The ladies (Chekhov)
The ladies ( Russian Дамы , Damy ) is a short story by the Russian writer Anton Chekhov , which appeared on April 19, 1886 in the weekly Oskolki . In Tolstoy's list of the author's thirty best stories, the name of the text appears together with the attribute “first class”. During Chekhov's lifetime, the little story was translated into Bulgarian, German, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, Czech and Swedish.
The teacher Wremensky has to be dismissed by His Excellency Fyodor Petrovich, the director of the folk high schools in the province of N., after fourteen years of school service. Wremensky lost his voice. He can only articulate himself with a hiss. The director helps the married family man. Wremenski is supposed to apply for the vacant position of secretary in the orphanage.
In a good mood, the director at home admits what a decent guy he is. His wife Nastasja Ivanovna asks him to do this Nina Sergeyevna a small favor. Nina would like to protect the gentleman KN Polsuchin for the vacant post. The director calls the young Polsuchin a bastard. Should he go the straight way and not the crooked way about an influential lady! Annoyed, the director looks at the mail he has received. The mayor's wife writes to him that she thinks the likable young Polsuchin is the right person for the post of secretary in the orphanage. The wife of the head of the finance chamber supports Polsuchin personally with the director. When the latter, a stout man with a shaved jockey face, then speaks in person, he is mercilessly disgraced by the director. His Excellency cannot get rid of the devious Polesuchin that easily. When the applicant presents a letter signed by the governor, drafted in the style of a chancellery, the angry director suspects that the governor has certainly been blamed for one of those leading ladies. His Excellency surrenders. Polsuchin may submit his request.
The next day the director receives the teacher Wremenski in the office. His Excellency twists and turns like an eel. How is he supposed to teach the hissing teacher the truth? The director finally yells at Wremenski that he has no position. Wremenski should finally leave him in peace.
Used edition
- Gerhard Dick (Hrsg.), Wolf Düwel (Hrsg.): Anton Chekhov: Collected works in single volumes : The ladies. P. 517–521 in: Gerhard Dick (Ed.): Anton Chekhov: From rain to eaves. Short stories. Translated from Russian by Ada Knipper and Gerhard Dick. With a foreword by Wolf Düwel. 630 pages. Rütten & Loening, Berlin 1964 (1st edition)
Web links
- The text
- Wikisource: Дамы (Чехов) (Russian)
- online at Lib.ru (Russian)
- online in FEB (Russian)
- Chekhov Bibliography, Entry Stories No. 386 (Russian)
- Reference to first appearance in the Laboratory of Fantastics (Russian)