leave the monastery after his death. He blesses him "for great obedience in the world" and predicts great happiness in great sorrow.

VIII. Scandal

Miusov and several hieromonks and a local landowner receive an invitation to dine with the abbot. Fyodor Pavlovich decides to finally play a dirty trick. He bursts into the abbot and offends everyone present, including the clergy.

Book three. Voluptuous

I. In the lackey

Only three people serve Fyodor Pavlovich: “old man Grigory, old woman Marfa, his wife, and servant Smerdyakov, still a young man.” Gregory is an honest and incorruptible servant who, despite his wife's persistent persuasion, does not leave his master.

II. Lizaveta stinking

25 years ago, Grigory stumbled upon a local holy fool in a bathhouse - Lizaveta stinking, who had just given birth to a baby. Everything pointed to the fact that the baby was the illegitimate son of Fyodor Pavlovich. Karamazov allowed to keep the child, and christened him Pavel Fedorovich Smerdyakov. Growing up, the boy became a lackey in the Karamazov household.

III. Confession of a warm heart. In verse

Alyosha meets his older brother, who confesses that he "happened to plunge into the deepest, deepest shame of debauchery", and in his hearts reads a hymn to him to Schiller's joy.

IV. Confession of a warm heart. In jokes

Dmitry talks about his acquaintance with Katerina Ivanovna. Upon learning that her father, the lieutenant colonel, squandered government money, Dmitry offered the required amount in exchange for her maiden honor. For the sake of saving her father, Katerina Ivanovna was ready to sacrifice herself, but Dmitry gave the girl money free of charge.

V. Confession of a warm heart. "Upside Down"

Having become a rich heiress, Katerina returns the money to Dmitry. In addition, in a letter, she confesses her love to him and offers to marry her.

Dmitry agrees, but soon falls passionately in love with Grushenka, the greedy cohabitant of the old merchant. For her sake, Mitya is ready to leave his bride without hesitation, and even kill his father - his main rival for the attention of a charmer.

He asks Alyosha to visit Katerina and report that everything is over between them, since Mitya is “a low voluptuary and a vile creature with uncontrollable feelings”, who spent three thousand rubles of his bride on a spree with Grushenka.

VI. Smerdyakov

Dmitri finds out that his father has a package of money for Grushenka if she decides to come to him. He asks Smerdyakov to warn him immediately if Grushenka shows up at his father's house.

Smerdyakov is a vile, cruel young man of his own mind, suffering from seizures, who does not feel affection for anyone.

VII. controversy

Alyosha comes to his father, where he finds his brother Ivan, Grigory and Smerdyakov, boldly discussing questions of faith.

VIII. For cognac

Under the influence of cognac, Fyodor Pavlovich forgets that he is in the company of Ivan and Alyosha, and tells how cruelly he humiliated their mother. From these words, Alyosha begins to have a fit.

IX. Voluptuous

At that moment, Dmitry bursts into the house, fully convinced that his father is hiding Grushenka from him. In anger, he beats the old man.

X. Both together

Alexei comes to Katerina and conveys Dmitry's words about their breakup. However, Katerina Ivanovna already knows about everything from an unexpected guest - Grushenka.

A scene takes place between the women, during which Grushenka shows all the meanness of her nature.

XI. Another dead reputation

Alyosha receives a letter with a declaration of love from Liza, the sick daughter of the landowner Khokhlakov. He re-reads it and thrice and, happy, falls into a "serene sleep".

Part two

Book four. Tears

I. Father Ferapont

Father Ferapont, the main rival of the elder Zosima, lives in the monastery. This is a "great fasting and silencer", stubbornly ignoring the elder.

II. father

Fyodor Pavlovich shares his plans with Alyosha: he does not intend to give money to any of his sons, since he is going to live for a long time and indulge in "sweet filth".

III. Contacted students

On the way, Alyosha stumbles upon "a bunch of schoolchildren". Six boys throw stones at one boy who desperately tries to fight them off. Alyosha wants to protect him, but the embittered boy bites his finger.

