Summary
Thirteen-year-old Kolya Krassotkin finds himself stuck at home on a Sunday, babysitting two young children while the adults deal with a household crisis. Their servant Katerina has unexpectedly gone into labor, sending both his mother and the children's mother into emergency mode. Kolya desperately wants to leave on some mysterious urgent business, but his sense of duty keeps him tethered to the house. The chapter reveals his complex character - he's mature enough to take responsibility seriously, yet still young enough to be embarrassed about playing with younger children. We witness a charming scene where the two kids, Nastya and Kostya, debate how babies come to be, showing the innocent way children try to make sense of adult mysteries. Kolya bribes them with a toy cannon and gunpowder to stay calm while he considers leaving, but ultimately can't abandon his post until the servant Agafya returns from market. The interaction between Kolya and Agafya shows his attempts to assert adult authority while she treats him with affectionate dismissal. This chapter demonstrates how real character emerges not in dramatic moments, but in the small daily choices between self-interest and duty. Kolya's internal struggle between wanting freedom and accepting responsibility foreshadows larger themes about moral obligation that will echo throughout the novel's climax.
Coming Up in Chapter 65
Finally free from his babysitting duties, Kolya ventures out into the winter streets with his dog Perezvon, ready to pursue the mysterious urgent business that has been consuming his thoughts all morning.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Children And so on that frosty, snowy, and windy day in November, Kolya Krassotkin was sitting at home. It was Sunday and there was no school. It had just struck eleven, and he particularly wanted to go out “on very urgent business,” but he was left alone in charge of the house, for it so happened that all its elder inmates were absent owing to a sudden and singular event. Madame Krassotkin had let two little rooms, separated from the rest of the house by a passage, to a doctor’s wife with her two small children. This lady was the same age as Anna Fyodorovna, and a great friend of hers. Her husband, the doctor, had taken his departure twelve months before, going first to Orenburg and then to Tashkend, and for the last six months she had not heard a word from him. Had it not been for her friendship with Madame Krassotkin, which was some consolation to the forsaken lady, she would certainly have completely dissolved away in tears. And now, to add to her misfortunes, Katerina, her only servant, was suddenly moved the evening before to announce, to her mistress’s amazement, that she proposed to bring a child into the world before morning. It seemed almost miraculous to every one that no one had noticed the probability of it before. The astounded doctor’s wife decided to move Katerina while there was still time to an establishment in the town kept by a midwife for such emergencies. As she set great store by her servant, she promptly carried out this plan and remained there looking after her. By the morning all Madame Krassotkin’s friendly sympathy and energy were called upon to render assistance and appeal to some one for help in the case. So both the ladies were absent from home, the Krassotkins’ servant, Agafya, had gone out to the market, and Kolya was thus left for a time to protect and look after “the kids,” that is, the son and daughter of the doctor’s wife, who were left alone. Kolya was not afraid of taking care of the house, besides he had Perezvon, who had been told to lie flat, without moving, under the bench in the hall. Every time Kolya, walking to and fro through the rooms, came into the hall, the dog shook his head and gave two loud and insinuating taps on the floor with his tail, but alas! the whistle did not sound to release him. Kolya looked sternly at the luckless dog, who relapsed again into obedient rigidity. The one thing that troubled Kolya was “the kids.” He looked, of course, with the utmost scorn on Katerina’s unexpected adventure, but he was very fond of the bereaved “kiddies,” and had already taken them a picture‐book. Nastya, the elder, a girl of eight, could read, and Kostya, the boy, aged seven, was very fond of being read to by her. Krassotkin could, of course, have provided more diverting entertainment for them. He could...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Duty vs. Desire
Small daily choices between personal desire and responsibility reveal and build who we really are.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how small daily choices between self-interest and duty reveal and shape who we really are.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel torn between what you want to do and what you should do—these moments are your character workshop in action.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Household hierarchy
The strict social order within 19th century Russian homes, where servants, children, and adults all had defined roles and expectations. Even young people like Kolya could exercise authority over servants, but were still subject to family obligations.
Modern Usage:
We see this in workplace chains of command or family dynamics where teenagers babysit but still answer to parents.
Maternal surrogate
When someone takes on mothering responsibilities for children who aren't their own. In this chapter, Kolya becomes temporarily responsible for the doctor's children while the women handle the crisis.
Modern Usage:
This happens today with older siblings, daycare workers, or neighbors who step in when parents are unavailable.
Social propriety
The unwritten rules about what behavior is considered proper or improper in society. Kolya feels embarrassed about playing with younger children because it doesn't match his image of being grown-up.
Modern Usage:
Like when teenagers act too cool to enjoy things they actually like, or adults feel judged for their interests.
Duty versus desire
The internal conflict between what we want to do and what we know we should do. Kolya desperately wants to leave on his mysterious errand but stays because he's responsible for the children.
Modern Usage:
This shows up when we want to skip work but show up anyway, or cancel fun plans to help family.
Childhood innocence
The way children understand complex adult situations through their limited experience, often creating charming but incorrect explanations. The children's debate about where babies come from shows this perfectly.
