Olesya's story is short. A.I. Kuprin "Olesya": description, characters, analysis of the work. Other retellings and reviews for the reader's diary
The story is told by a young man who, on duty, finds himself in the remote village of Perebrod - a boring and dull place.
The only entertainment there is hunting in the local forest with the servant Yarmola and trying to teach him to write and read correctly. Once, during a terrible snowstorm, the master learns from Yarmola that the sorceress Manuilikha lives nearby, who was evicted by the locals for witchcraft. During the thaw, the author and his servant go hunting and, getting lost along the way, they find an old hut in the forest. Manuilikha greets them without much joy in the house, but the guest's silver quarter noticeably changes the woman's attitude. During fortune-telling, the granddaughter of the hostess appears in the hut - a young beauty with dark long hair named Olesya.
The face and appearance of Olesya for a long time did not leave the thoughts of the protagonist. And so he decided to visit the witch's house again. Granddaughter Manuilikha again greeted the guest much more affably than the sorceress. The hero asked her to tell fortunes, and the girl admitted that she had already guessed at him before. The cards predicted great love for the guest from the dark-haired lady of clubs, and for the one who loves him - a lot of grief, tears and shame, which is worse than death ... Then the author introduces himself for the first time, his name is Ivan Timofeevich.
From that time on, Ivan often visited the hut, despite the displeasure of the old witch. The young girl behaved modestly, but always rejoiced at the arrival of the master. The hero liked the beauty of young Olesya, her mind and insight. Relations with assistant Yarmola deteriorated greatly, since he never approved of communication with witches.
One day, visiting again, Ivan Timofeevich found Olesya and Manuilikha in tears. As it turned out, the local constable gave the order to leave the hut and threatened to let them go in stages if they disobeyed. The hero actively assists women, "taunting" the constable, and Yevpsikhy Afrikanovich leaves them alone.
Since then, the relationship between Ivan and the girl has noticeably changed, far from for the better. The hero manages to find out the reason for this only after recovering from the "Polesye fever". Olesya admits that she wanted to avoid a fatal fate, but realized that this was not so easy to do. The love of the main characters develops, despite all the bad and bad signs.
At this time, Ivan Timofeevich needs to return home. He decides to marry Olesya and take her with him. But the girl refuses, so as not to ruin the life of a young man. Ivan suspects that the reason is the fear of the church, but the beauty denies this and makes an appointment on the day of the Holy Trinity in the temple.
The next day, Ivan is late for a meeting at the church. Upon his return, he meets with a clerk, who says that the local girls caught the sorceress, almost smeared it with tar, but she ran away. Indeed, Olesya came to the temple, defended the service and was attacked by village aunts. Breaking out, the girl said that they would still pay for this and remember her more than once. Ivan found out the details of what had happened much later. The hero rushed into the forest and found the beaten girl unconscious along with the disgruntled old witch. When Olesya woke up, she said goodbye to Ivan, regretting that she had not given birth to a child from him.
That same night there was a terrible hailstorm. In the morning the servant woke up and asked the master to leave as soon as possible, because the hail had greatly spoiled the life of the villagers, as they thought, not without the participation of the sorceress. The angry and angry people were already beginning to accuse Ivan of being involved in this. The hero quickly went to the forest hut in order to warn Olesya about the impending disaster as soon as possible, but the hut was already empty. The master found only Olesya's bright red beads, which remained as a memory of her girlish love...
The story of Kuprin leaves no one indifferent. The book intertwines amazing feelings with a tragic denouement. The summary of the story "Olesya" shows how dangerous love can be.
Characters:
- Ivan Timofeevich- a young gentleman;
- Yarmola- servant, forest worker;
- Manuilikha- witch;
- Olesya- the witch's granddaughter;
- Evpsikhy Afrikanovich- constable.
Chapter 1
The young gentleman arrived for 6 months in a remote place of the Volyn province, on the outskirts of Polesie. At first it seemed that the village life would be interesting. I wanted to see nature and meet the locals. Panych wanted to study the folklore and language of the region.
Relationships failed. The peasants behaved with restraint, and at a meeting they threw themselves at the master's feet and kissed his hands, out of habit from the time of Polish serfdom.
After rereading the available literature, Ivan Timofeevich decided to get acquainted with the intelligentsia, but a positive result could not be achieved. The next occupation was the treatment of the sick, but the peasants could not tell where exactly it hurts, so the diagnosis could not be established.
The main business was hunting, but during the fierce time of winter, going out into the forest became impossible. Panych began to teach literacy to the servant Yarmolu, who wanted to learn how to write his last name and become the first literate inhabitant of the village. Gradually he made progress.
Chapter 2
The master finds anxiety. It seems to him that someone else is walking around the house, either whining or growling. It seemed that years would pass in melancholy and idleness until death.
Yarmola said that a strong wind indicates the birth, or fun of a witch. Ivan Timofeevich learned that 5 years ago a witch was exiled from the village to the forest, the house was destroyed. Her name was Manuilikha, she came here from another area. Yarmola said that the witch has either Russian or Gypsy roots. It turned out that she lives 10 miles from the master's house. Women go there to tell fortunes and ask for potions. A granddaughter lives with Manulikha. Ivan Timofeevich was seized with curiosity, he wanted to see a living witch. He began to persuade Yarmola to take him into the forest.
Chapter 3
As soon as it got warmer, Yarmola told the master that at night the hare left a trail, you can go hunting. Comrades began to clean their weapons and went for prey. Seeing where the hare ran, the hunters decided to go around it from different sides. The hare was pursued by the dog Ryabchik. The first attack failed, and the panych went on a different path, but got lost, and Yarmola was far away and did not hear the scream.
Near the swamp could be seen someone's hut. It seemed to be a forester, he would tell the way. The hut did not touch the ground, it looked like a fairy-tale hut on chicken legs. Entering, the panych could not see anything from the darkness. An old woman was standing near the stove, the author realized that this was Manuilikha. The reception turned out to be unkind, the grandmother refused to feed, but she did not kick me out of the house.
For a silver coin, the panych persuaded the witch to tell fortunes. She predicted a long journey, a meeting with a lady of diamonds, news from the king of clubs, a big company and a long life.
The master met with the granddaughter of her grandmother, who decided to show the way. She was a beautiful tall brunette, 20-25 years old. Ivan Timofeevich falls in love with Olesya and wants to visit again. Upon learning that he is not the boss, the girl agrees.
When meeting at home, Yarmola reproaches the master for going to the sorceress. He returned on the trail of a lost comrade. For a servant, divination is a great sin.
Chapter 4
The noble image of Olesya sunk into the soul of the author. When it got warmer, he took tea for the old woman and went to visit. The girl succumbed to persuasion and tells her fortune-telling to the master. The prediction consists of bad events and love for a dark-haired girl. Olesya guesses not only by cards. Seeing a person's face, he can predict his speedy death.
