Short Fiction · Chapter
A May Night explained
On a beautiful May night in a Ukrainian village, young Levko serenades his beloved Hanna beneath her window.
What happens
On a beautiful May night in a Ukrainian village, young Levko serenades his beloved Hanna beneath her window. They speak of their love, but Hanna worries about Levko's father, the village headman, who also desires her. Levko reassures her, but after she goes inside, he discovers his father spying on them. Distraught, Levko wanders to a pond where he encounters a drowned girl (a rusalka) who asks for his help in identifying her stepmother, a witch. Levko agrees, and the drowned girl rewards him with a note that ultimately helps him win his father's approval to marry Hanna.
Themes in this chapter
Supernatural and Folklore
The drowned girl and her interaction with Levko embody Ukrainian folk beliefs about rusalki and the supernatural.
Love and Romance
Levko's serenade and his devotion to Hanna drive the romantic plot of the chapter.
Characters to notice
- Levko Makohonenko
The young Cossack lover who serenades Hanna and later helps the drowned girl.
- Hanna Petritchenka
Levko's beloved, who is courted by both Levko and his father.
- The Village Headman
Levko's father, who secretly desires Hanna and opposes Levko's marriage.
- The Drowned Girl
A rusalka who seeks Levko's help to identify her witch stepmother.
Key passages
“The night was beautiful, the air was filled with the fragrance of May flowers, and the moon shone brightly upon the village.”
The May night was lovely, with fragrant flowers and bright moonlight over the village.
Sets the idyllic atmosphere of the chapter.
“Levko took his bandoura and began to play and sing a song of love to Hanna.”
Levko played his bandoura and sang a love song to Hanna.
Highlights Levko's romantic serenade.
“The drowned girl was beautiful, but her face was pale and her eyes were sad.”
The drowned girl was lovely but pale and sorrowful.
Describes the supernatural rusalka's appearance.