The story "Burbot" Anton Pavlovich Chekhov wrote in 1885. By this time, he was already well known as the author of many humorous stories and short sketches.
From the very first lines of this work, a smile appears on the faces of readers. The situation of
catching burbot by unlucky fishermen is so comical, Anton Pavlovich so vividly describes it that a picture arises before you: a hot summer day, a large pond overgrown with willow trees, people in the water trying to overcome heavy fish.
Chekhov, "Burbot." Summary of the story
On a fine summer day, near the future bath, carpenters Lyubim and Gerasim are busy in the water. They are busy fishing for a large burbot. The fish hid under the snag, and the unlucky fishermen did not succeed in getting it. They swear, give each other advice. But there is no sense in this. At this time, one of them thought that he grabbed the burbot by the lip. A carpenter pulls him to the surface. But it turns out that this is just a big cancer. Fisherman with bitterness throws him ashore. Burbot fishing continues. What will Chekhov tell us next? Burbot, a summary of which is set forth in this article, is a remarkable work.
A shepherd joins the fishermen. At this time, a herd approaches the pond, which the old man Efim drives to a watering hole. Seeing the failure of the fishermen, the shepherd takes off his clothes and joins them. He walks a few steps along the muddy bottom, and then floats down to the carpenters. Now three fishermen are already splashing in the water. It is still impossible to get the burbot out of them anyway - the fish are very big and slippery, as Chekhov tells us. Burbot, the summary of which is given here, is a humorous story. It is very easy to read.
The coachman Vasily and his master also climb into the water. Here is heard the voice of master Andrei Andreich, who runs out in one coat and screams that the animals climbed into his garden. He is angry and urgently demands a shepherd.
In response, only screams from the pool are heard, where unlucky fishermen catch burbot. He rushes to them and tries to find out what they are doing. Having understood everything, the master stands and waits, when, finally, they will pull the fish ashore. Five minutes and ten minutes pass, and the case does not move. He calls his coachman Vasily and tells him to help the fishermen. Basil strips and throws himself into the water. The four of them cut down the snag, under which the burbot is hiding, and try to pull it out. But this is not so easy. Andrei Andreich can’t stand it and climbs into the water himself. An unexpected denouement in the story was invented by Anton Chekhov. “Burbot”, a summary of which can be read here, is a reflection of the real comical situation that the author once observed in the village of Babkino.
Unexpected denouement
Having joined the unlucky fishermen, the master tries to help them. Soon he manages to capture the burbot by the gills. A large head appeared above the water and the body of a fish shining in the sun. Everyone is happy, wondering how much this colossus weighs. Most pleased with the master, that he was able to pull out such a noble fish. Burbot tightly tosses his tail and desperately tries to break free. Another moment, and he succeeds. He makes a sharp tail movement. A splash of water is heard. Fishermen shrug. It is unlikely that he will be able to convey all the comic nature of the situation with a brief summary. Chekhov's Burbot is a small work, and it is easy to read. Therefore, we recommend reading it in the original.
This article was about one of the humorous stories written by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. “Burbot,” a summary of which is given in the article, is one of the best works of the author. It is included in the compulsory program for the study of literature in educational institutions.