Short Fiction · Chapter
II: A Mysterious Stranger explained
Kashtanka, lost and starving in the snow, is found by a kind stranger who takes her in, feeds her, and gives her a place to sleep.
What happens
Kashtanka, lost and starving in the snow, is found by a kind stranger who takes her in, feeds her, and gives her a place to sleep. As she settles into her new surroundings, she contrasts them with her former home with the carpenter Luka Alexandritch and his son Fedyushka, recalling both fond and painful memories before falling asleep.
Themes in this chapter
Suffering and Compassion
The stranger shows compassion to the suffering Kashtanka, feeding her and giving her shelter from the cold.
Isolation and Loneliness
Kashtanka is lost and alone in the snow, whining pitifully until the stranger takes her in, highlighting her isolation.
Characters to notice
- Kashtanka
The lost dog, hungry and cold, is rescued by a stranger and experiences a mix of relief and melancholy as she remembers her former life.
- The Stranger
A short, fat man in a top hat who finds Kashtanka in the snow, feeds her, and provides her with a mattress to sleep on.
Key passages
“Doggy, where do you come from? Have I hurt you? O, poor thing, poor thing. … Come, don’t be cross, don’t be cross. … I am sorry.”
The stranger asks the dog where she came from, apologizes for accidentally bumping her, and tries to soothe her.
The stranger's first words to Kashtanka show his gentle and apologetic nature.
“Your masters don’t feed you properly. And how thin you are! Nothing but skin and bones.”
The stranger remarks that Kashtanka's owners must not feed her well, noting how emaciated she is.
The stranger observes Kashtanka's poor condition, implying neglect by her previous owners.
“He would make her walk on her hind legs, use her as a bell, that is, shake her violently by the tail so that she squealed and barked, and give her tobacco to sniff.”
Fedyushka forced Kashtanka to perform tricks like walking on her hind legs, shaking her by the tail to make her bark, and making her sniff tobacco.
Kashtanka recalls the cruel games Fedyushka played with her, contrasting with the stranger's kindness.