Chapter 5
The guest was invited to dine with a large meal. Then Ivan Timofeevich got ready to go, Olesya went to see him off. On the way, it turned out that her grandmother was a witch. Previously, she treated peasants and showed where the treasures were buried in the ground. Olesya also knows a lot. She made a wound with a knife on the pulse of the master, and, whispering, cured the wound. Panych went ahead, and Olesya stayed behind, and he suddenly fell to the ground several times. The girl said that she knew how to catch up with fear and do other miracles. However, there was no answer to the question of where the grandmother was from. A fire broke out between them.
Chapter 6
The master became a frequent guest of the house in the forest. After the visits, he and Olesya could not part, they talked for a long time. Joint walks lasted a long time. The girl was interested in everything: how the universe works, about scientists, about big cities. Ivan Timofeevich explained with examples that were familiar to Olesya.
For example, he told how big St. Petersburg is, 500 times larger than the nearest village. That the houses there are multi-storey, like a pine tree in a forest. And certain people in their rooms do not see the sun.
Olesya said that she loves solitude and even in the village her longing takes. She doesn't need a husband from the city. Moreover, she does not think about marriage, even more so about the wedding.
While relations with Olesya were strengthening, they went wrong with Yarmola. The servant avoided the master. They stopped hunting. Ivan Timofeevich stayed with him only to help his poor family by paying for housing.
Chapter 7
Grandmother and granddaughter talk about yesterday's visit of the constable. He officially decided to drive them out of the house to their homeland, to the city of Amchensk. The house belonged to the landowner, and now a young gentleman has acquired its territory. The constable also refused a bribe. Ivan Timofeevich promised to take care of their case.
Chapter 8
A constable, Yevpsikhy Afrikanovich, arrives in the village. He was going to work, but the young master persuaded him to come in for a drink of starkey. At first, the conversation did not go, the constable said that he was risking his service. But by presenting a gun, giving radishes and butter, the panych melted the official's heart.
Chapter 9
The constable fulfilled his promise and did not evict the sorceress. However, relations with Olesya began to grow cold. The girl stopped seeing the master. And he was drawn to her.
Ivan Timofeevich suddenly fell ill, tormented by a fever. There were strange images. Consciousness refused to work as before. After 6 days, the disease receded.
Chapter 10
Olesya joyfully greeted the guest, said that she was worried. It was like a declaration of love. She eagerly asked about the illness and the doctor. She said that she would quickly cure, it was necessary to call her.
As it turned out, the grandmother is against their dates. But as Olesya said, “you can’t escape fate.” Now she is not afraid of anything, just to be with a sweetheart. Although they feel good together, the girl foresees trouble.
Chapter 11
For a month, the lovers enjoyed the relationship. Manuilikha looked at the young people with malice, but they did not want to be in the hut.
Ivan Timofeevich liked Olesya's natural tact, her delicacy and chastity. Her upbringing in the forest did not prevent her from being a real noble lady.
The time of the master's departure to the capital was approaching. I didn’t want to leave Olesya, the thought of marriage began to arise more and more often. He was not embarrassed by the difference in position, he just wanted happiness. Olesya responded to a declaration of love with her unwillingness to marry, although she expressed her feelings in every possible way. In subsequent dialogues, Olesya asks if Ivan would like her to go to church, he answers in the affirmative. However, when asked why she needed it, he did not receive an answer.
Chapter 12
People began to celebrate the Trinity. On business, Ivan Timofeevich went to a neighboring village, on his stallion. I spent quite a lot of time, it was necessary to shoe a horse. The square near the church was crowded, many were already drunk. A traditional song was sung.
When the master returned home, the clerk waited for Marinovsky to save money. Nikita Nazarovich said that local women grabbed the witch and wanted to smear it with tar, but she escaped bullying. It turned out that Olesya went to church with everyone. The master quickly saddled his horse and rode to her.
Chapter 13
The master was driving fast, as if delirious. He did not leave concern for his beloved. The beat of the horse reminded him of the song that the old lyre player sang about the raid of the Turkish army.
Olesya lay in the house, not even hearing how Ivan entered. Grandmother urged to be quiet and blamed him for everything that happened. The master asked what was the matter with her. She replied that she was unconscious. Manuilikha thought that it was he who persuaded her granddaughter to go to church, but she heard a negative answer.
Olesya began to regain consciousness. She said that her face is now tormented, love is over. Barin asked for forgiveness. I wanted to ask a doctor, but Olesya flatly refused. She said she was spending her last days with him. Now the peasants will blame her and grandmother for every sin, reprisals cannot be avoided, they need to leave.
The lovers said goodbye, as if for the last time. Olesya did not want to talk when she left, ordered to remember her without longing, she only regretted that she had not given birth to a child. At that time, a thunderstorm was approaching the village.
Chapter 14
There really was a big storm outside. The storm subsided only for minutes, only to return with even greater cruelty. Went a big hail, with a walnut. Yarmola wanted to put shutters on the windows, but did not have time. The hail had already begun to smash the windows.
It seemed to the gentleman that he fell asleep for a moment, and when he woke up, the sun was already outside. Yarmola advised his guest to leave. After all, the hail broke the grain. The whole village is in danger because of the witch. The whole community wanted reprisals not only over the witches, but also over the panych.
Ivan Timofeevich hurried to warn Mikhailikha and Olesya, but when he arrived, he saw an empty house, with scattered things. They've already left.
He wanted to go already, when an object on the corner of the window frame caught his eye - coral beads, which remained forever in the memory of Olesya.
The story of A. I. Kuprin "Olesya" was written in 1898. You can read "Olesya" in a summary of the chapters on our website. The leading theme of the story is the tragic love of panich Ivan Timofeevich and the young girl Olesya. In the image of the main character, Kuprin embodied the type " natural man”, characteristic of many works of the author.
The main characters of the story
Main characters:
- Ivan Timofeevich - panych (young master), writer, storyteller, on his behalf the narration is conducted in the story.
- Olesya is a young girl of 20-25 years old, the granddaughter of Manuilikha, who has supernatural powers.
Other characters:
- Yarmola is a forest worker, a servant of Ivan Timofeevich.
- Manuilikha is an old witch, Olesya's grandmother.
- Nikita Nazarich Mishchenko - clerk of a neighboring estate, clerk.
- Evpsikhy Afrikanovich - police officer.
Kuprin "Olesya" in reduction according to the plan
Arrival in Polissya
The story takes place in the second half of the 19th century. Main character, a young nobleman Ivan Timofeevich, comes to work in Polesie - in the village of Perebrod in the Volyn province.
Getting to know witches
Once in the forest, Ivan Timofeevich meets the old woman Manuilikha. The locals consider her a witch. A few years ago they kicked her out of the village. Mainulikha lives in the forest with her granddaughter Olesya. Olesya is a beautiful and smart 24-year-old girl. Ivan Timofeevich likes Olesya. He comes to visit her more often.
