summary of the lesson "The beggar"
Answers
Answer:
One day advocate Sergei came across a beggar. He was dressed in very poor clothes. He was crying and requested Sergei to have pity on him. Ile told Sergei that he had the offer of a position in Kaluga, but he did not have money to get there. So he wanted some money to pay for the fare. Sergei looked at the beggar closely. Suddenly he remembered that he had seen him the previous day in Sadovya Street. Then he had told him that he was a student and had been expelled for not paying his fees. At first, the beggar denied the charge. But when Sergei rebuked him, he admitted that he earned his living by lying. He told Sergei that his name was Lushkoff and that he was out of work. Sergei refused to give him alms. But he said that he would give him work of chopping wood. He brought Lushkoff home. He called his maidservant Olga and told her to take him into the woodshed and get some wood chopped. Sergei could see from a room that Lushkoff was weak as well as unwilling to do the chopping work. However, after one hour, Olga came and told Sergei that the wood had been chopped. Sergei gave Lushkoff half a rouble.
After getting wood chopped, Sergei was happy that he had helped a man. He had reformed a beggar. He told Lushkoff that he could come on the first of every month and chop wood for money. Thus Lushkoff came on the first of every month. Although he was so weak that he could hardly stand on his legs, yet there was always work for him and he did it. Sometimes, it was chopping of wood. At other times, he had to shovel snow, or to put the woodshed in order. Sometimes, he was asked to beat the dust out of mattresses and rugs. Every time he received from twenty to forty copecks. One day Sergei moved to another house. He hired Lushkoff to help in packing and hauling of furniture. This time, he was silent and sober. After the work was done, Sergei offered to find better work for him. Ile wrote a letter to one of his friends. He gave this letter to Lushkoff and told him that he would find the job of copying the written matter. In this way, Sergei helped Lushkoff. He was pleased at having put a man on the right path.
After that Sergei did not come across Lushkoff for two years. Then one day, he came across Lushkoff standing at the ticket window of a theatre, paying for a scat. He was wearing a coat collar of curly fur and sealskin cap. Sergei recognised him. Lushkoff told him that now he was a notary and was paid thiry five roubles a month Sergei was pleased to hear this. He congratulated Lushkoff for standing on own feet in life. At this, Lushkoff disclosed something to him. He said that it was not because of him, but his maidservant because at he had reformed himself. When he used to come to his house to chop wood, he could not do so because he was weak and inexperienced Then Olga would take pity on him and chop the wood for him. He told Sergei that he never chopped a single stick. It was all done by Olga. Her kindness transformed him. He stopped drinking and started earning his living by work. In this way, Olga’s kindness had changed his life.
The Beggar - Introduction
The beggar is the story of the transformation of a beggar into a good person. The behaviour of a woman made him leave alcohol and lead a good life.
Lesson and Explanation
“KIND sir, have pity; turn your attention to a poor, hungry man! For three days I have had nothing to eat; I haven’t five copecks for a lodging, I swear it before God. For eight years I was a village schoolteacher and then I lost my place through intrigues. I fell a victim to calumny. It is a year now since I have had anything to do.”
A man was begging alms. He said that he had not eaten anything for the last three days. He did not even have five copecks to pay for a room to spend the night at. He swore by God that he spoke the truth. He had been a school teacher in a village for eight years but lost that job due to the conspiracy of his colleagues. For the last one year he was without work.
An advocated named Sergei looked at the light brown coloured coat of the beggar. The beggar had dull, drunken eyes. There were red spots on both his cheeks. Sergei felt that he had seen the man before.
The beggar continued that he had got an offer of a job in the state of Kaluga in Russia. He did not have enough money to travel to the place. He wanted help though he felt ashamed asking for it, but his circumstances forced him to do so.
Sergei saw the man’s shoes - both of them had varying heel sizes. He remembered something.
He said that the day before the previous day he had seen the same beggar at Sadovya street. Then the beggar had said that he was a student who had been removed from the institution and not that he was a school teacher. He asked the beggar if he remembered it.
Sergei said that he had lied enough. He added that the beggar had told him that he was a student and had even told the reason for getting expelled from his institution.
Sergei was full of anger and turned away from the beggar.
He screamed that the beggar was dishonest. He was a cheat and Sergei would hand him over to the police.
The beggar confessed that he was lying. He was neither a teacher nor a student. He had been a singer in a Russian group and was removed due to his drinking problem. He lied because people would not give him alms if he told them the truth.
Sergei screamed at him and said that he could work instead of lying.
“Work — yes. I know that myself; but where can I find work?”
The beggar said that he knew he should work but there was no work for him.
“How would you like to chop wood for me?”
Sergei asked if he would chop wood for him.
“I wouldn’t refuse to do that, but in these days even skilled wood-cutters find themselves sitting without bread.”
The beggar wanted to chop wood but said that even skilled wood cutters were out of work so, who would employ him for it.
“Will you come and chop wood for me?”
Sergei offered him work.
“Yes sir, I will.”
The beggar replied that he would chop wood for him.