leaden

adjective
1.
inertly heavy like lead; hard to lift or move:
a leaden weight; leaden feet.
2.
dull, spiritless, or gloomy, as in mood or thought:
leaden prose; a leaden atmosphere.
3.
of a dull gray color:
leaden skies.
4.
oppressive; heavy:
a leaden silence.
5.
sluggish; listless:
They moved at a leaden pace.
6.
of poor quality or little value.
7.
made or consisting of lead.
refuge
noun
1.
shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc.:
to take refuge from a storm.
2.
a place of shelter, protection, or safety.
3.
anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape.

1.
a thick or dense growth of shrubs, bushes, or small trees; a t
hickcoppice.

ochre
any of a class of natural earths, mixtures of hydrated oxide of
iron withvarious earthy materials, ranging in color from pale y
ellow to orangeand red, and used as pigments.
2.
the color of this, ranging from pale yellow to an orangish or re
ddishyellow.
3.
Obsolete. money, especially gold coin.
cobbler (repeated 8x)
1. a person who mends shoes.
2.
a deep-dish fruit pie with a rich biscuit crust, usually only on t
op.
3.

sacristan,
noun
1.
Also called sacrist
[sak-rist, sey-krist] (Show
IPA). an official incharge of the sacred vessels, vestments, etc
., of a church or a religioushouse.
starling-cote.
noun
1.
a chunky, medium-sized European passerine bird, Sturnus vul
garis, ofiridescent black plumage with seasonal speckles, that
nests incolonies: introduced into North America.
2.
any of various similar Old World birds of the family Sturnidae.

noun
1.
a pointed cluster of pilings for protecting a bridge pier from dr
ifting ice,debris, etc.

Cote - : a shed or coop for small domestic animals and especially

pigeons

copse (repeated 3x)

noun
1.
a thicket of small trees or bushes; a small wood.
thicket
noun

an iced drink made of wine or liquor, fruits, sugar, etc.

4.
a fabric rejected because of defective dyeing or finishing.
5.
a mummichog.
6.
Archaic. a clumsy workman.

rogue
noun
1.
a dishonest, knavish person; scoundrel.
2.
a playfully mischievous person; scamp:
The youngest boys are little rogues.
3.
a tramp or vagabond.
4.
a rogue elephant or other animal of similar disposition.
5.
Biology. a usually inferior organism, especially a plant, varyingmarkedly from
the normal.
verb (used without object), rogued, roguing.
6.
to live or act as a rogue.
verb (used with object), rogued, roguing.
7.
to cheat.
8.
to uproot or destroy (plants, etc., that do not conform to a desiredstandard).
9.
to perform this operation upon:
to rogue a field.
adjective
10.
(of an animal) having an abnormally savage or unpredictabledisposition, as a r
ogue elephant.
11.
no longer obedient, belonging, or accepted and hence not controllableor answe
rable; deviating, renegade:
a rogue cop; a rogue union local.
woollyadjective, woollier, woolliest.
1.
consisting of wool :
a woolly fleece.
2.

resembling wool in texture or appearance:

woolly hair.
3.
clothed or covered with wool or something resembling it:
a woolly caterpillar.
4.
Botany. covered with a pubescence of long, soft hairs resembling wool.
5.
like the rough, vigorous atmosphere of the early West in America:
wild and woolly.
6.
fuzzy; unclear; disorganized:
woolly thinking.
noun, plural woollies.
7.
Western U.S. a wool-bearing animal; sheep.
8.
Usually, woollies. a knitted undergarment of wool or other fiber.
9.
any woolen garment, as a sweater.
10.
Dialect. a dust ball.

