Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

Golde (Tevye's wife) and her daughters, Tzeitel and Hodel are preparing for the Sabbath in the house. Shprintze and Bielke, two of the younger daughters, carry logs in from outside.

Shprintze asks her mother where to put the wood. Golde tells her to put it by the stove and asks where Chava, the fifth daughter, is now. Hodel informs her that Chava is milking in the barn. Bielke asks when Papa will be home, but Golde scoffs, saying that he's never worried about when he'll be home for Sabbath. Tzeitel reminds her that he works hard, but Golde replies that his horse works harder than he does, reprimanding her daughter for defending him, since she has known her husband longer. However, she blesses him under her breath and then asks Shprintze to bring her more potatoes.

Chava enters, carrying a basket...