STORY OF THE DAY

Portrait of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

Tretyakov Gallery  

Public domain 

Via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

Anton Chekhov, the great Russian master of the short story, had a rare gift for capturing the human soul in just a few pages. His story “The Bet” (1889) is one of his most powerful works — a gripping account of a wager between a banker and a young lawyer that evolves into a profound meditation on life, freedom, and the true meaning of happiness.

This tale, though simple in plot, asks timeless questions: Is wealth worth more than wisdom? Can suffering lead to enlightenment? And what does it mean to truly live?

The Bet by Anton Chekhov – Detailed Summary

The story opens at a banker’s house during an evening party. The guests are discussing capital punishment. The banker strongly argues that death penalty is more humane than life imprisonment, since a quick death ends suffering immediately. A young lawyer at the party disagrees. He insists that life, no matter how painful, is better than death.

He argues passionately:

> “To live anyhow is better than not at all.”

This debate leads to a dramatic wager. The banker bets two million rubles that the lawyer cannot endure fifteen years of voluntary solitary confinement. The lawyer accepts the challenge, not for money, but to prove his belief in the value of life.

The Confinement

The lawyer is imprisoned in a small lodge in the banker’s garden. He cannot leave or have human contact. He may request books, food, wine, and writing materials.

In the early years, he suffers loneliness, depression, and aimless reading. He plays the piano, reads light novels, and drinks wine.

Later, he immerses himself in deeper studies: philosophy, history, science, literature, and finally theology. He masters several languages and reads the Bible extensively. His mind becomes vast and profound, though his body weakens.

Transformation

Over the years, the lawyer outgrows worldly desires. He loses interest in material wealth, fame, and pleasures. He finds solace in knowledge, spirituality, and a broader understanding of life. He begins to despise greed and the superficiality of society.

The Banker’s Fear

Meanwhile, the banker faces financial ruin due to reckless speculation. If the lawyer wins, paying him two million rubles will bankrupt him. On the last night of the fifteenth year, the banker secretly goes to the lodge intending to kill the lawyer to escape payment.

But what he finds shocks him.

The lawyer has written a letter declaring that he renounces the bet. He explains that he has come to see the emptiness of wealth and the futility of worldly pursuits. He will voluntarily leave the lodge just a few hours before the fifteen years are completed, proving his victory over material desire.

The Ending

At dawn, the banker kisses the lawyer’s head in relief and shame. The lawyer, thin and frail, slips away quietly into the darkness, leaving behind his note. The banker weeps, realizing how small and selfish he has been compared to the moral and spiritual triumph of the lawyer.

✨ Themes

1. The meaning of life – Is survival itself valuable, even in isolation?

2. Materialism vs. Spirituality – Wealth is fleeting; wisdom endures.

3. Human weakness – The banker’s greed and cowardice contrast with the lawyer’s hard-earned enlightenment.

4. The price of knowledge – True wisdom often comes at the cost of suffering and detachment.

Grateful thanks to CHATGPT for summary of the short story and Wikimedia Commons for the image of Anton Chekhov 

IN THE NEWS

STORY OF THE DAY

Rabindranath Tagore in Calcutta 

Author:  Generalstabens litografiska anstalt

Public domain 

Via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

KABULIWALA 

RABINDRANATH TAGORE 

Introduction:

Rabindranath Tagore, India’s Nobel Laureate in Literature, crafted stories rich with empathy and human connection. The Kabuliwala is a shining example—an emotionally resonant tale of friendship, distance, and the bond between father and child.

Summary:

Rabindranath Tagore’s The Kabuliwala is a tender tale that blends innocence, friendship, and the universal bond of parental love.

The story unfolds in Calcutta, where a five-year-old girl, Mini, lives with her father, the narrator. Mini is full of life and chatter, often speaking without pause. One day, she encounters a tall, bearded fruit-seller from Afghanistan—the Kabuliwala, who roams the city selling dry fruits. Though his rugged appearance might frighten others, Mini feels no fear. Very soon, a warm and unusual friendship blossoms between them.