Peal

Repeated words

broken-2

rumble-2

hand-9

rumbling -2

red-10

Cobbler -8

drag-2

beggar-girl -5

talk-4

copse-4

know-6

kitchen-garden-3

bird-6

dusty-2

when-8

clouds-4

weary-2

storm-clouds 2
bare-3

fields-4

mutters-2
frightened-2
young-2
dry-4
lightning-2
tear-2
sky-7
holy-9
cross-2
difficult-2
breathless-2
wind-5
little-11
lead-2

noun
1.
a loud, prolonged ringing of bells.
2.
a set of bells tuned to one another.
3.
a series of changes rung on a set of bells.
4.
any loud, sustained sound or series of sounds, as of cannon, thunder, applause,
or laughter.
verb (used with object)
5.
to sound loudly and sonorously:
to peal the bells of a tower.
6.
Obsolete. to assail with loud sounds.
verb (used without object)
7.
to sound forth in a peal; resound.

want-3
hear-6
orphan-4
wanderers-2
river bank-2
soaked-2
begin-5
fall/falls/fallen-6
more-4
deserted-2
gazes-2
dark/darkness-9
seen-4
huddled-2
see/sees/seen/seeing-9

side-6
side to side-2

barn-2

smile-2

love-2

says-11

head-7
sky-7

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904)

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramaturge and author who is considered to be among the greatest
writers of short stories in history.
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) may have suffered an untimely death, but he squeezed the most out of his 44 years of
life. Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be one of the greatest
writers in history, particularly in the genre of short stories.
Chekhovs major illustration near the end of the 19th century was in what became known as stream-ofconsciousness writing, in which he eschewed common traditional story structure and simply wrote as
though he was thinking aloud. Renowned writers like James Joyce and William Faulkner would eventually run
with this theme, producing classics in the same vein. Chekhov was one of Russias most famous and popular
writers in his time, producing well-received works like The Lady with the Dog and The Bishop.
This edition of Chekhovs short story, A Day In The Country, is specially formatted with a Table of Contents
and is illustrated with over a dozen pictures of Chekhov.
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born in the provincial town of Taganrog, Ukraine, in 1860. In the mid-1880s, Chekhov became a physician, and
shortly thereafter he began to write short stories. Chekhov started writing plays a few years later, mainly short comic sketches he
called vaudvilles. The first collection of his humorous writings, Motley Stories, appeared in 1886, and his first play, Ivanov, was
produced in Moscow the next year. In 1896, the Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg performed his first full- length drama, The
Seagull. Some of Chekhov's most successful plays include The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya, and Three Sisters. Chekhov brought
believable but complex personalizations to his characters, while exploring the conflict between the landed gentry and the
oppressed peasant classes. Chekhov voiced a need for serious, even revolutionary, action, and the social stresses he described
prefigured the Communist Revolution in Russia by twenty years. He is considered one of Russia's greatest playwrights. Chekhov
contracted tuberculosis in 1884, and was certain he would die an early death. In 1901, he married Olga Knipper, an actress who
had played leading roles in several of his plays. Chekhov died in 1904, spending his final years in Yalta.

A DAY IN THE COUNTRY

This is a lovely story to begin the collection. It is just a single day, when a heavy, but short rainstorm hits this tiny village. Young Danika has gotten his arm caught in a
tree. Even younger little Fyokla has raced to the village to find the kind Terenty, a cobbler. Despite the rain he hurries with Fyokla to free Danika. Then they walk and
talk after the rain, and the children learn much from him about nature. Later that night the kind Terenty comes quietly into the barn where the orphans are sleeping and
leaves them some bread for the morning. Its a very touching human story.

A Day in the Country is a story of two orphaned children at play when a

threatening storm is looming forcing inhabitants to take refuge. Danilka
manages to have his hand trapped requiring assistance. Luckily Danilka's
sister Fyokla enlists the town cobbler Terenty's assistance and he rescues
Danilka. The storm passes and the rest of the afternoon the trio enjoy the
splendors of the country. Danilka is awed by nature and its beauty. Chekhov
demonstrates that the simple things in life bring the most joy and the
countryfolk are loving and helpful in times of trouble. A sweet short story by
the master Chekhov.
Briefly: As a storm approaches, the young orphan Fyokla a beggar girl of
six is searching the village for Terenty the cobbler. Apparently her brother
has his hand stuck in a hole in a tree, and Terentys assistance is needed in
order to help free him. As Terenty and Fyokla set off for the counts copse,
the first rains of the storm begin to fall.
Afterthoughts: If Im being honest then I didnt think that the second half of
this story was as good as the promise that the first half built for it (does that
make sense?). The story certainly climaxes well enough certainly up to
the standard that one would expect from Chekhov but the direction that
the story takes with the second half is, for me, a wasted opportunity for
something better. So what does the story become? A contemplation on the
beauty of nature perhaps, or a homage to the knowledge of countryfolk.
Maybe even that the simple things in life bring the most joy. Ultimately
however, Ill you decide this for yourself.
Notable Quote: The rain has begun, mutters the cobbler, kicking up the
dust with his bare, bony feet. Thats fine, Fyokla, old girl. The grass and the
trees are fed by the rain, as we are by bread. And as for the thunder, dont
you be frightened, little orphan. Why should it kill a little thing like you?