IV. At the Khokhlakovs

In the house of the Khokhlakovs, Alyosha finds Ivan and Katerina - an explanation takes place between them.

Liza is happy to learn that Alyosha took her love letter seriously and is ready to marry her "as soon as the legal time comes."

V. Tearing in the living room

At the Khokhlakovs, Alyosha is convinced that "brother Ivan loves Katerina Ivanovna and, most importantly, really intends to" beat off "Mitya". Ivan confesses his feelings to her, but in response he is refused.

Although Katerina now despises Dmitry, she intends to remain faithful to him to the end, even if he marries Grushenka.

Alyosha learns from Katerina that the other day Dmitry Fedorovich publicly insulted the retired staff captain Snegirev. She asks to bring him 200 rubles.

VI. Tearing in the hut

Having found “a dilapidated house, warped, only three windows to the street”, Alyosha discovers the Snegirev family, mired in terrible poverty: the drunken head of the family, his feeble-minded wife, a cripple daughter and a son - a boy who bit his finger.

VII. And in the open air

Alyosha asks to accept 200 rubles from Katerina Ivanovna, but Snegirev fiercely tramples on the bills - he does not intend to take payment for his shame.

Book five. Pro and contra

I. Collusion

Alyosha returns to the Khokhlakovs. He talks to Lisa about love, about their common future. This conversation is overheard by Mrs. Khokhlakov.

II. Smerdyakov with a guitar

In search of Dmitri, Alyosha stumbles upon Smerdyakov. He informs him that both brothers, Ivan and Mitya, went to the tavern to talk about something.

III. The brothers get to know each other

Ivan talks with Alyosha, and for the first time communicates with him on an equal footing. He shares his plans - to go to Europe, start a new life.

IV. Riot

The brothers begin to talk about the Almighty, and Ivan is sure that "if the devil does not exist and, therefore, a man created him, then he created him in his own image and likeness." Deeply believing Alyosha only helplessly whispers: "This is a riot."

V. Grand Inquisitor

Ivan tells Alyosha a poem about the Grand Inquisitor who imprisoned Christ. He asks the son of God to save mankind from the agony of choosing between good and evil. The Grand Inquisitor is waiting for objections from Christ, but he only silently kisses him.

VI. So far very unclear

Ivan finds Smerdyakov with his father, who advises the master to leave this house as soon as possible, in which, apparently, trouble will soon happen. He hints that he is going to have a "long fit" tomorrow.

VII. "WITH smart person and talk curiously

Ivan spends the whole night in painful thoughts, and in the morning he informs his father that he is leaving for Moscow in an hour. On the same day, the footman has a seizure.

Book six. Russian monk

I. Elder Zosima and his guests

Alyosha comes to the dying Zosima. The elder tells the young man to urgently find his older brother Dmitry in order to "warn something terrible."

II. From the Life of the Deceased Hieroschemamonk Elder Zosima in Bose, Compiled from His Own Words by Alexei Fyodorovich Karamazov

The holy ascetic in the world belonged to a poor noble family. As an officer, he went to a duel, during which he was enlightened, after which he went to the monastery.

III. From the conversations and teachings of the elder Zosima

Zosima talks about life and shares advice: do not forget about prayers, love your neighbor, ask God for fun, never judge anyone, work tirelessly.

Book seven. Alyosha

I. Corrupting Spirit

After the death of the elder, people gather near his cell, accustomed to "consider the deceased elder even during his lifetime as an undoubted and great saint." A great disappointment for believers is the fact of the rotting of the elder.

Ferapont hurries to take advantage of this circumstance, whose righteousness and holiness no one doubts anymore.

II. Such a minute

For Alyosha, the day of Zosima's death becomes "one of the most painful and fatal days" in his life.

In a depressed state, Alyosha is found by his friend Rakitin, who persuades him to go to Grushenka.

III. Lukovka

Grushenka greets young people affectionately. She is especially glad to Alyosha, and shamelessly jumps "on her knees, like a caressing cat." However, Alyosha does not react in any way to Grushenka's flirting - "the great grief of his soul absorbed all sensations."

