The Beggar by Anton Chekhov

Introduction

'Anton Chekhov was born in Russia in 1879. He studied medicine at Moscow University but he is known as a writer of stories and plays. He started writing stories even when he was a student. He died of tuberculosis in 1904 just at the age of 44. Today he is regarded as one of the greatest short story writers in the world.

The story is about a prosperous advocate Skvortsoff and a beggar Lushkoff. The advocate is a kind man. He helps the depraved beggar to come out of his miserable life, and live like a respectable person. But in the end he discovers that he was not the actual benefactor, but his ill-tempered cook, Olga.

Summary

Skvortsoff was a well-to-do advocate. One day a beggar came to his door. His name was Lushkoff. He was wearing a fawn-coloured tattered overcoat. He had dull, drunken eyes. He had red spot on either cheek.

The beggar said that he had been a village school teacher but he had lost his job. He had no money and so he was forced to beg.

Skvortsoff recalled that he had seen the beggar the other day in another street. There he had said that he had been a student who had been expelled. He was angry with the beggar for telling a shameless lie. He threatened to call the police and have him arrested for trying to cheat people.

For a while the beggar stuck to what he had said. But soon he broke down. He admitted that he had been telling lies to make people take pity on him. In fact he had been a singer in a Russian choir. He was a drunkard and had been dismissed. Now he had no work to do and no way to support himself. He lived by begging.

Skvortsoff told him that he must work to earn a living. Lushkoff pleaded that he was willing to work but no one offered him any work to do. Skvortsoff asked him if he would chop wood for him. Lushkoff had to say that he would.

Skvortsoff called his cook Olga. He told her to lead Lushkoff to the woodshed and let him chop wood. Lushkoff followed Olga unwillingly. In fact he had never meant to chop wood but he had been trapped by his own words.

Skvortsoff hurried into the dining room. From there he watched the cook leading the beggar to the woodshed. She opened the door of the woodshed. She flung an axe down at his feet. He lifted the axe and hit a piece of wood irresolutely. It was a feeble effort. Skvortsoff was sorry to have set that menial work to that drunkard beggar who was not fit for thai work. He came back to his study.

After an hour Olga came in. She told Skvortsoff that Lushkoff had chopped the wood. Skvortsoff was pleased. He gave her half a rouble foi Lushkoff. He said that if Lushkoff desired he could come to chop wood on the first of every month.

Lushkoff came to chop wood regularly on the first of every month. He was always given work and he earned a little money every time.

When Skvortsoff moved into another house, he asked Lushkoff to help in packing and hauling the furniture. He hardly did anything. He walked behind the wagons hanging his head. But Skvortsoff believed that he had done his job well. He gave Lushkoff a rouble. Lushkoff knew how to read and write. Skvortsoff gave him a letter and asked Lushkoff to go to a friend who would give him some copying work to do. Lushkoff went away. He never came back again.
Two years passed. One evening Skvortsoff saw Lushkoff at the tickel window of a theatre. He was well dressed. He was buying a ticket. He told Skvortsoff that he was a notary and got thirty-five roubles a month.

Skvortsoff was delighted because he had been able to push a depraved beggar on the right path. Lushkoff thanked him for his kindness because he had pulled him oul of a sinking pit. But he said that the true credit for changing him went tc Olga. Naturally, this surprised Skvortsoff. Lushkoff explained that he had never chopped a single piece of wood. Olga chopped the wood for hinr and gave him the money. She would chide him. She would tell him that he would go to hell.There was no hope for him. She wept for him. She suffered for him. Her words, her sacrifice and her suffering for him had an inexplicable influence on him. He began to change. He stopped drinking He was grateful to her. He could never forget her.

Word Meanings

Suppliant = someone who asks for something; Fawn-coloured = light yellowish brown; Mendicant = beggar; Obliged = forced, compelled Expelled = turned out, rusticated; Mumbled = muttered, spoke indistinctly; Taken aback = surprised; Swindling = cheating; Brazenly = impudently; Waif = homeless person; Furtively = stealthily, secretly; Revolting. = disgusting; Berate = scold, chide; impudent = insolent; Ragamuffin = ragged dirty person; Profane = irreverent; Fiction - made up story; Choir = band of singers, especially in church; Loafers = idlers; Malice = ill-wif!, spite; Tatterdemalion = a person in tattered clothes; Scarecrow ~ miserable looking person; Shrufgged his shoulders = raised shoulders a little to express indifference or ignorance; Irresolutely = unwillingly; Obvious = evidently; Glared - looked fiercely; Wrathfully = angrily; Pseudo = sham; Billet = short, thick stick; Tapped = hit lightly; Menial = low, physical work; Hauling - raising, carrying of load; Sober = not drunk; Pretence = outward show; Jeered = taunted, scoffed; Notary = person authorised to draw deeds; Sot = habitual drunkard.

Questions You May Be Asked

1. What moral does the story convey?

2. Do you think that Skvortsoff was truly charitable & compassionate? Give reasons.

3. Who is the hero of the story? Justify with reference from the story.

4. Write a brief character sketch of Olga.