Full text of Gorky's "Childhood"

Read "Childhood" online: Section 5

When winter comes and spring comes, the family is separated.

Uncle Yakov was assigned to the city, and Mikhail was assigned to the other side of the river.

My grandfather bought a very interesting big house on Polevoy Street: there was a tavern downstairs, an attic above, and outside the back garden was a valley with willow trees everywhere.

"Have you seen it? These are good whips!"

Grandpa said as he walked, stepping on the melting snow and pointing at the tree slivers, he winked slyly. :

"I will teach you how to read soon. By then, the whip will be more useful."

This house is full of tenants, and grandpa only gives I had a room upstairs for myself, and my grandma and I lived on the top floor.

The windows on the top floor faced the street. On festival nights and ordinary nights, you could see groups of drunkards walking out of the tavern, swaying here and there, shouting and yelling.

Sometimes they are thrown out of the pavilion. They roll on the ground, then get up and squeeze into the pavilion.

Crash, squeak, quack, "ouch" a messy sound suddenly started, and they started fighting!

It’s so fun to stand in front of the upstairs window and watch all this!

Every morning early in the morning, my grandfather would go to Er Er's dyeing shop to help out.

When he comes back at night, he always looks tired and angry.

Grandma is busy cooking at home, making clothes, and planting in the garden.

She took snuff, sneezed a few times with relish, wiped the sweat from her face, and said:

“Oh, thank the Holy Mother, everything has become so beautiful!

“Alyosha, what a treasure you’ve found, how peaceful we are! ”

Peace?

I don’t feel any peace at all!

All day long, the tenants come and go in the yard noisily, Neighbor women often come over and talk about this and that. I don’t know what they are busy with, but someone always shouts: "Akulina Ivanovna!" ”

Akulina Ivanovna is so amiable to everyone and cares about everyone meticulously.

She stuffed the tobacco into her nostrils with her thumb. He carefully wiped his nose and fingers with a red checkered handkerchief and said: "My wife, to prevent lice, you should take a bath often and take a mint steam bath!

"It doesn't matter if you have scabies. Just put a spoonful of clean goose fat, a little bit of mercury, and three or two drops of mercury on a plate, grind it with a piece of foreign magnet 7 times, and apply it on your body. !

“Do not use wood or bones to grind, otherwise the mercury will be destroyed; do not use copper or silver utensils, which will damage the skin. ”

Sometimes, she pondered for a moment, and then said:

“Madam, go to Petori to find Asaf. I can’t answer your question. ”

She delivered babies, mediated family disputes, treated children, and carried the “Dream of the Virgin” (it is said that if a woman can carry it, she will have good luck!) and introduced some aspects of daily life. Common sense:

“Wang Gua will tell you when it’s time to pickle it. That’s when it loses its rustic temper.

“The kvass needs to be fermented and taste good. Don’t make it sweet. Just put a little raisin. If you add sugar, sprinkle it in a bucket, and put at most half a tael of sugar.

"There are many ways to make kefir:

There are Spanish-style ones, Danubian-style ones, and Caucasian-flavored ones..."

I followed her in the yard all day long We would go around and visit her, and sometimes she would sit at other people's homes for hours, drinking tea and telling all kinds of stories.

I always followed her, almost becoming her.

In this record of life, except for this old lady who was busy all day long, my mind was blank.

One time I asked my grandma:

"Do you know witchcraft?

She smiled, thought for a while and said:

" Witchcraft is a science, it's very difficult, but I can't do it, I can't read!

"Look at your grandpa, how smart he is. He can read. Our Lady didn't make me smart!"

Then she told her own story:

“I have been an orphan since I was a child, and my mother was very poor and disabled!

“When she was a daughter, the landlord frightened her so much that she jumped out of the window at night and broke half of her body!

"Her right hand shrank. This was a fatal blow to a woman who made a living selling lace!

"The landlord drove her away. She wandered around begging for a living. At that time, people were richer than now, and the carpenters and lace weavers in Barahanna were very kind.

“When autumn comes every year, my mother and I stay in the city to beg for food. When Archangel Gavrilo waves his sword and drives away winter, we continue to move forward, wherever we want. Just go anywhere.

“I’ve been to Murom, I’ve been to Yurevits, I haven’t walked upstream along the Volga River, and I haven’t walked across the Oka River quietly.

"Wandering on the earth after spring and summer is such a beautiful thing! The grass is green, the flowers are in bloom, and you can breathe the sweet and warm air freely!