IV. Cana of Galilee

Meanwhile, Alyosha returns to the skete, where he falls asleep at the coffin of Zosima. He dreams of an old man - he is happy and cheerful, and asks not to be afraid of death, not to be afraid of the Lord.

Book Eight. Mitya

I. Kuzma Samsonov

In an attempt to find the right amount, Dmitry Fedorovich turns to the merchant Samsonov, Grushenka's patron, for advice. He, in turn, wants to play a trick on the unfortunate suitor and advises him to sell the grove to a forest buyer nicknamed Frog.

II. Frog

After a long tedious search, Mitya still finds Lyagavy. After the conversation, Mitya realizes that he was cruelly played a joke on. Incessant thoughts about Grushenka drive him back to the city.

III. gold mines

Dmitry Fedorovich goes to Mrs. Khokhlakov in the hope of borrowing three thousand rubles from her. The landowner promises him "more, infinitely more than three thousand" - advice to go into gold mines.

IV. In the dark

Tormented by fierce jealousy, Mitya goes to his father.

Grigory notices Mitya running away, and pursues him to the very fence. Without thinking twice, Mitya gives the old man a strong blow with a copper pestle, which he took from Grushenka.

V. Sudden decision

Dmitry, covered in blood, rushes to the official Perkhotin, to whom he had previously pawned his pistols. He buys weapons and goes in search of Grushenka to the neighboring village of Mokroe.

VI. I'm going myself!

At the inn, Dmitry finds Grushenka in the company of Poles. He shows the owner the money and orders to call the gypsies, music, champagne - Mitya is ready to party!

VII. Former and undisputed

Mitya makes it clear that he has only one night at his disposal, and he wants "music, thunder, din, everything before." He joins the Poles and plays cards with them until morning.

VIII. Rave

The night passes in a drunken stupor, insane revelry, it resembles "something disorderly and absurd." Early in the morning, a police officer and an investigator appear at the inn, and Mitya is arrested on suspicion of killing his father.

Book nine. Preliminary investigation

I. The beginning of the career of an official Perkhotin

The young official Perkhotin, impressed by the spectacle of the distraught and bloody Dmitry Fedorovich, decides that "now he will go straight to the police officer and tell him everything."

II. Anxiety

Perkhotin reports the incident to the police officer, and insists that "to cover the criminal before he, perhaps, would actually take it into his head to shoot himself."

III. The journey of the soul through ordeals. Ordeal first

Mitya refuses to confess to the murder of his father. He rejoices when he learns that the old man Gregory survived after the injury.

During interrogation, Mitya frankly confesses his hatred and jealousy for his father, and this only aggravates his plight.

IV. Ordeal second

Soon Mitya gets bored with the interrogation. He gets excited, screams, withdraws into himself, insults those being interrogated. However, it is explained to him how much harm he is doing to himself by "refusing to give this or that testimony", and the interrogation continues.

V. The third ordeal

Mitya tries to remember all the details of the terrible evening. He confesses that he learned the conventional signs that Grushenka was supposed to give to his father from Smerdyakov.

VI. The prosecutor caught Mitya

It becomes humiliating for Mitya to search his personal belongings, but it is even harder for him to strip naked in front of strangers.

Irrefutable evidence of Dmitry's crime is a torn envelope from under three thousand, found in the bedroom of the old man Karamazov.

VII. Mitya's great secret. booed

Mitya is forced to admit that the money he spent all night on was received from Katerina Ivanovna.

He is already fully aware that he has "disappeared", and now he is only worried about the fate of Grushenka.

VIII. Testimony of witnesses. baby

The interrogation of witnesses begins. Grushenka manages to convince Mitya that she is sure of his innocence. Thanks to this support, Mitya “wants to live and live, to go and go on some path, to a new calling light.”

IX. Mitya was taken away

After signing the protocol, Mitya learns that “he is a prisoner from now on and that they will take him to the city now, where they will imprison him in one very unpleasant place.” The investigation will continue in the city.

