Chapter 12 Summary

It is a peaceful evening in the village, and the townsfolk are sitting around a bonfire. Shurik sits in his usual chair, which is brought down for him from under the silver birch tree. Frosya gets up and rakes some of the potatoes over the coals. Shurik is asked to tell a story. He tells a story of an Armenian on a tour of Belarus. It is a familiar one, and people begin laughing in anticipation of it. Sparkling cider is passed around, and a toast is proposed. Trofim gives a toast to Shuik. He tells them what a blessing he has been to all of them. As people begin to leave, Shurik thinks about his day and his wanderings among the people of the village. He recalls that, after the fancy limousine pulled away and his cousin departed, he looked at the...