The Prank by Anton Chekhov

Author:Anton Chekhov
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781590178379
Publisher: New York Review Books
Published: 2015-07-07T16:00:00+00:00

“Goosie, goosie, goosie!” called Olya, reaching toward a gosling.

The gosling was wise beyond his years. He dodged Olya and ran to his sire, a very large and stupid gander, and he told on her. The gander stretched his wings. Mischievously, Olya reached for another gosling—and something terrible happened. Lowering his neck to the ground, the gander menacingly advanced on Olya, hissing like a snake. Olya shrieked and ran. The gander gave chase. Olya looked back, shrieked louder, and blanched. Her pretty girlish face was distorted by horror and despair. Three hundred devils might have been chasing after her.

Hastening to her aid, I hit the gander over the head with my walking stick. But the wretched gander nipped the edge of her dress. Eyes wide, face distorted, trembling all over, Olya fell into my arms!

“What a coward you are!” I said.

“Beat it off!” she began to cry.

Her frightened little face was neither naive nor childlike. It was idiotic! Cowardice, ma chère, I cannot abide! Me married to a fainthearted, cowardly woman? I couldn’t imagine it.

That gander had spoiled everything. I calmed Olya down and went home. I couldn’t get her face, so cravenly idiotic, out of my mind. Olya had lost all her charm, and I broke up with her.

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