Book ten. boys

I. Kolya Krasotkin

Kolya Krasotkin "was dexterous, stubborn character, bold and enterprising spirit." He was an excellent friend, and deservedly enjoyed the respect of his classmates.

II. kids

Kolya is forced to look after two babies in the absence of their mother. This time, this occupation does not bring him joy - he is in a hurry on some important matter.

III. Schoolboy

Kolya meets with his friend. They are discussing Ilyusha, who was stoned two months ago - the boy is seriously ill, and will not even live a week.

Friends go to Alyosha Karamazov, with whom they want to talk.

IV. bug

Kolya tells Alyosha how Smerdyakov taught Ilyusha a "brutal joke, a vile joke" - to stick a pin into a crumb of bread and feed it to a hungry yard dog. He fed such bread to Zhuchka, and for a long time could not come to his senses, remembering the torment of the unfortunate animal.

Even when Ilyusha fell ill, he remembered everything and called Zhuchka. They tried to find her, but they never found her.

V. At Ilyushin's bed

Kolya visits Ilyusha and is amazed at how weak he is. The sick boy is very happy to see his friend, but his happiness knows no bounds when Ilyusha brings Zhuchka to him - healthy and unharmed.

VI. Early development

In the midst of the fun, the capital's doctor comes to the Snegirevs, who was specially called by Katerina Ivanovna. Kolya and Alyosha begin to talk about the meaning of life.

VII. Ilyusha

The doctor's verdict is disappointing. Before his death, Ilyusha asks his father to take up a "good boy, another" and never forget him.

Book eleven. Brother Ivan Fedorovich

I. At Grushenka

Alyosha visits Grushenka, and she asks him to find out what secret has appeared between Ivan and Dmitry, because of which the prisoner's mood has noticeably improved.

II. Sore leg

Alyosha learns from Mrs. Khokhlakov that Katerina called a doctor from Moscow so that he could confirm Mitya's insane state at the time of the crime.

III. Imp

Lisa informs Alyosha that she takes back her promise to become his wife. She confesses to the young man that she still loves him, but does not respect him for his kindness and tolerance for human vices.

IV. Hymn and secret

Mitya understands that he will have to work hard in the mines until the end of his life, and he comes to God - "it is impossible to be hard labor without God."

Mitya gives his brother his secret - Ivan offers him to run away, but everything will be decided after tomorrow's court session.

VI. First meeting with Smerdyakov

Upon arrival from Moscow, Ivan Fedorovich visits Smerdyakov in the hospital, and finds out from him all the details of the mysterious attack and the crime committed.

VII. Second visit to Smerdyakov

At the second meeting, the lackey accuses Ivan of wanting the "death of a parent" himself and deliberately went to Moscow so as not to be present at the terrible tragedy. Ivan begins to suspect Smerdyakov of the murder of his father.

VIII. Third and last meeting with Smerdyakov

Smerdyakov confesses to the murder, which he decided on under the influence of Ivan's atheistic reasoning. Having twisted Karamazov's words in his own way, Smerdyakov realized that "everything, they say, is allowed" to everyone.

The footman gives Ivan a pack of stolen banknotes and tells in detail how he committed the crime. At the same time, he constantly repeats that it is Ivan who is the “most legitimate killer”, and he only became a tool in his hands.

IX. Crap. Nightmare of Ivan Fedorovich

Smerdyakov's confession deeply affects Ivan, and delirium tremens takes possession of "his organism, which has long been upset, but stubbornly resisted the disease."

H. "That's what he said!"

Alyosha runs to Ivan and reports that “Smerdyakov took his own life” - he hanged himself. Ivan is not surprised - in delirium, he talked with the devil, and he told him about it.

Book twelve. Judgement mistake

I. Fatal day

On Judgment Day, Mitya repeats that he is guilty of debauchery, drunkenness and laziness, “but he is not guilty of the death of an old man, my enemy and father,” as well as of stealing three thousand rubles.