The Kabuliwala treats Mini with affection, often slipping her nuts and raisins from his bag. In return, he enjoys her endless stream of questions and her innocent laughter. To him, Mini is not just a little girl in a faraway land—she reminds him of his own beloved daughter left behind in Afghanistan. The bond they share bridges age, culture, and distance, and becomes a source of quiet joy in both their lives.

However, fate intervenes when  the Kabuliwala is arrested after a violent quarrel with a debtor. He is sentenced to years in prison. During this time, Mini grows up, leaving behind her childhood innocence.

When the Kabuliwala is finally released, his first thought is of Mini. He goes to visit her, only to find her transformed into a young bride on her wedding day. She no longer recalls their friendship of years past. The Kabuliwala  realizes that just as Mini has grown up, his own daughter too must have changed in his long absence.

Deeply moved by  the Kabuliwala’s yearning to see his child, the narrator—Mini’s father—helps him with money so he can return to Afghanistan. The story closes on a bittersweet note: the Kabuliwala leaves with the hope of reuniting with his daughter, while the narrator sacrifices part of his own daughter’s wedding expenses to enable another father to meet his child.

Themes and Significance:

Innocence and Childhood: Mini’s friendship with the Kabuliwala is pure and free from prejudice.

Fatherhood and Longing:The Kabuliwala’s love for Mini reflects his longing for his daughter, showing the universality of parental affection.

Change and Time: While Mini outgrows her childhood bond, the Kabuliwala clings to memories, highlighting how time alters relationships.

Human Connection Beyond Borders: Despite differences of culture, language, and class, shared emotions unite people.

✨ The Kabuliwala remains one of Tagore’s most beloved stories because it is at once simple and profound. It reminds us that love, friendship, and the bond between parent and child are universal truths that transcend distance, time, and circumstance.

Grateful thanks to ChatGPT for beautifully summarising the touching story of Rabindranath Tagore so that I could use it in my blog, THE WORLD OF SHORT STORIES and Generalstabens litografiska anstalt and WIKIMEDIA COMMONS for the image.

STORY OF THE DAY

Public domain 

Via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

VANKA 

Short story by ANTON CHEKHOV 

Summary

“Vanka” is a touching short story by Anton Chekhov about a nine-year-old orphan boy named Vanka Zhukov, who works as an apprentice for a Moscow shoemaker. He is poorly treated—beaten, overworked, and given little food. On Christmas Eve, while others are celebrating, Vanka sits alone and writes a letter to his grandfather, Konstantin Makarich, a night watchman in a village.

In the letter, Vanka pours out his misery: he describes the cruel master and mistress, his hunger, exhaustion, and constant beatings. He recalls fond memories of village life with his grandfather, the freedom of the countryside, and the warmth of simple joys like sledding and caring for dogs.

Vanka begs his grandfather to take him away from Moscow, promising to work hard and be obedient if only he can return to the village. He addresses the envelope simply: “To Grandfather in the Village”, without a proper address. After dropping the letter in the mailbox, he falls asleep with hope in his heart, dreaming of a better life.

The story ends poignantly: while Vanka believes his grandfather will receive the letter and rescue him, the reader realizes the letter will never reach its destination — symbolizing the hopelessness of his situation and the innocence of childhood hope amidst harsh reality.

Grateful thanks to ChatGPT for the summary and Wikimedia Commons for the image 

STORY OF THE DAY

A beautiful Sufi story:-

A man called Sooulf was living by the seashore he loved seagulls. Every morning he went down to the sea to roam with the seagulls. More birds came to him than could be counted in hundreds.

He knew the language of feeling. It is love. Nobody is afraid of love.

One evening Sooulf's father said, “I hear the seagulls all come roaming with you—bring me some for tomorrow's breakfast.” Somehow he couldn't say ‘NO' to his father.

