Vladimir

The story opens in a Russian town called Vladimir. The merchant Aksionov lives there with his wife and small children. As he prepares to travel to a fair to sell his wares, his wife says that she had a nightmare. She believes that the nightmare is a bad omen, as it portrayed Aksionov returning home with grey hair. Aksionov ignores the nightmare and departed. He then never returns to Vladimir again.

Inn

Partway though his journey to the fair, Vladimir stops at an inn for the night. He encounters a fellow merchant, and they sleep in adjoining rooms. During the night, Semyonich sneaks in and cuts the unnamed merchant’s throat. Semyonich steals the merchant’s money, hides the bloody knife in Aksionov’s bag, and leaves. Police arrest Aksionov for the murder.

Prison Camp

After Aksionov is falsely convicted of murder, he is sent to a prison...