"Sometimes, mother closes her blue eyes and sings. The flowers, plants and trees all prick up their ears and their hearts stop. The earth is listening to her singing!

"The wandering life is really fun, but as I grew up, my mother felt a little embarrassed to lead me around begging for food.

"So, we After living in the city of Balahanna, she went to the streets every day to beg from door to door. During festivals, she would go to the church door to wait for people's alms.

"As for me, I sat at home and learned to knit lace. I worked hard to learn it so that I could help my mother.

"In more than two years, I learned everything. Now that everyone has a name, people know that they come to me for handicrafts: 'Hey, Akuliya, knit one for me! ’ I’m so happy, it’s like celebrating the New Year!

“Of course this is all taught by my mother. Although she only has one hand and cannot operate, she is very good at giving guidance. You must know that a good teacher is more important than anything else!

“I couldn’t help but be a little bit picky about him. I said: ‘Mom, you don’t have to beg for food anymore, I can feed you! ’ She said, shut up, you must know that this is to save money for you to buy a dowry! '"Later, your grandpa showed up. He was a young man who was away on business. He was only 22 years old and became the foreman of a large ship!

" Her mother examined me carefully. , she thinks that I am very clever with my hands, and I am a beggar’s daughter, so I am very honest.

"She is a bread seller, very fierce..." Oh, don't remember this, why should you remember the bad guy? God knows best. "

Speaking of this, she smiled. Her nose trembled comically and her eyes sparkled, which made me feel particularly kind.

I still remember one silent night , my grandma and I were drinking tea in my grandpa’s room.

My grandpa was in poor health, sitting on the bed without a shirt, with a handkerchief on his shoulders, and he had to wipe his sweat every now and then.

His voice was hoarse, his breathing was rapid, his eyes were dark and green, his pores were swollen purple, and his ears were horribly red.

He went to get the tea cup and kept picking it up with his hands! Shivering.

At this time, others have become docile.

“Why don’t you add sugar to me? "

His tone was like a coquettish child. Grandma told him gently but firmly:

"You should drink honey! "

He panted and drank hot tea:

"Look at me carefully, don't let me die! ”

“Okay, I’m careful! "

"Oh, if I die now, I will feel as if I have never lived! ”

“Okay, just lie down and stop thinking.”

"

He closed his eyes and was silent for a long time. Suddenly it seemed as if a needle pricked the children to make them more honest, what do you think?"

So, he started scolding the city. Whose girl is suitable?

Grandma sat there drinking black tea cup after cup without saying a word.

I sat by the window, looking up at the sunset in the sky - at that time, my grandfather seemed to have forbidden me to play outside the house because I had made some mistakes.

In the garden, beetles buzzed around the birch trees.

The cooper was working in the yard next door, and there was a loud noise.

There is also the sound of sharpening knives.

In the valley outside the garden, children were running around in the bushes, making constant noises.

A kind of melancholy at dusk came to my mind, and I really wanted to go outside to play.

Suddenly, my grandpa patted me and excitedly wanted to teach me how to read. In his hand was a small new book, which came from somewhere.

"Come on, kid, you guy with high cheekbones, look at what this word is?"

I answered.

"Ah, by the way! Where's this?"

I answered again.

“No, bastard!”

His roars kept ringing in the room:

“By the way, where is this?

"No, bastard!

"By the way, what about this"?

"By the way, what about this?

"No, bastard! "

Grandma interrupted:

"Old man, can you lie down for a while? "

"Leave me alone! I taught him how to read before he felt comfortable, otherwise he would always have random thoughts!

"Okay, read on, Alexey!"

Grandpa put his hot arms around my neck, and placed the book in front of me. shoulder, tapping the letters with her finger.

The smell of sourness, sweat, and roasted onions on his body made me breathless.

But he just kept yelling those letters one after another!

"3eMJI" is like a bug, "" is like the hunchbacked Grigory, "" is like grandma and me, and grandpa has all the letters in the alphabet.

He turned his mother's name upside down and read it to his nephew, asking questions along the way, backwards, backwards, and confusing the questions.

I was also excited, sweating on my head, but shouting at the top of my lungs.

He probably thought it was ridiculous. He slapped his chest and coughed, crumpled his book, and said in a hoarse voice:

"Old woman, listen to how high this guy's voice is." !

“Hey, hey, you Astrakhan bastard, what are you calling?

Well, what are you shouting? "

"It's not you who shouted..."

I looked at grandma again and felt very happy.