Meetings of lovers
Olesya and Ivan fall in love with each other. They secretly meet in the forest for about a month. Olesya is sure that this love will end in shame for her: this is how the cards predicted for her. But she is ready to pay for her happiness.
Sentence
Ivan Timofeevich is going to leave for his city. He proposes to Olesya to marry him. But Olesya does not believe in their happiness. She asks for time to think.
Church visit
The next day Olesya goes to church. Locals condemn Olesya for her love with Ivan. People brutally beat Olesya. Olesya runs into the forest. Ivan rushes to Olesya in the hut. He cries at her bedside and asks her to come with him. But Olesya asks him to leave without her and live his own life.
Olesya's departure
The next day, Ivan comes to Olesya and sees an empty hut. Olesya and her grandmother have already left. In the hut, Ivan finds red beads that Olesya left for him as a keepsake.
A short retelling of "Olesya" Kuprin
The young male narrator, whom “fate threw for six months into the remote village of Perebrod, Volyn province, on the outskirts of Polissya,” is unbearably bored, and his only entertainment was hunting with his servant Yarmola and trying to teach the latter to read and write. One day, during a terrible snowstorm, the hero learns from the usually untalkative Yarmola that the real witch Manuilikha lives ten versts from his house, who appeared in the village from nowhere, and then was evicted outside of it for her witchcraft deeds. The opportunity to get to know her appears quickly: as soon as it gets warmer, the hero goes hunting with Yaromola and, getting lost in the forest, stumbles upon a hut. Assuming that a local forester lives here, he goes inside and discovers a real Baba Yaga, which, of course, turns out to be Manuilikha. She met the hero unfriendly, but when he took out a silver quarter and asked the old woman to tell fortunes, she noticeably perked up. And in the midst of fortune-telling again began to see off uninvited guest- the witch's granddaughter entered the house, a dark-haired beauty "twenty-twenty-five years old", who showed the hero the way home and called herself Olesya.
All the first spring days, the hero’s thoughts did not leave the image of Olesya. And as soon as the forest paths dried up, he went to the witch's hut. As for the first time, the granddaughter greeted the guest much more affably than Manuilikha. And when the guest asked Olesya to tell him fortunes, she admitted that she had already thrown cards at him once, and most importantly, she told him that this year “you will receive great love from the lady of clubs with dark hair.” And for those "who will love you, you will bring a lot of grief." The cards also told Olesya that the hero would bring shame to this lady of clubs, one that is worse than death ... When Olesya went to see off the guest, she tried to prove to him that she and her grandmother owned the real gift of witchcraft, and conducted several experiments on him. Then the hero tries to find out where Manuilikha came from in Polissya, to which Olesya answered evasively that her grandmother does not like to talk about it. Then the hero introduces himself for the first time - his name is Ivan Timofeevich.
From that day on, the hero became a frequent guest in the hut. Olesya was always glad to see him, although she met him with restraint. But the old woman was not particularly pleased, but Ivan managed to appease her with gifts, Olesya's intercession also played a role.
Ivan was fascinated not only by the beauty of Olesya. He was also attracted by her original mind. A lot of disputes between them flared up when Ivan tried to scientifically substantiate Olesino's "black art". And despite their disagreements, a deep affection arose between them. Meanwhile, the character's relationship with Yarmola deteriorated, who initially did not approve of the desire to meet the sorceress. He does not like the fact that both witches are afraid of the church.
Once, when Ivan once again appeared in the hut, he found the sorceress and her granddaughter in frustrated feelings: the local constable ordered them to leave the hut at twenty-four hours and threatened to let them go in stages in case of disobedience. The hero volunteers to help, and the old woman does not refuse the offer, despite Olesya's displeasure. Ivan tries to beg the constable not to drive the women out of the house, to which he objects with the words that they are "an ulcer of these places." But, appeasing him with treats and expensive gifts, Ivan gets his way. Police officer Evpsikhy Afrikanovich promises to leave Manuilikha and Olesya alone.
But the relationship between Olesya and Ivan has since changed for the worse, and Olesya diligently avoids any explanations. Here Ivan unexpectedly and seriously falls ill - for six days he was "beaten by a terrible Polissya fever." And only after recovery he manages to find out the relationship with Olesya. Who honestly admitted that she avoided meeting Ivan only because she wanted to get away from fate. But, realizing that this was impossible, she confessed her love to him. Ivan reciprocated her. But Olesya still could not forget about her fortune-telling. But still, their love, despite Ivan's bad forebodings and Manuilikha's malice, developed.
Meanwhile, Ivan's official duties in Perebrod were over, and more and more often the idea came to him to marry Olesya, to take her with him. Convincing himself of the correctness of this decision, he proposes to his beloved. But Olesya refuses, motivating the refusal by the fact that she does not want to spoil the life of a young, educated gentleman. As a result, she even offers Ivan to simply follow him, without any marriage. Ivan has a suspicion that her refusal is connected with the fear of the church, to which Olesya says that for the sake of love for him, she is ready to overcome this superstition of hers. She made an appointment for him in the church the next day, on the feast of the Holy Trinity, and Ivan was seized by a terrible premonition.
The next day, the hero did not have time to get to the church in time, being late on official business, and when he returned, he found a local clerk at his place, who told him about today's "fun" - the village girls caught a witch in the square, who was given a shake, they wanted to smear with tar, but she managed to escape. Indeed, Olesya came to the church, defended the mass, after which the village women attacked her. Miraculously escaped Olesya threatened them that they would still remember her and cry their fill. But Ivan was able to find out all these details later. In the meantime, he rushed into the forest, and found in the hut beaten Olesya without memory, seized with a fever, and Manuilikha cursing him. When Olesya came to her senses, she told Ivan that they could no longer stay here, so they needed to say goodbye. At parting, Olesya admitted that she regretted that she did not have a child from Ivan.
That same night, a terrible hailstorm hit Perebrod. And in the morning, Yarmola, who woke Ivan, advised him to get out of the village - the hail, which beat the life of half the village, according to the villagers, was sent by sorceresses out of revenge. And the embittered people began to “shout unkindly” about Ivan. Wanting to warn Olesya about the misfortune that threatens her, the hero rushes to the hut, where he finds only traces of a hasty flight and bright red beads, which remained the only thing left to remember Olesya and her tender, generous love ...
See also: The story "Shulamith" Kuprin was written in 1907. The plot was based on the "Songs of the Songs of King Solomon" and the Old Testament of the Bible, and the central character of the work was the beautiful Shulamith, the beloved of the wise King Solomon. We recommend reading chapter by chapter to better prepare for the literature lesson.
The content of "Olesya" by chapter with quotes
According to the plot of the work, fate abandoned the narrator " for six whole months in a remote village in the Volyn province, on the outskirts of Polissya» Perebrod, where his main occupation and entertainment is hunting. Out of boredom, the hero tried to treat the locals, and then to teach Yarmola the woodsman to read and write.
