The summary of "Olesya". The story that brought Kuprin glory

So, let's start a brief summary of Olesya from the main character of the story. Deciding to find new sources of inspiration for his writing, he decides to spend six months in a remote village in Polissya to be able to observe the customs of ordinary people, communicate with them and get new impressions. However, in the majority of peasants, the peasants are taciturn and withdrawn, and it is only with the habit they have developed over the years that they always kiss the master's hands. The hero quickly becomes bored. He had already read all the books he had brought, tried to even treat the peasants, but all their complaints were limited to "hurting in the middle, or drinking, or not eating." The clerk tells the writer that he himself always gives ammonia to all the ills - they say, they will cure themselves. There was still a hunt, but the January weather did not have this to do. With boredom, the hero tries to teach Yarmol, his servant, his reading and writing. But for two months, he was able to learn only to sign mechanically. The weather does not get better, a piercing wind blows, and Yarmola believes that this can mean one of two things: either the "witcher was born" or "the witcher merrily celebrates". Here the hero was interested in whether there is a witch in the village. Yarmola says, in turn, that there was a witch from Manuilikha who came here, but her, either with her granddaughter or her daughter, was kicked out; And now the women are running to her for Irina's way. The master wishes to get acquainted with the real Polissya witch.

Acquaintance with the old witch and her granddaughter

The short summary of Olesya continues three days later. The weather has improved a bit, and the hero finally goes hunting. As a result, he misses the hare and follows him in a cross to the direction of the Irinovsky Shlyakh. Here the master lost his way, he saw a hut in his eyes, he went inside and was in the house of Manuilikha. Externally, she was very similar to the fairy Babu-Yaga, but she reacted favorably to the guest: she allowed her to rest, catch her breath, carried out water and even told him on the cards for a silver quarter. Then came the melodious sounds of the song and a dark-haired girl entered the house, looking about twenty years old. In the apron the girl held tame finches. The old woman hastens to send the guest away. Barin asks a young girl to show him the way, and he admires her beauty and wondered if they were afraid to live in such deafness. The girl (the same Olesya) says that wolves do not wander here, and it would be even better if people left animals alone. Olesa is restless: she is afraid that their guest is from the authorities. Stanovoi and the sergeant had long mocked her and Manuilikha, threatened him for fortune-giving, although the granddaughter and grandmother did not touch anyone. The hero calms his new acquaintance and asks permission to visit them. Olesya permits, but with one condition - so that he does not have a gun, since she feels sorry for defenseless hares and birds. The hero returns to himself, and an hour later Yarmola comes: he followed the master's track and found out that he was "in the witches."

A new guess for the master

And time rushes on. Here already a brief summary of Olesya plunges us into the spring holiday of nature. The hero does not leave the thought of Oles. He likes her mystery and outer beauty, and, of course, the mystical reputation of the witch. As soon as it became possible to walk along forest paths, he goes to visit his friends. Both the old woman and Olesya are at home. The guest greets them and asks Manuilichy whether she recognizes him. However, the old woman says that she does not remember him and does not know that he generally forgot here that they are ordinary people, but he has nothing to do here at all. Barin stunned such a reception, but then Olesya intercedes for him and tells Grandma that he is a kind person and will not do anything to them badly. The attitude of the grandmother to the guest slightly softens his gift - tea and sugar. Olesya invites the master to sit down. The very same girl at this time is spinning - from the work of her hands are sad and blackened, but still remained so beautiful that any girl could envy. Olesya reminds the guest that he never told her what the grandmother had done to him. The master asks to tell her, but she does not agree: she has already thrown cards at him, and the second time - it is impossible. Fate not to the liking, when it is asked, but because many sorcerers are unhappy. Then the hero asks Olesya to say what the cards said last time. The girl is afraid, but admits that it was not too good - a sad life, the hero will not love anyone and will not marry, will live in poverty, although at the end of life everything will change through the death of a loved one. But this year he is waiting for a great love from the ladies of clubs, with dark hair, like Olesya herself. However, this prediction does not please the hero: according to the words of the young sorceress, "the lady of the club" will take a great shame through the hero and will experience sadness, and nothing bad will come to him himself. The master doubts that in principle someone is capable of causing so much evil, but Olesya tells him that he will not do it on purpose. The girl is able to see the near death of a person, although she does not consider it necessary to talk about it, because fate does not escape in any case. Her ability to herself is disgusting, but it's in her blood.