Todays story could be read to young children before bedtime or in an

elementary school class. It contains many classic elements of childrens
literature including a quasi-dramatic rescue, a wise elderly/grandfatherly
character with a kind heart, an orphan girl and boy dynamic (friendship,
loyalty, physical warmth), a walk through the forest with descriptions of
natures intricacies as well as mechanics of a machine. It almost came off
like an idealized fairy tale in the countryside. Almost, as Chekhov reminds
us that life is tough for orphans. But in this village there is at least Terenty, a
homeless cobbler who in the night comes to them, makes the sign of the
cross over them, and puts bread under their heads. Chekhov also repeats
a character that he used in A Country Cottage: the moon. Fortunately for the
children, Danilka and Fyokla, the moon is benevolent to them (not so for the

couple in the earlier story) as it peeps caressingly through the holes in the
wall of the deserted barn. Overall I like the story as it was a nice change of
pace from other Chekhov stories, although I found some of Terentys
continuous descriptions of things tiresome, and his description of sparrows
(When Christ was crucified it was the sparrow brought nails to the Jews ) is
clearly anti-semitic.
Todays story was a refreshing change of pace for Chekhov. Instead of
focusing on the dire circumstances of poverty in rural life, Chekhov chose to
pay homage to an unsung hero, a homeless cobbler named Terenty. The
story begins with a 6 year-old beggar-girl named Fyokla running through a
village which is in the midst of preparing for an approaching storm. She
calls everyone uncle but is searching for one person in particular. She
finds Terenty in the kitchen-gardens and we are told he is a tall old man
with a thin, pock-marked face, very long legs, and bare feet, dressed in a
womans tattered jacket. He doesnt fit any particular stereotype of a hero
but on this day, Fyokla is searching for one to help free her brother Danilka
from a tree in which his hand is stuck. Despite the approaching storm,
Terenty makes light of their predicament and braves the elements to free
Fyoklas brother with reassuring and fatherly tones. I initially thought the
tree incident would be the central theme of the story but it was over in less
than a paragraph. I kept waiting for the cynical undertone or implied
corruption to manifest but it never did. Instead, we are treated to multiple
explanations of natural phenomena and the explicit assertion that
Terenty answers all questions, and there is no secret in Nature which
baffles him. He knows everything. Chekhov further asserts that indeed all
the villagers, generally speaking, know as much as he does. The
difference is that Terenty is willing to share not only his knowledge, but his
time with the two orphan childrenand they love him for it. After spending
all day with Terenty, the two children retire to a deserted barn while Terenty
goes to the tavern. Chekhov could have ended the story here but instead
reinforces the sincerity of Terenty and the love he has for these two
orphans. He returns later to put bread under their heads making the sign of
the cross while they sleep. We are given no glimpse into the past of either
the two orphan children or our homeless cobbler. I like to think that Terenty
is trying in his own way to make the lives of Fyokla and Danilka a little better
than what he experienced. Regardless of the reason, the story felt genuine
and I enjoyed the optimistic change of pace.

i 've read this short story... living in a big city ..chasing

materials..we can't feel charms of country life ..children find great
pleasure to be in such environment...

life is quite different in countryside...behaviour, approaches,

interaction,their sense towards life...but we just be a witness
..can't be a part ..on our wish ...
destined to cling our stand points!!!!!