,BOOK #b1 ,*APT] #c 
,OLD ,ASSOCIATIONS 

#ahiiahii 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TRANSLATOR 3 ,L\ISE ,MAUDE 

,TEXT 3 

,FROM ,K\SM9SKI ,NEKHLUD(F W5T TO ! E/ATE HE HAD 9H]IT$ FROM HIS AUNTS1 ! SAME :]E HE FIR/ MET ,KATU%A4 ,HE MEANT TO >RANGE AB\T ! L& !RE 9 ! WAY HE HAD DONE 9 ,K\SM9SKI4 ,BESIDES ?IS1 HE WI%$ TO F9D \T ALL HE C\LD AB\T ,KATU%A & H] BABY1 & :5 & H[ IT HAD DI$4 ,HE GOT TO ,PANOVO E>LY ONE MORN+1 & ! FIR/ ?+ ?AT /RUCK HIM :5 HE DROVE UP WAS ! LOOK ( DECAY & DILAPIDATION ?AT ALL ! BUILD+S BORE1 ESPECIALLY ! H\SE ITSELF4 ,! IRON RO(S1 :I* HAD ONCE BE5 PA9T$ GRE51 LOOK$ R$ ) RU/1 & A FEW %EETS ( IRON W]E B5T BACK1 PROBABLY BY A /ORM4 ,SOME ( ! PLANKS :I* COV]$ ! H\SE FROM \TSIDE W]E TORN AWAY 9 SEV]AL PLACES2 !SE W]E EASI] TO GET BY BREAK+ ! RU/Y NAILS ?AT HELD !M4 ,BO? POR*ES1 BUT ESPECIALLY ! SIDE POR* HE REMEMB]$ SO WELL1 W]E ROTT5 & BROK52 ONLY ! BANI/] REMA9$4 ,SOME ( ! W9D[S W]E BO>D$ UP1 & ! BUILD+ 9 :I* ! =EMAN LIV$1 ! KIT*51 ! /ABLES--ALL W]E GRAY & DECAY+4 ,ONLY ! G>D5 HAD NOT DECAY$1 BUT HAD GR[N1 & WAS 9 FULL BLOOM2 FROM OV] ! F5CE ! *]RY1 APPLE1 & PLUM TREES LOOK$ LIKE :ITE CL\DS4 ,! LILAC BU%ES ?AT =M$ ! H$GE W]E 9 FULL BLOOM1 AS !Y HAD BE5 :51 #ad YE>S AGO1 ,NEKHLUD(F HAD PLAY$ GORELKI ) ! #a#e-YE>-OLD ,KATU%A1 & HAD FALL5 & GOT HIS H& /UNG BY ! NETTLES BEH9D ONE ( ?OSE LILAC BU%ES4 ,! L>* ?AT HIS AUNT ,SOPHIA HAD PLANT$ NE> ! H\SE1 :I* !N WAS ONLY A %ORT /ICK1 HAD GR[N 9TO A TREE1 ! TRUNK ( :I* W\LD HAVE MADE A BEAM1 & ITS BRAN*ES W]E COV]$ ) S(T YELL[ GRE5 NE$LES AS ) D[N4 ,! RIV]1 N[ )9 ITS BANKS1 RU%$ NOISILY OV] ! MILL DAM4 ,! MEAD[ ! O!R SIDE ( ! RIV] WAS DOTT$ OV] BY ! PEASANTS' MIX$ H]DS4 ,! =EMAN1 A /UD5T1 :O HAD LEFT ! SEM9>Y )\T F9I%+ ! C\RSE1 MET ,NEKHLUD(F 9 ! Y>D1 ) A SMILE ON HIS FACE1 &1 /ILL SMIL+1 ASK$ HIM TO COME 9TO ! (FICE1 &1 AS IF PROMIS+ SOME?+ EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD BY ?IS SMILE1 HE W5T BEH9D A P>TITION4 ,= A MOM5T SOME :ISP]+ WAS HE>D BEH9D ! P>TITION4 ,! ISVO/*IK :O HAD DRIV5 ,NEKHLUD(F FROM ! /ATION1 DROVE AWAY AFT] RECEIV+ A TIP1 & ALL WAS SIL5T4 ,!N A B>EFOOT$ GIRL PASS$ ! W9D[2 %E HAD ON AN EMBROID]$ PEASANT BL\SE1 & LONG E>R+S 9 H] E>S2 !N A MAN WALK$ PA/1 CLATT]+ ) HIS NAIL$ BOOTS ON ! TRODD5 PA?4 

,NEKHLUD(F SAT D[N BY ! LITTLE CASEM5T1 & LOOK$ \T 9TO ! G>D5 & LI/5$4 ,A S(T1 FRE% SPR+ BREEZE1 SMELL+ ( NEWLY-DUG E>?1 /REAM$ 9 ?R\< ! W9D[1 PLAY+ ) ! HAIR ON HIS DAMP =EHEAD & ! PAP]S ?AT LAY ON ! W9D[-SILL1 :I* WAS ALL CUT AB\T ) A KNIFE4 