Once, on a bad evening, when a strong wind blew outside the windows, Yarmola said that five years ago, the witch Manuilikha lived in their village, but she and her granddaughter were expelled from the village into the forest because the old woman conjured. Now they live near the swamp beyond the Irinovsky Way.
The narrator becomes curious to meet the witch, and he asks Yarmola to take him to the old woman, but the woodsman, very angry with the hero, refuses, because he does not want to meet the witch.
Soon, while hunting, while chasing a hare, the narrator got lost. The man went out to the swamp and saw a hut, which he mistook for the housing of a local forester - “ it was not even a hut, but a fabulous hut on chicken legs».
Entering the dwelling, the narrator realized that he had come to the local witch - Manuilikha, whose appearance was " all the features of Baba Yaga, as depicted in the folk epic", her " faded, once blue eyes,<…>looked like the eyes of an unseen sinister bird". The old woman tried to send the narrator away as quickly as possible, but the man persuaded her to tell fortunes to him for money.
She did not have time to finish fortune-telling, as the hut entered " tall laughing girl» with tame finches. " There was nothing resembling the local "girls" in it.". She was a tall brunette with large, shiny, dark eyes, to which thin, broken eyebrows in the middle gave an elusive shade of slyness, imperiousness and naivety". Her name was Olesya. The girl explains to the man how to get home and allows him to come to them somehow.
In the spring, as soon as the forest paths have dried out a little", the narrator again" went to the hut on chicken legs". The girl greets him much more affably than old Manuilikha. Discussing fortune-telling with Olesya, the man asks him to tell fortunes, but the girl refuses and admits that she has already laid out cards for him. According to divination, he man, though kind, but only weak», « his word is not master», « likes to take over people" And " painfully eager» to women. His life will be gloomy, that he is no one " don't love with your heart", and for those who will love him, he" will bring a lot of grief". And this year he was waiting for " great love from some lady of clubs"with dark hair, which this love will bring" sadness long" And " big shame". The narrator is surprised because he does not believe that he can " so much trouble to do". But the girl assures him that when her words come true, he will see for himself. Olesya admits that she sees many things even without maps: for example, imminent death a person, and these abilities are transmitted in their family from mother to daughter.
After dinner, Olesya herself volunteered to see the narrator off. The girl says that Manuilikha used to be able to heal people, look for treasures and much more. The man, not quite believing in such abilities, asks Olesya to show something of what she can do. The girl took out a knife, severely cut the narrator's hand and immediately spoke to the wound, stopping the blood. Then she told him to walk ahead of her without turning around. Olesya conjured so that a man, after walking a few steps, would stumble out of the blue and fall. Saying goodbye, the girl asks the name of the narrator (here it is first found in the story) - Ivan Timofeevich.
From that day on, the narrator became a frequent visitor to Manuilikha, he spends a lot of time with Olesya - they " became stronger and stronger attached to each other". Ivan Timofeevich, asking Olesya about her abilities, tried to understand their nature. Once a man told a girl that if she fell in love, then she would need to get married in a church. Olesya replied that she would not dare to appear in the church, because “ already from birth" her " soul sold to him [the devil]».
Once, having come to Manuilikha, the narrator immediately remarked: dejected mood» the old woman and Olesya. The girl refused for a long time, but Manuilikha could not stand it and herself told the man that yesterday a local constable came to them and demanded that the women quickly leave the village, otherwise he would send them to " stage by stage". The old woman tried to pay him off, but the constable did not want to take the money.
Ivan Timofeevich invites the constable, Yevpsikhy Afrikanovich, to visit him and, treating him to starka (strong vodka), asks him to leave Manuilikha and Olesya alone. In return, the narrator has to present his gun.
After the incident with the constable in the communication of Ivan Timofeevich and Olesya " there was some irresistible awkward compulsion their evening walks ceased. The narrator thought about the girl all the time, but was next to her " timid, awkward and unresourceful».
Suddenly, Ivan Timofeevich falls ill - his " for six days the relentless, terrible Polissya fever».
Five days after his recovery, Ivan Timofeevich went to see Manuilikha. Seeing Olesya, the man realized how she was to him " close and sweet". This time the girl went to see him off and admitted that she was cold to him, because she was afraid of the future - she thought that it was possible " get away from fate". Olesya confesses her love to Ivan Timofeevich, kisses him, the man says that he also loves her. " And all this night merged into some kind of magical, bewitching fairy tale». « Separation is for love what the wind is for fire: it extinguishes a small love, and inflates a big one even more.».
« A naive, charming fairy tale went on for almost a whole month.» love of Olesya and Ivan Timofeevich. However, the time has come for the narrator to leave the village. The man is increasingly thinking that he would like to marry Olesya.
In mid-June, Ivan Timofeevich confesses to the girl that he is leaving soon and offers to become his wife. Olesya says that this is impossible, as she is uneducated and illegitimate. The narrator understands that in fact the girl is afraid of the church wedding. Olesya says that for the sake of their love she is ready to overcome herself and makes an appointment at the church the next day.
The next day was the feast of St. Trinity. Ivan Timofeevich stayed until the evening on official business in a nearby town and was late for a church service. Returning home, from the clerk Mishchenko, the man learns that during the day in the village there was " fun» – « the Perebrod girls caught a witch in the square here. They wanted to smear it with tar, but somehow she turned out, flowed away". As it turned out, Olesya went to church. During the service, everyone looked at her, and when the girl came out, the women surrounded her and began to insult and ridicule her in every possible way. Olesya broke through the crowd, they began to throw stones after her. Having run to a safe distance, Olesya stopped and, turning to the crowd, promised that they were still for it " cry their fill».
After listening to the clerk, Ivan Timofeevich quickly drove into the forest.
Arriving at Manuilikha, the narrator found Olesya unconscious. The old woman began to scold the man that it was he who was to blame for what had happened - it was he knocked out» girl to go to church. Waking up, Olesya says that they need to leave, since she and her grandmother will now have to leave the village. Saying goodbye, the girl admits that she would like a child from Ivan Timofeevich and is very sorry that he is gone.
In the evening, a strong thunderstorm passed over the village with hail, which broke the life of people. In the morning, Yarmola advised the narrator to leave the village as soon as possible, because the community, confident that this was the work of a sorceress, “rebels” in the morning, mentioning Ivan Timofeevich himself in a bad way.
The narrator hurriedly got ready and went to the forest to warn Manuilikha and Olesya. However, their hut was empty, it was attended by " the mess that always remains after a hasty check-out". The man was about to leave when he saw a string of cheap red beads. known in Polissya under the name of "corals", - the only thing that remained in my memory about Olesya and her tender, generous love."
