Summary “Cuckoo” Bunin


A retired soldier was not dubbed “Cuckoo” for nothing – he has neither a home nor any relatives. After many years of endless walks with an outstretched hand, finally, he was put into this hand, not a stone, but bread: he got the place of a forest watchman. The master provided him with food and allowed him to live in the forest lodge.

Yes, only his service was not working. Having come to the lord for money, Cuckoo, himself amazed by the terrible incongruity of his pathetic figure in the master’s rooms, listened to the accusation of cutting three oaks. The master did not listen to excuses.

The poor old man, frightened by the prospect of losing his home, which he did not have for many years, decided to outwit fate. The unlucky watchman hoped to please the master by catching the wolf cubs for the barchuk so that the barin decided to drive him away, Cuckoo, from his place.

While he was catching the cubs, they cut down the trees again and the clerk

immediately reported to the master.

The cuckoo did not know that the decision was made: “An old man fell into childhood, only until the summer and I hold…”.

Poor adoptive son, in childhood – a bag, later – a shepherd, he was given to soldiers. Returning, he tried to get a job: in the booths at the pig-iron, in the grooms, in the workers, but he did not hold out anywhere. He was considered to be so unlucky, completely unfit for work or work, that the humiliating nicknames always sounded to him: “inadvertent”, “loafer”, “with foolishness.” The nicknames were well-deserved: he really was not particularly clever, for he was an orphan and no one had ever taught him anything. Hearing such an opinion about himself, he, of course, himself, began to consider himself as he was seen by people – “undecided”, and resigned himself to fate.

He was not trusted with anything serious, and the more insignificant the work, the less the fee. Began to cuckoo. Years passed, he began to grow old, but he tried not to think “long and

seriously” about his fate. It was lucky to live in the guardroom – he was happy. Although he understood that this happiness is short-lived.

The poor old man hoped that if he affected the sick, he would be forgiven for cutting trees. Not forgiven.

Again Cukushka became homeless and went to the lordly house to ask for alms.

Barchuki told him that one of the wolf cubs was dead, and the second yearned, and did not even eat meat. The cuckoo said indifferently that neither the wolf cub nor him, Cuckoo, could survive the winters. “After all, I, the barychuk, are also like a wolf cub,” who does not have his own nest, and the nickname Cuckoo is quite right. He himself considers his life bestial. And I am sure: “I will freeze this winter without fail”. And nevertheless his insult resists: “And for what, we are also baptized people, so why should I disappear?”

It was not possible for the bartchuk to persuade his father to leave the poor old man to live at the manor house, but the gentleman was already generous with three shirts. The cuckoo was very pleased that he would have a white shirt with a funeral shroud.


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Summary “Cuckoo” Bunin