0,TRA-PA-TROP1 TRA-PA-TROP10 COMES A S\ND FROM ! RIV]1 AS ! WOM5 :O W]E WA%+ CLO!S !RE SLAPP$ !M 9 REGUL> MEASURE ) !IR WOOD5 BATS1 & ! S\ND SPREAD OV] ! GLITT]+ SURFACE ( ! MILL POND :ILE ! RHY?MICAL S\ND ( ! FALL+ WAT] CAME FROM ! MILL1 & A FRI<T5$ FLY SUDD5LY FLEW L\DLY BUZZ+ PA/ HIS E>4 

,& ALL AT ONCE ,NEKHLUD(F REMEMB]$ H[1 LONG AGO1 :5 HE WAS Y\NG & 9NOC5T1 HE HAD HE>D ! WOM5'S WOOD5 BATS SLAPP+ ! WET CLO!S ABOVE ! RHY?MICAL S\ND FROM ! MILL1 & 9 ! SAME WAY ! SPR+ BREEZE HAD BL[N AB\T ! HAIR ON HIS WET =EHEAD & ! PAP]S ON ! W9D[-SILL1 :I* WAS ALL CUT AB\T ) A KNIFE1 & JU/ 9 ! SAME WAY A FLY HAD BUZZ$ L\DLY PA/ HIS C>4 

,IT WAS NOT EXACTLY ?AT HE REMEMB]$ HIMSELF AS A LAD ( #a#e1 BUT HE SEEM$ TO FEEL HIMSELF ! SAME AS HE WAS !N1 ) ! SAME FRE%NESS & PURITY1 & FULL ( ! SAME GR& POSSIBILITIES = ! FUTURE1 & AT ! SAME TIME1 AS IT HAPP5S 9 A DREAM1 HE KNEW ?AT ALL ?IS C\LD BE NO MORE1 & HE FELT T]RIBLY SAD4 0,AT :AT TIME W\LD Y\ LIKE SOME?+ TO EAT80 ASK$ ! =EMAN1 ) A SMILE4 

0,:5 Y\ LIKE2 ,I AM NOT HUNGRY4 ,I %ALL GO = A WALK ?R\< ! VILLAGE40 

0,W\LD Y\ NOT LIKE TO COME 9TO ! H\SE8 ,EV]Y?+ IS 9 ORD] !RE4 ,HAVE ! GOODNESS TO LOOK 94 ,IF ! \TSIDE---0 

0,NOT N[2 LAT] ON4 ,TELL ME1 PLEASE1 HAVE Y\ GOT A WOMAN H]E CALL$ ,MATRONA ,KH>9A80 7,?IS WAS ,KATU%A'S AUNT1 ! VILLAGE MIDWIFE47 

0,OH1 YES2 9 ! VILLAGE %E KEEPS A SECRET POT-H\SE4 ,I KN[ %E DOES1 & ,I ACCUSE H] ( IT & SCOLD H]2 BUT AS TO TAK+ H] UP1 IT W\LD BE A PITY4 ,AN OLD WOMAN1 Y\ KN[2 %E HAS GR&*ILDR510 SAID ! =EMAN1 CONT9U+ TO SMILE 9 ! SAME MANN]1 P>TLY WI%+ TO BE PLEASANT TO ! MA/]1 & P>TLY BECAUSE HE WAS CONV9C$ ?AT ,NEKHLUD(F UND]/OOD ALL !SE MATT]S JU/ AS WELL AS HE DID HIMSELF4 

0,:]E DOES %E LIVE8 ,I %ALL GO ACROSS & SEE H]40 

0,AT ! 5D ( ! VILLAGE2 ! FUR!R SIDE1 ! ?IRD FROM ! 5D4 ,TO ! LEFT !RE IS A BRICK COTTAGE1 & H] HUT IS BEYOND ?AT4 ,BUT ,I'D BETT] SEE Y\ !RE10 ! =EMAN SAID ) A GRACEFUL SMILE4 

0,NO1 ?ANKS1 ,I %ALL F9D IT2 & Y\ BE SO GOOD AS TO CALL A MEET+ ( ! PEASANTS1 & TELL !M ?AT ,I WANT TO SPEAK TO !M AB\T ! L&10 SAID ,NEKHLUD(F1 ) ! 9T5TION ( COM+ TO ! SAME AGREEM5T ) ! PEASANTS H]E AS HE HAD DONE 9 ,K\SM9SKI1 &1 IF POSSIBLE1 ?AT SAME EV5+4 

,FROM 3 ,!,AN>*I/,LIBR>Y4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahih 3 ,BOOK #b1 ,*APT] #c -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,JANU>Y #a#b1 #bba 3 ,BOOK #b1 ,*APT] #c -- ,ADD$4 

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