Ivan Timofeevich doubts that Olesya is a real witch

The summary of "Olesya", as you already guessed, is the story of the most real witch. However, the main character to the last doubts the abilities of the girl he liked. Olesya, in turn, demonstrates to him what he knows: he cuts his hand and quickly talks - stops the blood. Then follows a trace on it and, without touching, causes it to fall. He says that even being far away, he can send fear to a person. The hero is surprised by how expressive is Olesya's speech, the girl who grew up in the forest. Olesya also says that all this is from grandmother. Only at that moment the master appears to the girl. His name is Ivan Timofeevich. The girl asks her new friend to come in, and he becomes a frequent visitor in the hut. The old woman muttered, and Olesya rejoiced at his visits every time. And every time Ivan Timofeyevich was going home, the girl was called to see him off, and they talked for a long time. The solid and original nature of Olesya attracts the master. He tells her about the learned people, the cities, the secrets of the universe - and she listens to him with pleasure. Hearing about St. Petersburg with its multi-story houses, Olesya says that she would not have changed the forest for life in the city. To which Ivan Timofeevich responds to her that if her husband is from urban - will have to. Here he learns that to marry in the church Olesya can not: her family was cursed, and her strength is not from God. Ivan Timofeevich, an educated man, often tried to explain the abilities of his girlfriend from a physiological point of view, but much still remained incomprehensible. Yarmola began to distance himself from his master, which was very much like a lurking enmity.

Conflict with the sergeant

Somehow a guest comes and sees that both women are depressed and distressed by something. The story "Olesya", the brief content of which we are considering, takes a new turn: a censor visited the hut. He ordered his granddaughter and grandmother to get out for twenty-four hours, explaining this by saying that the house belonged to the old landowner earlier, and now he has moved to a new one. Manuilikha asks Ivan Timofeevich to help, since the sergeant does not agree to back down even for money. Olesya is against this. Nevertheless, the hero meets with the sergeant, but the latter says that he can not do anything: the statute orders everyone to go to the temple, and the predictions, according to the same statute, are banned. However, the policeman took a fancy to the gun, and the owner gives it in exchange for a promise that at least for a while he will not touch the women.

Beloved moves away from Ivan Timofeevich

Ivan Timofeyevich solved the problem, but the relationship with Olesya from that moment changed dramatically. From her trustful caress there was no trace, and she was replaced by awkwardness and compulsion. Sometimes she fell into a reverie. The hero thought that the girl can not forgive him the interference with the sergeant. However, the girl herself avoided frank conversations, and their walks ceased. Ivan Timofeevich continues to draw to Oles. Somehow he even spent all day in their house, however, after returning home, he realized that he had fallen ill and had been lying in bed for almost a week. Hardly stronger, the master returns to Oles and sees that her eyes are shining with love. Despite the objections of Manuilikha, the girl agrees for a walk. Ivan Timofeevich understands what was the reason for such harshness, why the granddaughter so often argued with the grandmother. Lovers admit to each other in their feelings, and the next night becomes for them a fairy tale. Olesya says she does not regret anything, and that she is that lady of clubs, and it will be a misfortune with her, but she does not give her joy to anyone. A vague premonition of misfortune arises in the girl's heart.

Fairy tale of love

The time of the hero's departure is approaching. For a month their fairy tale of love lasts, they often meet in the woods, as the old Manuilikha guest meets with undisguised malice. The hero, though hardly able to imagine Olesya among the wives of his colleagues, talks with his beloved about leaving and marrying. That, in turn, refers to his words wary - she does not want to keep his promise, but would like to go with his beloved. She needs time to think things over and talk with her grandmother. The girl, as before, is afraid of the church.

Shocking news

At the Trinity, Ivan Timofeevich was forced to go on business to a neighboring place. On the way back from all sides he is pursued by hostile glances, a drunkard yells obscenity. The hero is enraged. Yarmola meets the master with a wicked grin and talks about today's "fun": the girls from Peresbro brought the witch to the square and beat her. Ivan Timofeevich asks what witch, although he already knows who he is talking about. It was Olesya. Looking over her fear, the girl came to church and, trying not to pay attention to slanting looks, stood the mass. At the exit she was rude, scoffed at her, and then some old woman shouted that the witch needs to be smeared with tar. All started to catch Olesya. The girl managed to escape, although stones followed her. Finally, she turned around and shouted to the crowd that they still have to remember this and "cry full of content".

A sad parting

How does the story "Olesya" end? The summary shows us the last scenes. Ivan Timofeevich, feeling that irreparable happened, runs into the forest, to his beloved. Olesya lies on the bed without a memory, facing the wall. Manuilicha weeps for her granddaughter and curses the guest. The girl comes to herself, but for a long time she is afraid to look at the guest - her face is completely covered with bruises and bruises. Ivan Timofeevich, not holding back tears, kisses her hand. Olesya says that he and his grandmother will have to leave in a couple of days, so as not to become victims of the villagers' anger. And the question of his lover, how he answers, that they do not have the destiny to be together and nothing but sorrow, they do not wait. Olesya asks Ivan Timofeyevich to kiss her goodbye, says that my grandmother will.

Above the village there is a thunderstorm, there is a hail. Yarmola tells the hero that he needs to leave - hail, they say, was sent by a witch, and even about Ivan Timofeevich there are bad rumors. The hero wishes to warn Manuilikha, but finds only the empty house and the red beads of Olesya, which she left to him in memory of her tender love.