Modern Usage:
We see this when kids try to explain divorce, death, or other adult realities in their own simple terms.
Domestic crisis
Unexpected household emergencies that disrupt normal routines and force people into new roles. Katerina's sudden labor throws everyone's plans into chaos.
Modern Usage:
Like when someone gets sick, the car breaks down, or any emergency that makes everyone juggle responsibilities.
Characters in This Chapter
Kolya Krassotkin
Reluctant teenage caretaker
A thirteen-year-old boy caught between childhood and adulthood, wanting to pursue his own mysterious business but unable to abandon his responsibility for two young children. His internal struggle reveals both maturity and typical teenage self-consciousness.
Modern Equivalent:
The high school student who has to babysit siblings when they'd rather be with friends
Nastya
Curious young child
One of the doctor's children under Kolya's care. She engages in innocent debates about adult mysteries like childbirth, showing how children try to make sense of things beyond their understanding.
Modern Equivalent:
The precocious kid who asks uncomfortable questions adults don't want to answer
Kostya
Nastya's younger companion
The other child in Kolya's care, who participates in the innocent conversation about babies and represents the pure curiosity of childhood.
Modern Equivalent:
The little brother who goes along with whatever his sister says
Agafya
Practical household manager
The servant who returns from market and treats Kolya with affectionate dismissal, seeing through his attempts to assert adult authority while recognizing his good intentions.
Modern Equivalent:
The experienced babysitter who humors the teenager trying to act grown-up
Madame Krassotkin
Absent mother figure
Kolya's mother who has left him in charge while dealing with the household crisis, trusting him with significant responsibility despite his youth.
Modern Equivalent:
The working parent who has to rely on their teenager when emergencies happen
Key Quotes & Analysis
"It seemed almost miraculous to every one that no one had noticed the probability of it before."
Context: Describing everyone's shock that Katerina's pregnancy went unnoticed until she went into labor
This reveals how people can be oblivious to obvious signs when they're not looking for them. It also shows the somewhat isolated nature of servant life, where personal matters might go unnoticed by employers.
In Today's Words:
Nobody saw it coming, even though the signs were probably there all along.
"He particularly wanted to go out 'on very urgent business,' but he was left alone in charge of the house."
Context: Explaining Kolya's frustration at being stuck at home when he has mysterious plans
The quotation marks around 'urgent business' suggest this might be typical teenage drama rather than truly urgent matters. It captures the way young people feel their desires are monumentally important.
In Today's Words:
He really wanted to go do his thing, but he was stuck babysitting.
"I am not going to be questioned by you, madam."
Context: Kolya trying to assert authority when questioned about his plans
This shows Kolya attempting to sound adult and authoritative, but the formal language reveals his inexperience with real authority. He's mimicking what he thinks adults sound like.
In Today's Words:
You can't tell me what to do - I'm practically an adult here.
Thematic Threads
Responsibility
In This Chapter
Kolya takes seriously his duty to watch the children despite wanting to leave urgently
Development
Introduced here - shows how moral development happens through small choices
In Your Life:
Every time you choose duty over convenience, you're building the same character muscle Kolya is developing.
Class
In This Chapter
Kolya tries to assert authority over servant Agafya, who treats him with affectionate dismissal
Development
Continues the novel's exploration of social hierarchies and how they shape interactions
In Your Life:
You might recognize this in how you interact differently with people based on their job titles or perceived status.
Identity
In This Chapter
Kolya is embarrassed about playing with younger children but does it anyway when duty calls
Development
Shows the gap between how we want to be seen and what situations actually require of us
In Your Life:
Think of times you've had to do something that felt beneath your self-image but was the right thing to do.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Kolya's internal struggle between freedom and obligation reveals developing moral consciousness
Development
Demonstrates that character development happens through daily choices, not dramatic moments
In Your Life:
Your character is being shaped right now by how you handle small responsibilities when no one's watching.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What keeps Kolya from leaving the house even though he desperately wants to go handle his mysterious business?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Kolya feel embarrassed about playing with the younger children, yet still takes care of them responsibly?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this same tension between wanting freedom and accepting responsibility in your own life or workplace?
application • medium - 4
How do you decide when it's okay to put your own needs first versus when duty should win out?
application • deep - 5
What does Kolya's internal struggle reveal about how character gets built through small daily choices rather than dramatic moments?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Duty vs. Desire Moments
Think about the last week and identify three specific moments where you felt the pull between what you wanted to do and what you felt you should do. Write down each situation, what you chose, and what influenced your decision. Look for patterns in when you choose duty versus when you choose desire.
Consider:
- •Notice which situations make the choice harder - is it when you're tired, stressed, or when no one would know?
- •Consider whether your choices align with the kind of person you want to be long-term
- •Pay attention to how you feel after choosing duty versus choosing desire - which leaves you more satisfied?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when choosing duty over desire in a small moment prepared you for handling a bigger challenge later. How did that experience build your character muscle?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 65: The Art of Social Navigation
In the next chapter, you'll discover to read social situations and adjust your approach accordingly, and learn the power dynamics between different social classes and age groups. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.