II. Dangerous witnesses

The court session continues, the defense counsel for the defendant and the prosecutor alternately speak. An exact calculation is being made of the money spent by Mitya at the inn on the fateful night.

III. Medical examination and one pound of nuts

The medical examination, which Katerina Ivanovna insisted on, "also did not help the defendant very much." The invited doctors testify that Dmitry Fedorovich "is in a completely normal condition."

IV. Happiness smiles at Mitya

During the interrogation, Alyosha confidently says that it was not his brother who killed his father, but Smerdyakov, but he has "no evidence, except for some moral convictions."

Katerina tells everything without concealment, starting from meeting Mitya and ending with the last humiliating date with him. After her story in the courtroom, "something pretty swept in Mitya's favor."

V. Sudden disaster

Ivan Fedorovich gives the bailiff his father's money, which he "received from Smerdyakov, from the murderer." But after this statement, Ivan has a severe seizure, and he is taken out of the courtroom.

VI. Prosecutor's speech. Characteristic

The prosecutor is indicting. He dissects the entire Karamazov family with special care, in which he sees elements of a "modern intelligent society."

VII. Historical image

The prosecutor describes in detail the events of the fateful evening, explaining the motives for the actions committed by Mitya.

VIII. Treatise on Smerdyakov

The prosecutor talks about Smerdyakov and his possible involvement in the murder of Karamazov. In the course of his reasoning, he comes to the conclusion that he is not guilty of anything.

IX. Psychology in full swing. Jumping trio. The end of the prosecutor's speech

The prosecutor's speech, in which he paid special attention to the psychology of the crime, is very popular with the public. Many do not doubt that what he said is "everything is true, irresistible truth."

X. Speech of the defender. Double edged stick

It's the defender's turn to speak. He presents facts that speak of Mitya's innocence, and at the same time hints at "some abuse" of psychology in the accusatory speech of the prosecutor.

XI. There was no money. There was no robbery

In his speech, the defender makes the main emphasis on the fact that, in fact, there was no robbery - “you cannot be accused of robbery if you cannot specify exactly what was robbed, this is an axiom.”

XII. And there was no murder

The defender is outraged that Mitya is acting as the main suspect only because the accusers follow their own logic: “Who killed if not him?”.

XIII. Adulterer of thought

The defender is sure that if the victim was not the father of the accused, but some other person, the accusers would not be in a hurry "to destroy the fate of a person by mere prejudice against him."

XIV. The men stood up for themselves

The word is given to Mitya, and he once again swears his innocence and asks for mercy. After a lengthy deliberation, the jury delivers a verdict - "Yes, guilty!" .

Epilogue

I. Projects to save Mitya

Ivan Fedorovich suffers from a severe nervous breakdown, and Katerina Ivanovna takes care of him. Together with Lesha, they discuss the project of Mitya and Grushenka's escape to America, which Ivan had planned even earlier.

II. For a moment the lie became the truth

Mitya is in the hospital - after the announcement of the verdict, he "sick with a nervous fever." Alyosha invites his brother to run away, and he agrees.

Katerina Ivanovna comes to Mitya, and in tears they ask each other for forgiveness.

III. Ilyushechka's funeral. Speech at the stone

Ilyushechka's funeral is attended by his school friends and Alyosha. Near the stone, where the boy so loved to sit, they take an oath never to forget Ilyusha and each other. Alyosha encourages them to love life with all their hearts and do good deeds, because life is unimaginably beautiful, especially when "you do something good and true."

Conclusion

Dostoevsky's work has a complex multifaceted structure. It is impossible to accurately define its genre, since it contains signs of a social, philosophical, love and even a detective novel.

After getting acquainted with brief retelling"The Brothers Karamazov" we recommend reading the novel in full.

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Kolya Krasotkin

The thirty-year-old widow of the provincial secretary Krasotkina lived "with her own capital" in a small, clean house. The husband of this pretty, timid and gentle lady died thirteen years ago. Having married at the age of eighteen, she lived in marriage for only a year, but managed to give birth to her son Kolya, to whom she devoted "all of herself."

