Short Fiction · Chapter
V: The Drowned Girl explained
Levko, having escaped his pursuers, finds himself by the old house and pool.
What happens
Levko, having escaped his pursuers, finds himself by the old house and pool. Entranced by the moonlit night, he sees a reflection of a girl in the water and hears her plea to find her stepmother, a witch who torments her. He observes ghostly maidens dancing and identifies the witch among them. The drowned girl rewards him with a note that will help him marry Hanna.
Themes in this chapter
Supernatural and Folklore
The chapter features a ghostly drowned girl, a witch in disguise, and magical moonlight, all rooted in Ukrainian folklore.
Love and Romance
Levko's love for Hanna motivates his actions, and the drowned girl's reward is a note to overcome her father's opposition.
Characters to notice
- Levko Makohonenko
Protagonist who escapes pursuers and encounters the drowned girl by the pool.
- The Drowned Girl
A ghostly maiden who asks Levko to find her stepmother, the witch.
- Hanna Petritchenka
Levko's beloved, mentioned as the reason he needs the note from the drowned girl.
Key passages
“Without troubling himself in the least about those who had been sent to pursue him, the originator of all this confusion slowly walked towards the old house and the pool.”
Levko, unconcerned about his pursuers, calmly made his way to the old house and the pool.
Shows Levko's disregard for the chaos he caused.
“Cossack, find my stepmother for me. She is a terrible witch; she allowed me no peace in the beautiful world.”
The drowned girl begs Levko to locate her stepmother, a witch who tormented her.
Central plea driving the supernatural plot.