Grandma supported the table with her ribs and fists He leaned against Li Bangzi and said with a smile: "Okay, stop shouting! "

Grandpa said gently:

"I scream because I am not in good health. What about you? Why? "

He did not wait for my answer, shook his head and said to grandma:

"The dead Natalia said that he had a bad memory, which is not accurate! Look, he knows the way like a horse!

"Okay, turn up your nose and keep reading!"

I read loudly again.

Finally he pushed me off the bed with a smile.

"Okay, take this book away!

"Tomorrow, you must read all the letters to me. If you read them correctly, I will give you 5 kopecks! ”

I reached for the book.

But he pulled me into his arms and said gloomily:

"Alas, your mother left you to suffer in this world, little devil!"

Grandma trembled all over:

"Old man, why are you bringing this up?"

"I actually don't want to say it, but I feel too uncomfortable! What a good girl, We have embarked on that path..."

He suddenly pushed me and said:

"Go and have fun, don't go to the street, just in the yard, in the garden... ”

I ran into the garden and climbed up the mountain as fast as I could.

The wild children threw stones at me from the valley, and I fired back at them excitedly.

"Oh, that kid is here, skin him!" They shouted when they saw me from a distance.

It is so satisfying to see one person against a large group, especially if he can defeat that large group. The stones he throws will always hit the target and send them running into the bushes.

No one has any ill intentions in this kind of war, and it will not leave any grudges.

I can recognize words very quickly, and my grandpa is becoming more and more concerned about me and rarely hits me.

According to previous standards, he should actually hit me more often: because as I grew up, I began to break more and more of the rules and behavioral rules set by my grandfather, but he often just scolded me twice. That’s all.

I thought that when he hit me before, he must have hit me wrongly and unreasonably.

I told him the idea.

He lifted my chin and my head, blinked and asked in a long voice:

"What-what?" Then he said Smiled:

"You infidel! How do you know how many times I hit you? Get out of here!"

But he grabbed my shoulder again and stared at me Eyes:

"Oh, are you smart or stupid?"

"I, I don't know..."

"I don't know?

“Okay, I’ll tell you. You have to learn to be more smart. Being stupid is just stupid, and karma is as good as being smart! Sheep are stupid, but monkeys are very smart!

"Okay, remember! Let's play..."

Soon I was able to spell out poems and recite poems, usually after dinner. Come and read the Psalms.

I pointed the writing stick at the book, moved it, and read it, which was very boring.

"The saint is Uncle Yakov, right?"

I'll give you a crutch to help you understand who the saint is! "Grandpa blew his nostrils angrily.

I'm used to his angry look, and I think it's a bit fake.

Look, I'm not wrong, it's over. After a while, he forgot the joy he had just had:

“When he sang, he was like King David, but when he acted, he was like the vicious Absalom!

----------------

----------① See the "Old Testament":

King David, the king of Israel, was the son of Absalom. He killed his brother to seize the throne of his father, but was defeated and died.

"Ah, I can sing and dance. I can dance and dance. How far can I jump?"

I stopped reading poems and listened carefully and watched. looking at his gloomy face.

He squinted and looked over my head, looking out the window, his eyes were melancholy and trembling.

"Grandpa!"

"Huh?"

"Tell me a story!"

"You lazy guy, read it !" He rubbed his eyes as if he had just woken up.

But I think he likes jokes more than poetry. However, he remembered almost all the psalms, and he swore that he would read a few verses aloud every night before going to bed, like a deacon in church.

I begged him repeatedly and he finally gave in.

"Okay, okay! The Psalms will always be with me, and I will soon be judged by God..."

As he spoke, he moved toward the ancient Anton chair. The country girl leaned back on her back, looked at the ceiling, and told old stories:

"A long time ago, a group of bandits came. My grandfather's father went to call the police, and the bandits caught up with him. The saber chopped him to death and threw him under the clock.

“I was still very young at that time.

"I remember it in 1812, when I was just 12 years old. More than 30 French prisoners came to Barachna.

"They were all short and wearing They were all in rags, even worse than beggars. They were all frozen and could no longer stand.

“The old people surrounded them and wanted to beat them to death, but the escorting soldiers refused to let them go and drove the old people back home.

“But later, everyone and these French The people are familiar, they are happy people and sing a lot.

“Later, a large group of gentlemen came from Nigeria, and they all came in three carriages.

Some of them beat and scolded the French, and their attitude It was very bad, but some people talked to them kindly in French, gave them clothes, and gave them money.