Output
Even from a brief retelling of Olesya, it is noticeable that Kuprin was able to introduce into the traditionally realistic narrative (the story was written within the framework of the literary direction of neorealism) a romantic heroine - the granddaughter of the sorceress Olesya, who is contrasted in the work with other heroes. Unlike the educated Ivan Timofeevich, the girl grew up outside society and civilization, but by nature she was endowed with spiritual wealth and inner beauty, which attracted the main character. The tragic love story described in the story inspired many directors - the work was filmed three times.
Another was first published in 1905. The work belongs to the tradition of neo-realistic prose in Russian literature. We recommend reading summary"Duel" by chapter. In the work, the author touches upon the problem of the relationship between the individual and society, reveals the theme of cruelty in the army, the humiliation of ordinary soldiers by the commanders, reveals the horror and vulgarity of the officer society.
The plot of the story "Olesya" in 3 minutes
Chapter I (Arrival in Polesie)
Second half of the 19th century. The protagonist of the story is a young nobleman Ivan Timofeevich. He comes on business to Polissya - to the village of Perebrod, Volyn province.
Chapter II (The Tale of the Witch)
Winter. Ivan Timofeevich learns that the witch Manuilikha lives nearby in the forest. She lives in the forest because the locals kicked her out of the village. Ivan Trofimovich wants to meet this witch.
Chapter III (Introduction to Olesya)
After 3 days, Ivan and Yarmol's servant go hunting for a hare. The main character is lost in the forest and finds a hut. This is the hut of the same witch Manuilikha. He meets an old woman and her granddaughter Olesya, a beautiful 24-year-old girl. Ivan asks Olesya for permission to visit her. Olesya agrees.
Chapter IV (Again with Olesya)
Spring is coming. Ivan goes to visit Olesya and her grandmother. Having come to visit, he asks Olesya to tell him fortune. She confesses that she has already guessed at him and that love awaits him with a woman with dark hair. Olesya says that love will end in disgrace for this woman. Ivan does not believe that this is true.
Chapter V ("Sorcery" by Olesya)
After dinner, Olesya escorts Ivan home through the woods. On the way, she shows him her witchcraft tricks: how she heals wounds with a conspiracy, how she makes a person stumble out of the blue, etc. Ivan does not believe in Olesya's "witchcraft". At the end of the walk, Olesya invites Ivan to visit her again.
Chapter VI (Visits to Olesya)
Since then, Ivan Timofeevich has increasingly come to visit Olesya and her witch grandmother. Olesya is always glad to have a guest. Olesya and Ivan are getting closer and closer.
Chapter VII (Sad news)
One day Ivan comes to visit Olesya and sees that she and her grandmother are sad. The fact is that officials want to evict them from the hut, which belongs to the landowner. But the women have nowhere to go. Ivan wants to help them in their trouble.
Chapter VIII (Conversation with the constable)
Two days later, Ivan Timofeevich is talking to a local policeman, constable Evpsikhiy Afrikanovich. Ivan asks him not to evict Olesya and her grandmother from their hut. To appease the official, Ivan Timofeevich gives him a gun. The official promises not to evict women yet.
Chapter IX (Illness of Ivan Timofeevich)
Ivan Timofeevich still visits Olesya. One day he falls ill and spends six days in a fever.
Chapter X (Declaration of love)
After another 5 days, Ivan Timofeevich finally comes to Olesya. They are happy to see each other. Olesya, as usual, accompanies Ivan in the forest. She confesses her love to him and kisses him. Ivan admits that he also loves Olesya.
Chapter XI (Secret Meetings)
For almost a month, Olesya and Ivan secretly meet in the forest. All this time they are happy. But soon Ivan needs to leave for his home. He wants to marry Olesya and take her with him. Olesya vs. She does not believe in their happy future.
Chapter XII (Attack on Olesya)
The next day, Ivan leaves the village in the morning on business. Meanwhile, Olesya goes to church. Local residents attack Olesya and beat her. Fleeing into the forest, Olesya promises her offenders many tears for their evil. Ivan Timofeevich returns to the village and learns about what happened. He takes a horse and hurries to Olesya.
Chapter XIII (Farewell)
Ivan finds Olesya at home on the bed, with bruises and abrasions. Olesya says that they are not destined to be together and that she will go to another place with her grandmother. Ivan persuades Olesya to be with him, but Olesya does not believe in their future. Ivan says goodbye to Olesya.
Chapter XIV (Olesya's Departure)
At night there is a strong hail. Because of it, the crop suffers greatly. Residents blame the “witch” Olesya for this. Ivan understands that Olesya is threatened with reprisal. He goes to Olesya to warn her. But the house is already empty: Olesya and her grandmother have left. In memory of herself, Olesya left only red beads.
The young male narrator, whom "fate threw for six months in the remote village of Perebrod in the Volyn province, on the outskirts of Polissya," is unbearably bored. His only entertainments are hunting with the servant Yarmola and attempts to teach the latter to read and write. One day, during a terrible snowstorm, the hero learns from the usually untalkative Yarmola that the real witch Manuilikha lives ten versts from his house, who appeared in the village from nowhere, and then was evicted outside of it for her witchcraft deeds.
The opportunity to get to know her appears quickly: as soon as it gets warmer, the hero goes hunting and, getting lost in the forest, stumbles upon a hut. Assuming that a local forester lives here, he goes inside and finds an old woman there "with all the features of a Baba Yaga, as the folk epic depicts her." Manuilikha greets the hero unfriendly, but noticeably perks up when he takes out a silver quarter and asks the old woman to tell fortunes. In the midst of fortune-telling, the witch's granddaughter, Olesya, a dark-haired beauty "about twenty to twenty-five years old" enters the house. She treats the narrator kindly and shows him the way home.
All the first spring days, the image of Olesya does not leave the narrator's thoughts.
I myself did not suspect what thin, strong, invisible threads my heart was tied to this charming girl, incomprehensible to me.
When the forest roads dry up, the narrator goes to the witch's hut. As for the first time, the granddaughter greets the guest much more affably than Manuilikha. And when the guest asks Olesya to tell fortunes to him, she admits that she has already thrown cards at him once and guessed that this year he will have “great love from the lady of clubs with dark hair.” And for those "who will love you, you will bring a lot of grief." More cards told Olesya that the hero would bring shame to this lady of clubs, which is worse than death ...
Seeing off the narrator, Olesya will try to prove to him that she and her grandmother own the real gift of witchcraft, and conducts several experiments on him - Heals a deep cut on him and makes him stumble after her. Then the hero tries to find out where Manuilikha came from in Polissya, to which Olesya replies evasively that her grandmother does not like to talk about it. Then the narrator introduces himself for the first time - his name is Ivan Timofeevich.
From that day on, the hero becomes a frequent guest in the hut. Olesya is always glad to see him, although she greets him with restraint. But the old woman is not particularly pleased, but Ivan manages to appease her with gifts, Olesya's intercession also helps.
