The small village of Kolotovka lies on a slope of a bare hill, cut by a deep ravine that winds along the very middle of the street. A few steps from the beginning of the ravine is a small quadrangular hut covered with straw. This is the “Pritynny” tavern. He is visited much more readily than the rest of the establishments, and the reason for this is the kisser Nikolai Ivanovich. This unusually fat, gray-haired man with a swimming face and cunningly good-natured eyes has been living in Kolotovka for more than 20 years. Not distinguished by either special courtesy or talkativeness, he has the gift to attract guests and knows a lot about everything that is interesting to Russian people. He knows everything that happens in the district, but he never blinks.
The neighbors Nikolai Ivanovich enjoys respect and influence. He is married and has children. His wife is a lively, astonishing and quick-eyed bourgeois, Nikolai Ivanovitch relies on her in everything, and screaming drunkards are afraid of her. The children of Nikolai Ivanovich went to their parents - smart and healthy guys.
It was a hot July day when I, tormented by thirst, approached Pritynny zucchini. Suddenly, a gray-haired man of high stature appeared on the threshold of a vegetable marrow and began to call someone, waving his hands.He was answered by a short, fat and lame man with a sly expression on his face, nicknamed Morgach. From the conversation between Morgach and his friend, Stunned, I realized that a competition of singers was started in the zucchini. The best singer, Yashka Turk, will show his skills.
Quite a lot of people have already gathered in the zucchini, including Yashka, a thin and slender man of about 23 years old with big gray eyes and light blond curls. Near him stood a broad-shouldered man of about 40 with black shiny hair and a fiercely pensive expression on his Tatar face. His name was Wild Barin. Opposite him sat Yashka's rival - a rowman from Zhizdra, a tight, short man of about 30, pockmarked and curly, with a blunt nose, brown eyes and a liquid beard. Disposed action Wild Barin.
Before describing the competition, I want to say a few words about those gathered in the pub. Evgraf Ivanov, or Stunned, was a bachelor bachelor. He could neither sing nor dance, but not a single drink could do without him - his presence was transferred as an inevitable evil. The past of Morgach was unclear, they only knew that he was a coachman at the mistress, got into the clerks, was released into the wild and became rich. This is an experienced person on his mind, not good and not evil. His whole family consists of a son who went to his father. Jacob, descended from a captured Turkish woman, was an artist at heart, and by rank - a scoop in a paper mill. No one knew where the Wild Barin (Perevesles) came from and how he lives. This gloomy man lived without needing anyone, and enjoyed great influence.He did not drink wine, did not know women and passionately loved singing.
The first to sing a row. He sang a dance with endless decorations and transitions, which caused the smile of the Wild Barin and the stormy approval of the rest of the audience. Jacob began with excitement. His voice was deep passion, and youth, and strength, and sweetness, and fascinatingly careless, sad sorrow. The Russian soul sounded in him and grabbed at the heart. There were tears in everyone's eyes. The rowman himself admitted defeat.
I left the zucchini so as not to spoil the impression, got to the hay and fell asleep in a dead sleep. In the evening, when I woke up, Yashki was already celebrating with might and main in the zucchini. I turned away and began to descend from the hill on which Kolotovka lies.