“An older Frenchman cried: ‘Napoleon can kill the French. What a pain! Look, how kind-hearted the Russians are, even the gentlemen pity us...'"

There was silence for a while. He touched his head with his hand and tried to recall the past years:

“The raging snowstorm swept across the city in winter, and it was so cold that people would freeze to death!

“The French prisoners would run under the windows of our house, jump, make noise, and knock on the glass. They asked my mother for hot bread.

“My mother was Bread seller.

She handed the bread out of the window, and the Frenchman grabbed it and put it in his arms. It was something fresh from the oven! They actually stuck to the meat in no time!

“Many French people froze to death like this. They are not used to such cold weather.

“There is a bathroom in our vegetable garden, and there are two French people living there, one An officer and an orderly named Mirang.

"The officer was extremely thin, covered with skin and bones, and wore a women's coat that only reached his knees. He was a very kind man, but he was very indulgent.

"My mother stole He brewed beer and sold it. He always bought it and drank it, and sang after drinking it.

“He learned some Russian and often said: ‘Ah, you are not white here, you are black and vicious!’ We can understand his words.

"Yes, our place is not like the lower reaches of the Volga River. It is much warmer there. After the Caspian Sea, there is no snow all year round.

“Neither the Gospel nor the Acts of the Apostles mentioned snow and winter. Jesus lived there...” Okay, after reading the poem, let’s read the Gospel book! "

He was silent, as if asleep, squinting out of the window, which made him look even smaller.

"Speak! "I said carefully.

"Ah, okay! "He shook and then said:

The French! They are human beings too, and they have nothing less than us. They call my mother 'Madam', which means 'Mrs.', ah, Mrs. , Madam, but our lady can carry 5 poods of flour at a time.

Her endless strength is really amazing. When I was 20 years old, she couldn't hold me down. The hair swayed effortlessly.

“The orderly Milang was very fond of horses. He often went to the yards of various households and gestured to wash their horses!

“At first, everyone was afraid of his bad ideas, but later on, people all took the initiative to find him: Milang, wash your horse!

“At this time, he will He smiled, lowered his head and walked away.

"He is a red-haired, big-nosed guy with very thick lips. Taking care of horses is his specialty, and he is also good at treating horses.

"Later, he was in Nepal Zini became a horse doctor, but soon he went crazy and was beaten to death.

“In the spring of the next year, the officer also fell ill. On the anniversary of Nicholas the Spring God, he sat in front of the window with a heavy heart, stuck his head outside, and died.

“I cried secretly because he was so good to me. He would often grab my ear and speak affectionately in French that I didn't understand.

“Money can’t buy closeness to other people. I wanted to learn French from him, but my mother wouldn’t let me. She took me to the priest, and the priest asked someone to beat me. Dun, and also accused the officer.

"Oh, honey, life was so difficult at that time. If you caught up, others would bear the blame for you..."

It was completely dark.

Grandpa seemed to suddenly grow bigger in the darkness, his eyes were shining like a cat, his tone was fierce and enthusiastic, and his speaking speed was much faster.

This is how he talks about his own affairs, which is contrary to his usual cautious and thoughtful state.

I really don’t like that he doesn’t remember it deliberately, but I don’t like it. But it is indelibly imprinted on my memory.

He just recalls the past. There are no fairy tales or stories in his mind, only things from the past. He doesn’t like others asking or mentioning them. question, but I wanted to ask him:

"Ah, who do you think is better, the French or the Russians? "

"Then who knows? I have never seen how French people live in their own homes! "

"So, how are the Russians? ”

“There are good ones and there are also bad ones. ”

“Maybe people in the slave era were not good. At that time, people were tied up with ropes.

"It's great now, we are free, but we are so poor that we don't even have bread and salt.

"Of course the gentlemen are not very charitable, but they are very smart, and of course there are You idiot, his head is like a pocket. Whatever you put in it, he will carry it around. ”

“Are the Russians energetic? "

"There are many strong men, but strength alone is of no use, you also need agility, because no matter how strong you are, you can't be bigger than a horse! ”

“Why did the French attack us? ”

“That’s a matter for the emperors, we don’t know. "

"What does Napoleon do? ”

He is an ambitious man. He wants to conquer the whole world, and then he wants all people to live the same life. There is no master or subordinate, no hierarchy, everyone is equal, just with different names. .

“Of course there is only one belief. This is nonsense! As far as things in the sea are concerned, only lobsters look the same and are indistinguishable, but there are all kinds of fish: trout and catfish don't get along, and sturgeon and herring can't be friends.