Ivan is fascinated not only by the beauty of Olesya. He is also attracted by her original mind. A lot of disputes flare up between them when Ivan tries to scientifically substantiate Olesino's "black art". Despite their differences, a deep bond develops between them. Meanwhile, Ivan's relationship with Yarmola deteriorates, who does not approve of his acquaintance with the sorceress. The servant does not like the fact that both witches are afraid of the church.
Once, when Ivan once again comes to the hut, he finds the sorceress and her granddaughter upset: the local officer ordered them to leave the hut at twenty-four hours and threatened to let them go in stages in case of disobedience. The hero volunteers to help, and the old woman does not refuse the offer, despite Olesya's displeasure. Ivan begs the constable not to drive the women out of the house, to which he objects and calls the old woman with her granddaughter "an ulcer of these places." Having cajoled the constable with treats and expensive gifts, Ivan still achieves his goal. The constable promises to leave Manuilikha and Olesya alone.
From this time on, Olesya begins to avoid Ivan and any explanations with him.
Separation for love is the same as the wind for fire: it extinguishes a small love, and inflates a big one even more.
Here Ivan unexpectedly and seriously falls ill - for six days he was "beaten by a terrible Polissya fever." And only after recovery he manages to explain himself to Olesya. The girl avoided meeting Ivan only because she wanted to get away from fate. Realizing that this is impossible, she confesses her love to him. Ivan reciprocates her feelings, but Olesya still cannot forget about her fortune-telling. However, despite Ivan's misgivings and Manuilikha's malice, their love blossoms.
Meanwhile, Ivan's official duties in Perebrod are coming to an end, and more and more often the idea comes to him to marry Olesya and take her with him. Convincing himself of the correctness of this decision, he proposes to his beloved. But Olesya refuses - she does not want to spoil the life of a young, educated gentleman. The girl even offers Ivan just to go after him, without any marriage.
Ivan has a suspicion that her refusal is connected with the fear of the church, to which Olesya says that for the sake of love for him, she is ready to overcome this superstition. She makes an appointment for him in the church the next day, on the feast of the Holy Trinity, and Ivan is seized by a terrible premonition.
The vague inclination of the heart is never wrong in its quick secret forebodings.
The next day, Ivan is late on official business and does not have time to get to the church on time. Returning home, he finds a local clerk at his place, who tells him about today's "fun" - the village girls caught a witch in the square, who was shaken up, they wanted to smear it with tar, but she managed to escape. Indeed, Olesya came to the church, defended the mass, after which the village women attacked her. Having miraculously escaped, Olesya threatened them that they would still remember her and cry their fill.
Ivan will find out all these details later. In the meantime, he rushes into the forest, and finds in the hut beaten Olesya without memory, seized with a fever, and Manuilikha cursing him. Olesya comes to her senses and explains to Ivan that she and her grandmother can no longer stay here, so she and Ivan will have to part. At parting, Olesya admits that she would like to have a child from Ivan and regrets that he is gone.
On the same night, a strong hail falls on Perebrod. In the morning, Yarmola wakes Ivan up and advises him to get out of the village - the hail that beat the life of half the village, according to the villagers, was sent by sorceresses out of revenge, and the embittered people are already beginning to "shout unkind" about Ivan. Wanting to warn Olesya about the misfortune that threatens her, the hero rushes to the hut, where he finds only traces of a hasty flight and bright red beads, which remained the only memory of Olesya and her tender, generous love ...
- About the work
- main characters
- Other characters
- Summary
- Output
About the work
The story of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin "Olesya" was written in 1898. For the first time the work was published in the newspaper "Kievlyanin". The leading theme of the story "Olesya" is the tragic love of Panych Ivan Timofeevich and the young girl Olesya. In the image of the main character, Kuprin embodied the type of "natural person" characteristic of many of the author's works.
main characters
Ivan Timofeevich- panych (young gentleman), writer, storyteller, on his behalf the story is told in the story.
Olesya- a young girl of 20-25 years old, the granddaughter of Manuilikha, who has supernatural powers.
Other characters
Yarmola- forest worker, servant of Ivan Timofeevich.
Manuilikha- an old witch, Olesya's grandmother.
Nikita Nazarich Mishchenko- clerk of a neighboring estate, clerk.
Evpsikhy Afrikanovich- a police officer.
Chapter 1
According to the plot of the work, fate threw the narrator “for six months into a remote village in the Volyn province, on the outskirts of Polesie” Perebrod, where hunting becomes his main occupation and entertainment. Out of boredom, the hero tried to treat the locals, and then to teach Yarmola the woodsman to read and write.
Chapter 2
Once, on a bad evening, when a strong wind blew outside the windows, Yarmola said that five years ago, the witch Manuilikha lived in their village, but she and her granddaughter were expelled from the village into the forest because the old woman conjured. Now they live near the swamp beyond the Irinovsky Way. The narrator becomes curious to meet the witch, and he asks Yarmola to take him to the old woman, but the woodsman, very angry with the hero, refuses, because he does not want to meet the witch.
Chapter 3
Soon, while hunting, while chasing a hare, the narrator got lost. The man went out to the swamp and saw a hut, which he mistook for the housing of a local forester - “it was not even a hut, but a fabulous hut on chicken legs.”
Entering the dwelling, the narrator realized that he had come to the local witch - Manuilikha, whose appearance had "all the features of a Baba Yaga, as the folk epos depicts her", her "faded, once blue eyes looked like the eyes of an unprecedented sinister bird" . The old woman tried to send the narrator away as quickly as possible, but the man persuaded her to tell fortunes to him for money. Before she had time to finish the divination, a "tall laughing girl" with tame finches entered the hut. "There was nothing like local girls in it". She was a tall brunette with large, shiny, dark eyes, "to which thin eyebrows, broken in the middle, gave an elusive shade of slyness, imperiousness and naivety." Her name was Olesya. The girl explains to the man how to get home and allows him to come to them somehow.
Chapter 4
In the spring, “as soon as the forest paths dried up a little,” the narrator again “went to the hut on chicken legs.” The girl greets him much more affably than old Manuilikha. Discussing fortune-telling with Olesya, the man asks him to tell fortunes, but the girl refuses and admits that she has already laid out cards for him. According to fortune-telling, he is “a kind man, but only weak”, “he is not a master of his word”, “loves to take over people” and “painfully eager” for women. His life will be unhappy, that he will not “love with his heart” anyone, and he will “bring a lot of grief” to those who love him. And this year, “great love from some lady of clubs” with dark hair awaited him, to whom this love will bring “long sadness” and “great shame”. The narrator is surprised, because he does not believe that he can "make so much trouble" for someone. But the girl assures him that when her words come true, he will see for himself. Olesya admits that she sees many things even without maps: for example, the imminent death of a person, and these abilities are passed down in their family from mother to daughter.