All childhood, the mother trembled over her son, and when the boy entered the gymnasium, "rushed to study all the sciences with him in order to help him and rehearse lessons with him." Kolya was about to be teased as a “sissy”, but his character turned out to be strong, and he managed to defend himself.

Kolya studied well, seeing the respect of his classmates, he did not exalt himself, behaved in a friendly manner and knew how to restrain his character, especially when communicating with elders. Kolya was proud, and even managed to subdue his mother to his will. The widow willingly obeyed her son, but sometimes it seemed to her that the boy was "insensitive" and "loves her little." She was wrong - Kolya loved his mother very much, but could not stand "calf tenderness."

From time to time, Kolya liked to play pranks - to perform miracles and show off. There were a few books left from his father in the house, and the boy "read something that he should not have been allowed to read at his age." This inappropriate reading led to more serious pranks.

One summer, the widow took her son to visit her friend, whose husband worked at the railway station. There, Kolya argued with the local boys that he would lie motionless under a train rushing at full speed.

These fifteen-year-olds turned up their noses in front of him too much and at first did not even want to consider him a comrade, as a "little one", which was already unbearably insulting.

Kolya won the argument, but lost consciousness when the train passed over him, which he confessed to his terrified mother some time later. The news of this “feat” reached the gymnasium, and Kolya’s reputation as a “desperate” was finally strengthened. The boy was even going to be expelled, but the teacher Dardanelov, who was in love with Mrs. Krasotkina, stood up for him. The grateful widow gave the teacher a little hope for reciprocity, and Kolya began to treat him more respectfully, although he despised Dardanelov for his "feelings."

Shortly thereafter, Kolya dragged a mongrel into the house, called her Chime, locked her in his room, did not show anyone, and diligently taught all sorts of tricks.

It was frosty November. There was a day off. Kolya wanted to go out “on one very important matter,” but he could not, because everyone left the house, and he remained to look after the children, his brother and sister, whom he loved very much and called “bubbles”. The children belonged to the Krasotkins' neighbor, the wife of the doctor who abandoned the family. The doctor's maid was about to give birth, and both ladies took her to the midwife, while Agafya, who served the Krasotkins, lingered at the market.

The boy was greatly amused by the "bubbles" reasoning about where babies come from. Brother and sister were afraid to be alone at home, and Kolya had to entertain them - show them a toy gun that can shoot, and make Chime do all sorts of tricks.

Finally, Agafya returned, and Kolya departed on his important business, taking Perezvon with him.

Pupils

Kolya met with the eleven-year-old boy Smurov, the son of a wealthy official, who was two classes younger than Krasotkin. Smurov's parents forbade their son to hang out with the "desperate naughty" Krasotkin, so the boys talked secretly.

The schoolchildren went to their friend Ilyusha Snegirev, who was seriously ill and could not get out of bed. Alexei Karamazov persuaded the guys to visit Ilyusha to brighten up his last days.

Kolya was surprised that Karamazov was busy with the little ones when his own family was in trouble - soon they would be tried for parricide of his older brother. For Krasotkin, Alexei was a mysterious person, and the boy dreamed of meeting him.

The boys walked through the market square. Kolya announced to Smurov that he had become a socialist and a supporter of universal equality, then he spoke about the early frost, to which people were not yet accustomed.

People have a habit, in everything, even in state and political relations. Habit is the main driver.

On the way, Kolya spoke and quarreled with peasants and merchants, declaring that he liked to "talk to the people." He even managed to make a small scandal from scratch and confuse the young clerk.

Approaching the house of Staff Captain Snegirev, Kolya ordered Smurov to call Karamazov, wanting first to "sniff" with him.

Kolya anxiously waited for Karamazov - "there was something sympathetic and enticing in all the stories he heard about Alyosha." The boy decided not to lose face, to show his independence, but he was afraid that, because of his small stature, Karamazov would not accept him as an equal.