The moment Sooulf said “Ok”, the idea had entered his head.

Now same love was not there. He had a target, a desire to catch them. That's how we spend all our lives trying to catch this and that..

Sooulf went to the seashore, but Seagulls hovered over him and never came down to him.

Birds can't read the human mind, but they can sense the vibes created by ill-desire. Now he is not the same relaxed man with whom seagulls could feel at home.

And this is the secret of the whole life not only seagulls - all good things come to you when you are loving and in a state of let-go.

Birds, happiness, and bliss all come to you when you are in a total let-go, in a loving attitude toward life and existence

STORY OF THE DAY: WHERE LOVE IS, GOD IS : LEO TOLSTOY

         Portrait of Tolstoy by Ilya Repin. Photo by Guilhem Vellut, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

Today’s “Story of the Day” offers a timeless lesson from Leo Tolstoy:

WHERE LOVE IS, GOD IS

(A short story by Leo Tolstoy, condensed)

Martin Avdeich was a humble cobbler who lived in a small town in Russia. His life had been filled with sorrow — his wife and children had died, and he was left alone. In his grief, Martin turned to the Bible. He read it daily and sought comfort in God’s word.

One night, after reading the Gospel, Martin dreamt that Christ would visit him the next day. He woke with joy and expectation, preparing his little home to welcome the Lord.

That day, as he worked and kept watch, he was interrupted by three people.

First came a poor old man shivering in the cold. Martin invited him in, gave him tea, and warmed him by the fire.

Later, a weary woman carrying a baby stopped at his window. She was poor and hungry. Martin gave her bread, soup, and an old coat to wrap her child.

Finally, a street boy tried to steal an apple from a peddler. Martin rushed out, stopped the quarrel, and persuaded the boy to apologize. He even bought the boy an apple, teaching him kindness instead of anger.

As evening fell, Martin felt disappointed. Christ had not come, though he had waited all day. But then, in the quiet of his room, In the hush of evening, a gentle voice spoke:

“Martin, did you not see me? I was the old man you warmed, the mother you fed, and the child you helped. Whatever you did for them, you did for me.”

Martin opened his Bible, and his eyes fell upon the verse:

 “I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me…”

Tears filled his eyes. He understood now: where there is love, there is God.

Read the full story (public domain)  on Project Gutenberg:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/38616/38616-h/38616-h.htm

Grateful thanks to Ilya Repin and Guilhem Vellut (via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0) for the portrait — and to ChatGPT for the concise adaptation of Tolstoy’s original.

STORY OF THE DAY: O.HENRY'S THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

The Adoration of the Magi — Martin Schongauer, c. 1470–1490 — The Met Museum — Public Domain

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI — O. Henry

Summary

The Gift of the Magi, first published in 1905, tells the touching story of Della and Jim, a young couple with very little money but an abundance of love. In preparation for Christmas:

Della sells her beautiful long hair for $20 to buy Jim a fine platinum fob chain for his treasured pocket watch.

Jim, in turn, sells his heirloom watch to buy Della a set of elegant combs for her hair.

When they exchange gifts, each is surprised by the other's sacrifice, realizing that their love is far more valuable than the physical gifts exchanged — a beautiful example of ironic, selfless love.

This story remains an enduring testament to the true spirit of giving and the meaning of love, especially poignant during the holiday season.

If you are interested in reading the Full Original Story:

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry — Project Gutenberg

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/7256/pg7256.txt

Your Turn:

Have you ever received (or given) a gift whose worth lay not in its cost, but in the love and sacrifice behind it?

💬 Share your thoughts and stories in the comments below!

Grateful thanks to ChatGPT for the brief and beautiful summary of the story, Project Gutenberg for providing the full original story and Martin Schongauer, c. 1470–1490 — The Met Museum for the image, The Adoration of the Magi