The Cattle-Dealers by Anton Chekhov

Name: The Cattle-Dealers
Author: Anton Chekhov

Two cattle-dealers, the old merchant Malahin and his young son Yasha, travel for days in a freight van with eight bullocks they are transporting to the city for sale. The train crawls from station to station, delayed constantly as it is shunted, renumbered, and bumped aside in favor of other trains. Malahin, gruff and impatient, works the delays by bribing guards, engine-drivers, oilers, and stationmasters with small sums of money and rounds of vodka, extracting minor courtesies and priority numbers in return. He complains ceaselessly about the losses piling up from the journey's slowness while doing little that actually speeds things along beyond the bribes and his own agitated bustle. Yasha, barely more than a boy, is placid, heavy, and largely silent, occupying himself with a cheap accordion and doing whatever chores his father orders — tending the cattle, fetching boiling water for tea, disentangling a fallen bullock's leg. His father needles him for not having gone on to study like his brothers, reminding him that his lot is to travel with the cattle because of his own laziness. Yasha shows neither resentment nor enthusiasm; his face registers no boredom and no desire, whether toward the journey, the towns they pass, or the goods they carry. Aboard the van, the cattle suffer visibly: crowded together with no manger, halter, or litter, going days without food or water, licking frost off the walls for moisture, staggering when finally unloaded. Malahin alternates between irritation at the beasts and lamenting their condition as a matter of profit and loss rather than compassion. Along the way Malahin engages guards, engine-drivers, stationmasters, and an inspector in long, self-important conversations — disputing whether a cap is real or imitation beaver, discussing railway politics and a story of stolen freight cars, dictating an aggrieved and rambling complaint to a gendarme about a stationmaster who unhooked his vans allegedly because he "did not like his countenance." He telegraphs the traffic manager directly and receives priority as a result, which pleases him greatly and prompts him to tell Yasha to "look and learn." After reaching the city, Malahin and Yasha lodge in a cheap, dirty hotel near the cattle market. Malahin spends his days seeking buyers while Yasha idles in the room or wanders the unremarkable streets, unmoved by what he sees. The bullocks are eventually sold to a dealer at a lower price than anticipated, since the market has shifted during the delay and a religious fast has reduced demand for meat, costing Malahin roughly fourteen roubles per bullock in lost profit. The exhausted animals are driven off in herds by indifferent, ragged drovers who beat them without real anger, out of boredom more than duty. Before departing for home, Malahin buys presents for his family and treats the hotelkeeper to tea, recounting his losses and the journey's costs with more theatrical complaint than real distress — it is clear the loss does not trouble him deeply so long as he has an audience and does not miss his train. As they leave, he tips the hotel staff generously, crosses himself toward the monastery walls, and the two set off by sledge for the station, Yasha as impassive as ever, showing neither gladness at going home nor regret at leaving the city unseen.

By Anton Chekhov · First published 1888 · Genre: Drama, Realism, Social Commentary · 8,332 words

First lines

The long goods train has been standing for hours in the little station. The engine is as silent as though its fire had gone out; there is not a soul near the train or in the station yard.

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The Cattle-Dealers is listed on Textopian as a short story by Anton Chekhov, dated 1888 CE.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Anton Chekhov
Date: 1888 CE
Language: English
Genres: Drama, Realism, Social Commentary, Tragedy, Slice of Life
Length: 8,332 words
Structure: 1 section, 146 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Genres

Drama — The narrative focuses on the interactions and conflicts between characters, highlighting their struggles and emotions in a confined setting.
Realism — The story presents a realistic portrayal of the lives of ordinary people, emphasizing their daily challenges and societal issues.
Social Commentary — The work critiques the inefficiencies and corruption within the transportation system and the impact on the cattle trade.
Tragedy — The characters face inevitable misfortunes and losses, reflecting the harsh realities of life.