Alyosha was glad to see Kolya. In delirium, Ilyusha often remembered his friend and suffered greatly that he did not come. Kolya told Karamazov how they met. Krasotkin noticed Ilyusha when he went to the preparatory class. Classmates teased the weak boy, but he did not obey and tried to fight back. Kolya liked this rebellious pride, and he took Ilyusha under his protection.

Krasotkin soon noticed that the boy was too attached to him. Being an enemy of "all sorts of calf tenderness", Kolya began to treat Ilyusha more and more coldly in order to "school the character" of the baby.

One day, Kolya learned that the Karamazov's lackey had taught Ilyusha a "brutal joke" - to wrap a pin in a crumb of bread and feed this "treat" to a hungry dog. The pin was swallowed by a homeless Bug. Ilyusha was sure that the dog was dead, and suffered greatly. Kolya decided to take advantage of Ilyushin's remorse and, for educational purposes, declared that he was no longer talking to him.

Kolya intended to "forgive" Ilyusha in a few days, but classmates, seeing that he had lost the protection of the elder, again began to call Ilyusha's father a "washcloth". During one of these "battles" the baby was severely beaten. Kolya, who was present at the same time, wanted to intercede for him, but it seemed to Ilyusha that former friend and the patron also laughs at him, and he poked Krasotkin's thigh with a penknife. On the same day, Ilyusha, extremely excited, bit Alyosha on the finger. Then the baby took to his bed. Kolya was very sorry that he had not yet come to visit him, but he had his own reasons for that.

Ilyusha decided that God had punished him with illness for killing Zhuchka. Snegiryov and the guys searched the whole city, but the dog was never found. Everyone hoped that Kolya would find Zhuchka, but he stated that he was not going to do this.

Before entering Ilyusha, Kolya asked Karamazov who the boy's father, Staff Captain Snegirev, was. In the city he was considered a jester.

There are people who feel deeply, but somehow suppressed. Their buffoonery is like a malicious irony towards those to whom they do not dare to tell the truth in their eyes because of their long-term humiliating timidity in front of them.

Snegirev adored his son. Alyosha was afraid that after the death of Ilyusha Snegirev would go mad or “take his own life” from grief.

The proud Kolya was afraid that the guys would tell tales about him to Karamazov. For example, they said that during breaks he plays “Cossack robbers” with the kids. But Alyosha did not see anything wrong with this, considering the game "an emerging need for art in a young soul." The reassured Kolya promised to show Ilyusha some kind of "performance".

At Ilyushin's bed

The cramped and poor little room of the Snegirevs was full of children from the gymnasium. Alexei unobtrusively, one by one, brought them together with Ilyusha, hoping to alleviate the boy's suffering. He could not approach only the independent Krasotkin, who told Smurov sent to him that he had "his own calculation", and he himself knew when to go to the patient.

Ilyusha was lying in bed under the images, next to him sat his legless sister and the "crazy mother" - a half-crazy woman who resembled a child in behavior. Ever since Ilyusha fell ill, the staff captain had almost given up drinking, and even mother had become silent and thoughtful.

Snegirev tried in every possible way to cheer up his son. From time to time he ran out into the hallway and "began to sob with some kind of flooded, shaking cry." Both Snegiryov and mother rejoiced when their home was filled with children's laughter.

Recently, the wealthy merchant's wife Katerina Ivanovna began to help the Snegirev family. She gave money and paid for the doctor's regular visits, and the staff captain "forgot his former ambition and humbly accepted alms." So today they were expecting a famous doctor from Moscow, whom Katerina Ivanovna asked to see Ilyusha.

Kolya was amazed at how Ilyusha had changed in just two months.

He could not even imagine that he would see such a thin and yellowed face, such burning in a feverish heat and as if terribly enlarged eyes, such thin hands.

Sitting down by his friend's bed, Kolya ruthlessly reminded him of the vanished Beetle, not noticing that Alyosha was shaking his head. Then Smurov opened the door, Kolya whistled, and Chimes ran into the room, in which Ilyusha recognized Zhuchka.

