Summary

In Chapter 1, nine-year-old Egorushka rides in a britzka alongside his uncle, the merchant Ivan Ivanych Kuzimichov, and a priest called Father Khristofor Siriysky. The driver is called Deniska. The men, who are on a journey to sell wool, are in "excellent spirits" (3). They are to drop Egorushka along the way at school. As they drive by the familiar prison and cemetery of his town, Egorushka becomes depressed. His uncle scolds him for crying but the priest does his best to comfort him. Kuzimichov and Father Khristofor debate the merit of Egorushka’s education. Kuzimichov thinks it will be useless, but the priest argues in favor of it. They ride for in silence for a while and pass by many hills. They spot peasants working a field of wheat. Eventually, six dogs attack the briska. Deniska enjoys whipping them and Egorushka likes watching him...