Chapter 5
After dinner, Olesya herself volunteered to see the narrator off. The girl says that Manuilikha used to be able to heal people, look for treasures and much more. The man, not quite believing in such abilities, asks Olesya to show something of what she can do. The girl took out a knife, severely cut the narrator's hand and immediately spoke to the wound, stopping the blood. Then she told him to walk ahead of her without turning around. Olesya conjured so that a man, after walking a few steps, would stumble out of the blue and fall. Saying goodbye, the girl asks the name of the narrator (here it is first found in the story) - Ivan Timofeevich.
Chapter 6
From that day on, the narrator became a frequent visitor to Manuilikha, he spends a lot of time with Olesya - they "became more and more attached to each other." Ivan Timofeevich, asking Olesya about her abilities, tried to understand their nature. Once a man told a girl that if she fell in love, then she would need to get married in a church. Olesya replied that she would not dare to appear in the church, because “already from birth” her “soul was sold to him [the devil]”.
Chapter 7
Once, having come to Manuilikha, the narrator immediately noticed the “dejected mood” of the old woman and Olesya. The girl refused for a long time, but Manuilikha could not stand it and herself told the man that yesterday a local police officer came to them and demanded that the women quickly leave the village, otherwise he would send them in a “staged order”. The old woman tried to pay him off, but the constable did not want to take the money.
Chapter 8
Ivan Timofeevich invites the constable, Yevpsikhy Afrikanovich, to visit him and, treating him to starka (strong vodka), asks him to leave Manuilikha and Olesya alone. In return, the narrator has to present his gun.
Chapter 9
After the incident with the constable, Ivan Timofeevich and Olesya “appeared some kind of insurmountable awkward compulsion” in communication between Ivan Timofeevich and Olesya, their evening walks stopped. The narrator, on the other hand, thought about the girl all the time, but was “timid, awkward and unresourceful” next to her.
Suddenly, Ivan Timofeevich falls ill - he "was beaten for six days by the relentless terrible Polissya fever."
Chapter 10
Five days after his recovery, Ivan Timofeevich went to see Manuilikha. Seeing Olesya, the man realized how "close and sweet" she was to him. This time, the girl went to see him off and admitted that she was cold to him, because she was afraid of the future - she thought that you could "get away from fate". Olesya confesses her love to Ivan Timofeevich, kisses him, the man says that he also loves her. “And this whole night merged into some kind of magical, bewitching fairy tale.” "Parting for love is the same as the wind for fire: it extinguishes a small love, and inflates a big one even more strongly."
Chapter 11
“For almost a whole month, the naive, charming fairy tale” of the love of Olesya and Ivan Timofeevich continued. However, the time has come for the narrator to leave the village. The man is increasingly thinking that he would like to marry Olesya.
In mid-June, Ivan Timofeevich confesses to the girl that he is leaving soon and offers to become his wife. Olesya says that this is impossible, as she is uneducated and illegitimate. The narrator understands that in fact the girl is afraid of the church wedding. Olesya says that for the sake of their love she is ready to overcome herself and makes an appointment at the church the next day.
Chapter 12
The next day was the feast of St. Trinity. Ivan Timofeevich stayed until the evening on official business in a nearby town and was late for a church service. Returning home, from the clerk Mishchenko, the man learns that there was “fun” in the village during the day - “Perebrod girls caught a witch here in the square. They wanted to smear it with tar, but somehow it turned out, flowed away. As it turned out, Olesya went to church. During the service, everyone looked at her, and when the girl came out, the women surrounded her and began to insult and ridicule her in every possible way. Olesya broke through the crowd, they began to throw stones after her. Having run back to a safe distance, Olesya stopped and, turning to the crowd, promised that they would still “pay their fill” for this.
After listening to the clerk, Ivan Timofeevich quickly drove into the forest.
Chapter 13
Arriving at Manuilikha, the narrator found Olesya unconscious. The old woman began to scold the man that it was he who was to blame for what had happened - it was he who "took" the girl to go to church. Waking up, Olesya says that they need to leave, since she and her grandmother will now have to leave the village. Saying goodbye, the girl admits that she would like a child from Ivan Timofeevich and is very sorry that he is gone.
Chapter 14
In the evening, a strong hail passed over the village, which broke people's lives. In the morning, Yarmola advised the narrator to leave the village as soon as possible, because the community, confident that this was the work of the sorceress, “rebelled” in the morning, mentioning Ivan Timofeevich himself in a bad way.
The narrator hurriedly got ready and went to the forest to warn Manuilikha and Olesya. However, their hut was empty, there was "a mess that always remains after a hasty departure" in it. The man was about to leave, when he saw a string of cheap red beads "known in Polissya under the name" corals "- the only thing that remained to me in memory of Olesya and her tender, generous love" .
Output
Even from a brief retelling of Olesya, it can be seen that Kuprin was able to introduce into the traditionally realistic narrative (the story was written within the framework of the neorealism literary trend) a romantic heroine - the granddaughter of the sorceress Olesya, who is contrasted in the work with other heroes. Unlike the educated Ivan Timofeevich, the girl grew up outside society and civilization, but by nature she was endowed with spiritual wealth and inner beauty, which attracted the main character. The tragic love story described in the story inspired many directors - the work was filmed three times.
Summary of "Olesya" |
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin
"Olesya"
The young male narrator, whom “fate threw for six months into the remote village of Perebrod, Volyn province, on the outskirts of Polissya,” is unbearably bored, and his only entertainment was hunting with his servant Yarmola and trying to teach the latter to read and write. One day, during a terrible snowstorm, the hero learns from the usually untalkative Yarmola that the real witch Manuilikha lives ten versts from his house, who appeared in the village from nowhere, and then was evicted outside of it for her witchcraft deeds. The opportunity to get to know her appears quickly: as soon as it gets warmer, the hero goes hunting with Yarmola and, getting lost in the forest, stumbles upon a hut. Assuming that a local forester lives here, he goes inside and finds an old woman there "with all the features of a Baba Yaga, as the folk epic depicts her." Manuilikha met the hero unfriendly, but when he took out a silver quarter and asked the old woman to tell fortunes, she noticeably perked up. And in the midst of fortune-telling, she again began to see the uninvited guest out - the witch's granddaughter, a dark-haired beauty "about twenty or twenty-five years old", came into the house, who showed the hero the way home and called herself Olesya.
All the first days of spring, the image of Olesya did not leave the hero’s thoughts, and as soon as the forest paths dried up, he went to the sorceress’s hut. As for the first time, the granddaughter greeted the guest much more affably than Manuilikha. And when the guest asked Olesya to tell him fortunes, she admitted that she had already thrown cards at him once, and the main thing that she told him was that this year “great love falls to you from the lady of clubs with dark hair.” And for those "who will love you, you will bring a lot of grief." The cards also told Olesya that the hero would bring shame to this lady of clubs, one that is worse than death ... When Olesya went to see off the guest, she tried to prove to him that she and her grandmother owned the real gift of witchcraft, and conducted several experiments on him. Then the hero tries to find out where Manuilikha came from in Polissya, to which Olesya answered evasively that her grandmother does not like to talk about it. At the same time, the hero introduces himself for the first time - his name is Ivan Timofeevich.