Kolya told how he searched for the dog for several days, and then locked it up and taught him various tricks. That is why he did not come to Ilyusha for so long. Krasotkin did not understand how such a shock could have a devastating effect on the sick boy, otherwise he would not have thrown out "such a thing." Probably, only Aleksey understood that it was dangerous to worry the patient, all the rest were glad that Zhuchka was alive.

Kolya forced the chime to show all the tricks he had learned, and then handed Ilyusha a cannon and a book, which he had exchanged with a classmate especially for a friend. Mother liked the cannon very much, and Ilyusha generously gave her the toy. Then Kolya told the patient all the news, including the story that had recently happened to him.

Walking around the market square, Kolya saw a herd of geese and prompted one stupid guy to check whether the cart wheel would cut the goose's neck. The goose, of course, died, and the instigators got to the justice of the peace. He decided that the goose would go to the guy who would pay the owner of the bird a ruble. The judge released Kolya, threatening to report to the authorities of the gymnasium.

Just then an important Moscow doctor arrived, and the guests had to leave the room for a while.

Early development

Krasotkin got the opportunity to talk with Alexei Karamazov alone, in the hallway. In an effort to seem mature and educated, the boy laid out his thoughts about God, Voltaire, Belinsky, socialism, medicine, the place of women in modern society and other things. Thirteen-year-old Kolya believed that God was needed “for the world order”, Voltaire did not believe in God, but “loved humanity”, Christ, if he lived now, would certainly join the revolutionaries, and “a woman is a subordinate creature and must obey.”

After listening to Kolya very seriously, Alyosha was amazed at his early development. It turned out that Krasotkin did not really read Voltaire and Belinsky, nor “forbidden literature”, except for the only issue of the Kolokol magazine, but he had a firm opinion about everything. In his head there was a real "porridge" of unread, read too early and not completely understood.

Alyosha felt sad that this young man, who had not yet begun to live, was already perverted by "all this rude nonsense" and too proud, however, like all Russian schoolchildren, whose main characteristic is "no knowledge and selfless conceit."

Show a Russian schoolboy a map of the starry sky, about which he had no idea until then, and tomorrow he will return this map to you corrected.

Alyosha believed that Kolya would correct communication with people like the Snegirevs. Kolya told Karamazov how his morbid pride sometimes torments him. Sometimes it seems to the boy that the whole world is laughing at him, and in response he himself begins to torment those around him, especially his mother.

Alyosha noticed that “the devil embodied in this pride and climbed into the whole generation,” and advised Kolya not to be like everyone else, especially since he is still capable of self-condemnation. He foresaw a difficult but blessed life for Kolya. Krasotkin, on the other hand, was delighted with Karamazov, especially with the fact that he spoke to him as an equal, and hoped for a long friendship.

While Kolya and Karamazov were talking, the doctor in the capital examined Ilyusha, his sister, and his mother, and went out into the hallway. Krasotkin heard the doctor say that now nothing depended on him, but Ilyusha's life could be extended if he was taken to Italy for at least a year. Not at all embarrassed by the poverty surrounding him, the doctor advised Snegirev to take his daughter to the Caucasus, and his wife to a Paris psychiatric clinic.

Kolya was so annoyed by the speech of the snobby doctor that he spoke to him rudely and called him "the doctor." Alyosha had to yell at Krasotkin. The doctor stamped his feet in anger and drove away, while the staff captain "trembled with silent sobs."

Clenching his head with both fists, he began to sob, squealing somehow absurdly, bracing himself with all his strength, however, so that they would not hear his screams in the hut.

Ilyusha guessed what sentence the doctor had pronounced on him. He asked his father after his death to take another boy for himself, and Kolya to come along with Chime to his grave. Then the dying boy hugged Kolya and his father tightly.

Unable to bear it, Krasotkin hurriedly said goodbye, jumped out into the hallway and began to cry. Alyosha, who caught him there, made the boy promise to come to Ilyusha as often as possible.

Summary of Dostoevsky's story "Boys"

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