Fedko Halamidnyk

2

Tolya was the son of the owner of the house where they lived. He was a gentle, delicate and meek child. He always went outside feeling a bit bashful and timid, and he smiled, looking about with his innocent blue eyes. Such a spruce and neat boy like him didn't have the propensity for Fedko's rude games. But this brigand was tempting him by all means; and poor Tolya came home being scratched, wounded, and with a broken nose to boot. His mother, who was a sensible and delicate woman, almost fainted at the sight at Tolya looking like that. "What happened to you?! Who tore your clothes like that?" She was horrified. Tolya answered sobbing that it wasn't his fault but Fedko's. That evening, Fedko's father interrogated the "syberian". "Have you gone with Tolya to tear sparrows?"

"I have."

"Did you rip his trousers?"

"No, he did. He can't shin up but tries it. Let him not shin."

But at that moment the mother was interrupting, "How dare you speak like that? He's a noble and gentle child, and you, yokel, treat him the same way you do Styopka. Because of you we may be kicked out of the apartment. Don't dare to come to him, you turnip mug. You're allowed to play only with swineherds, not noble children. Oh, my misfortune! What awful thing did I do to make God punish me with having such a syberian? And the father won't tell him anything, so do, my son, everything you want: beat children, let us be kicked out of the apartment."

The father keeps silent and looks gloomily through the window. It's evening. From the direction of the owner's house, barely audible sounds of gentle music arise. It's warm and cozy there. Tolya's father saunters somewhere in the large, spacious house, thoughtfully listening to music. Here's, may be, Tolya, a spruce, gentle boy with beautiful cheeks like prosphora. Tenants will bring them a payment for renting apartments, and peasants will pay them money for using their land,. They won't be kicked out of their apartment, no matter how much Tolya offended Fedko.
"Take off your trousers, son of a bitch!" All of a sudden the father turns menacingly to Fedko. Fedko looks at his dad sullenly.
"Why?" he asks very softly.
"Because you mustn't hang out with noble children. Brat, I told you a thousand times: don't dare to have any deals with nobles. They aren't your company."

Tolya was the son of the owner of the house where they lived. He was a gentle, delicate and meek child. He always went outside feeling a bit bashful and timid, and he smiled, looking about with his innocent blue eyes. Such a spruce and neat boy like him didn't have the propensity for Fedko's rude games. But this brigand was tempting him by all means; and poor Tolya came home being scratched, wounded, and with a broken nose to boot. His mother, who was a sensible and delicate woman, almost fainted at the sight at Tolya looking like that. "What happened to you?! Who tore your clothes like that?" She was horrified. Tolya answered sobbing that it wasn't his fault but Fedko's. That evening, Fedko's father interrogated the "syberian". "Have you gone with Tolya to tear sparrows?"

"I have."

"Did you rip his trousers?"

"No, he did. He can't shin up but tries it. Let him not shin."

But at that moment the mother was interrupting, "How dare you speak like that? He's a noble and gentle child, and you, yokel, treat him the same way you do Styopka. Because of you we may be kicked out of the apartment. Don't dare to come to him, you turnip mug. You're allowed to play only with swineherds, not noble children. Oh, my misfortune! What awful thing did I do to make God punish me with having such a syberian? And the father won't tell him anything, so do, my son, everything you want: beat children, let us be kicked out of the apartment."

The father keeps silent and looks gloomily through the window. It's evening. From the direction of the owner's house, barely audible sounds of gentle music arise. It's warm and cozy there. Tolya's father saunters somewhere in the large, spacious house, thoughtfully listening to music. Here's, may be, Tolya, a spruce, gentle boy with beautiful cheeks like prosphora. Tenants will bring them a payment for renting apartments, and peasants will pay them money for using their land,. They won't be kicked out of their apartment, no matter how much Tolya offended Fedko.