From that day on, the hero became a frequent guest in the hut. Olesya was always glad to see him, although she met him with restraint. But the old woman was not particularly pleased, but Ivan managed to appease her with gifts, Olesya's intercession also played a role.
Ivan was fascinated not only by the beauty of Olesya. He was also attracted by her original mind. A lot of disputes between them flared up when Ivan tried to scientifically substantiate Olesino's "black art". And despite their disagreements, a deep affection arose between them. Meanwhile, the character's relationship with Yarmola deteriorated, who initially did not approve of the desire to meet the sorceress. He does not like the fact that both witches are afraid of the church.
Once, when Ivan once again appeared in the hut, he found the sorceress and her granddaughter in frustrated feelings: the local constable ordered them to leave the hut at twenty-four hours and threatened to let them go in stages in case of disobedience. The hero volunteers to help, and the old woman does not refuse the offer, despite Olesya's displeasure. Ivan tries to beg the constable not to kick the women out of the house, to which he objects with the words that they are “an ulcer of these places.” But, appeasing him with treats and expensive gifts, Ivan gets his way. Police officer Evpsikhy Afrikanovich promises to leave Manuilikha and Olesya alone.
But the relationship between Olesya and Ivan has since changed for the worse, and Olesya diligently avoids any explanations. Here Ivan unexpectedly and seriously falls ill - for six days he was "beaten by a terrible Polissya fever." And only after recovery does he manage to sort things out with Olesya, who honestly admitted that she avoided meeting Ivan only because she wanted to get away from fate. But, realizing that this was impossible, she confessed her love to him. Ivan reciprocated her. But Olesya still could not forget about her fortune-telling. But still, their love, despite Ivan's bad forebodings and Manuilikha's malice, developed.
Meanwhile, Ivan's official duties in Perebrod were over, and more and more often the idea came to him to marry Olesya, to take her with him. Convincing himself of the correctness of this decision, he proposes to his beloved. But Olesya refuses, motivating the refusal by the fact that she does not want to spoil the life of a young, educated gentleman. As a result, she even offers Ivan to simply follow him, without any marriage. Ivan has a suspicion that her refusal is connected with the fear of the church, to which Olesya says that for the sake of love for him, she is ready to overcome this superstition of hers. She made an appointment for him in the church the next day, on the feast of the Holy Trinity, and Ivan was seized by a terrible premonition.
The next day, the hero did not have time to get to the church in time, being late on official business, and when he returned, he found a local clerk at his place, who told him about today's "fun" - the village girls caught a witch in the square, who was given a shake, they wanted to smear with tar, but she managed to escape. Indeed, Olesya came to the church, defended the mass, after which the village women attacked her. Miraculously escaped Olesya threatened them that they would still remember her and cry their fill. But Ivan was able to find out all these details later. In the meantime, he rushed into the forest, and found in the hut beaten Olesya without memory, seized with a fever, and Manuilikha cursing him. When Olesya came to her senses, she told Ivan that they could no longer stay here, so they needed to say goodbye. At parting, Olesya admitted that she regretted that she did not have a child from Ivan.
That same night, a terrible hailstorm hit Perebrod. And in the morning, Yarmola, who woke Ivan, advised him to get out of the village - the hail, which had beaten the life of half the village, according to the villagers, was sent by sorceresses out of revenge. And the embittered people began to “shout unkindly” about Ivan. Wanting to warn Olesya about the misfortune that threatens her, the hero rushes to the hut, where he finds only traces of a hasty flight and bright red beads, which remained the only thing left to remember Olesya and her tender, generous love ...
For half a year, fate throws the young master Ivan Timofeevich into a remote village on the outskirts of Polissya. Out of boredom, he hunts and teaches the servant Yarmol to read and write. One winter, the servant tells: a real witch lives in the local forests. She used to live in the village, but she was expelled for witchcraft deeds.
In the spring, the master and Yarmola go hunting, go astray and come across the hut. They thought it was the forester's house, but it turned out to be Manuilikha. The hostess, resembling a Baba Yaga, is unfriendly with guests, but a silver quarter changes things - she even agrees to tell fortunes to Ivan. At this time, a dark-haired girl entered the house - the granddaughter of the hostess, who called herself Olesya.
The beauty of the girl conquers the heart of Ivan. As soon as the paths are dry, he goes to the forest hut. The old woman expresses dissatisfaction, Olesya, on the contrary, is friendly with the guest. He asks his granddaughter to tell fortunes, she admits: she has already thrown cards at him. Ivan gets a lot of love from the lady of clubs, but he will bring her a lot of grief and shame, which is worse than death. Olesya volunteers to see the guest off. On the way, the girl tries to convince: she and her grandmother have a real gift of witchcraft.
From that day Ivan became a frequent visitor to Manuilikha's house. The old woman managed to appease with gifts, and Olesya always stood up for the master. A bond developed between the young people. He even lobbied with the constable to leave the women alone when he intended to evict the "ulcers of these places" and threatened to let them go through the escort. Yarmola condemns the master: both witches are afraid of the church.
For some unknown reason, Olesya begins to avoid Ivan. An unexpected fever knocked the young man down for a week. Only after recovery did he return to the showdown. The girl confesses: she wanted to get away from fate, but she realized that it was impossible. Olesya confesses her love for the master. Ivan himself has long had tender feelings for the original girl and is even thinking about getting married.
Official business in Perebrod is coming to an end. Ivan decides to propose. However, Olesya does not want to spoil the life of an educated person, she is ready to go with him just like that, without marriage. Ivan thinks that the refusal is connected with the fear of the church, but Olesya is ready to prove the opposite. She makes an appointment at church for the next day.
On the feast of the Holy Trinity, Ivan is delayed on business, does not have time to get to the appointed place on time, he is tormented by bad forebodings. The local clerk tells the gentleman who has appeared how the local girls caught a witch in the square and gave a shake-up. Later, Ivan learns: Olesya was in the church and defended the mass, then the women attacked her. She miraculously escaped, threatening in the end that they would cry their fill.
Ivan rushes into the forest. Olesya beats in a fever without memory, Manuilikha blames her boyfriend for everything. Having come to her senses, the girl says goodbye to her beloved, regrets not having a child from Ivan. She knows that she and her grandmother must not stay in the forest.
On the same night, the strongest hail beats the life of half the village. The villagers consider this the revenge of the sorceress and are going to go into the forest. Ivan is ahead of the locals, but finds only Olesya's red beads in an abandoned hut. They become the only reminder of tender and generous love.