“We in Russia have also had Napoleonic factions, such as Razin Stepan, Timofeev, Bugach, Yemilyan, Ivanov...”

He stared at me silently, his eyes wide open, as if he was seeing me for the first time.

This is a bit upsetting.

He never talked to me about my father and mother.

Grandma often walked in while we were talking.

She sat in the corner and said nothing for a long time, as if she was not there.

But she would suddenly and softly interject:

"Old man, do you remember, how nice would it be if we went to Murom and headed towards the mountains?

What year was that?"

Grandpa thought for a while and answered seriously:

"Yes, it was before the mildew epidemic, in the woods. The year when the Oranets were captured?"

"Yes, that's right!"

I asked again:

"What do the Oronets do? Why do they flee to the woods?"

My grandfather said a little patiently:

"They are all ordinary people. , who escaped from the raw materials in the factory.

"

"How to catch them? ”

“It’s like a child playing hide-and-seek. Some are running and others are chasing.” If they are caught, they will be beaten with tree sticks, beaten with whips, their noses will be broken, and their foreheads will be stamped as punishment. Mark."

"Why?"

"It's hard to explain, it's not something we need to understand."

Grandma said again.

"Old man, do you remember? After the fire..."

Grandpa asked seriously:

"Which fire?"

They started reminiscing about the past together and forgot about me.

They recalled one sentence after another in a low voice, as if they were singing, and they were all not very happy songs: disease, violent death, fire, fight, beggar, master..." You have seen it all!"

Grandpa muttered.

“I can’t forget anything!

“You still remember the spring after giving birth to Huivarya, right? "

"Oh, it was 1848, the year of the expedition to Hungary. On the second day of Christmas, Godfather Tikhon was dragged into the war..."There will be no news about him again..." Grandma sighed.

"No! However, since that year, God's favor has continued to visit our home.

"Alas, Varvara..."

"Okay, old man! "

Grandpa said with a gloomy face:

"What's all right? All our efforts have been in vain, none of these children have any future! "

He couldn't control himself and started yelling, scolding his daughter, and waving his thin fist at his grandmother:

"It's all you! You spoiled them rotten, stinky old woman! "

He howled, ran to the icon, and beat his chest:

"Oh God, are my sins so serious? Why? "

He burst into tears with a fierce look in his eyes.

Grandma made the sign of the cross and comforted him in a low voice:

"Stop it! God knows why! Look, there are not many families who are better than our children!

"Old man, every home is like this, noisy and noisy, a mess. All parents are suffering the same pain, you are not the only one..."

These words seemed to stabilize his mood. He sat up on the bed and seemed to fall asleep.

It would be fine if my grandma and I went back to the attic to sleep together as usual, but this time grandma wanted to comfort him a few more words, so she walked to the bedside.

Grandpa suddenly turned over, raised his fist and hit grandma in the face.

Grandma stumbled and almost fell. She pressed her hand on the bleeding wound on her lip and said in a low voice:

You little fool! "

Then he spit in front of his feet.

He roared and raised his hands:

"I'll beat you to death!" ”

“Big fool! "

Grandma said again, and then walked towards the door calmly.

Grandpa rushed towards her, and she opened the door casually, and the door leaf almost hit him in the face.

“Smelly old woman! ”

Grandpa held the door frame with his hand and scratched it hard.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. This was the first time he hit my grandma in front of me. , I felt so shameful and humiliated!

He was still scratching the door frame. After a long time, he turned around in pain, walked slowly to the middle of the room, knelt down, leaned forward, and straightened his upper body. , beating her chest:

"Oh God, oh God..."

I ran out immediately

Grandma was gargling her mouth on the top floor. .

"Does it hurt?" "

She spit the water into the dirty bucket and said quietly:

"It's okay, it's just a broken lip! "

Why is he like this?"

She looked out the window and said:

He always feels that everything is unsatisfactory and always loses his temper.

..."Go to sleep, don't think about this..."

I asked her again, and she said sternly:

"Why are you disobedient? Go to bed!"

She sat down by the window, sucked her lips, and kept spitting into her handkerchief.

I got on the bed and looked at her while taking off my clothes.

There were stars shining outside the cyan window above her head.

The street was quiet and the house was dark.

She came over and touched my head:

"Go to sleep. I'll go see him..." Don't look too close to me, maybe I'm wrong too... Go to sleep! ”

She kissed me and left.

I felt very sad