# Book 10 Chapter 2 - Children, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Librivox Audiobook

An episode of [Brothers Karamazov, The by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881)](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1795736404), 11 Sep 2026, 14 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/75073518/brotherskaramazov_64_dostoyevsky_64kb.mp3

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## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: CHAPTER II CHILDREN And so, on that frosty, snowy, and
[0:27] Speaker 1: windy day in November, Collier Krasotkin was sitting at home.
[0:32] Speaker 1: It was Sunday, and there was no school. It had
[0:34] Speaker 1: just struck eleven, and he particularly wanted to go out
[0:38] Speaker 1: on very urgent business, but he was left alone in
[0:41] Speaker 1: charge of the house, for it so happened that all
[0:43] Speaker 1: its elder inmates were absent owing to a sudden and
[0:46] Speaker 1: singular event. Madame Krasotkin had had let two little rooms
[0:51] Speaker 1: separated from the rest of the house by a passage
[0:53] Speaker 1: to a doctor's wife with her two small children. This
[0:56] Speaker 1: lady was the same age as Anna Fyodorovna, and a
[1:00] Speaker 1: great friend of hers. Her husband, the doctor, had taken
[1:03] Speaker 1: his departure twelve months before, going first to Orenburg and
[1:07] Speaker 1: then to Tashkent, and for the last six months she
[1:10] Speaker 1: had not heard a word from him. Had it not
[1:13] Speaker 1: been for her friendship with Madame Krasotkin— which was some
[1:16] Speaker 1: consolation to the forsaken lady, she would certainly have completely
[1:19] Speaker 1: dissolved away in tears. And now, to add to her misfortunes, Katharina,
[1:25] Speaker 1: her only servant, was suddenly moved the evening before to announce,
[1:29] Speaker 1: to her mistress's amazement, that she proposed to bring a
[1:32] Speaker 1: child into the world before morning. It seemed almost miraculous
[1:36] Speaker 1: to every one. that no one had noticed the probability
[1:39] Speaker 1: of it before. The astounded doctor's wife decided to move Katharina,
[1:43] Speaker 1: while there was still time, to an establishment in the
[1:46] Speaker 1: town kept by a midwife for such emergencies. As she
[1:50] Speaker 1: said great store by her servant, she promptly carried out
[1:53] Speaker 1: this plan, and remained there looking after her. By the morning,
[1:57] Speaker 1: all Madame Krasotkin's friendly sympathy and energy were called upon
[2:01] Speaker 1: to render assistance and appeal to someone for help in
[2:03] Speaker 1: the case. So, Both the ladies were absent from home.
[2:08] Speaker 1: The Krasotkin's servant, Agafia, had gone out to the market,
[2:11] Speaker 1: and Kolya was thus left for a time to protect
[2:14] Speaker 1: and look after the kids, that is, the son and
[2:17] Speaker 1: daughter of the doctor's wife, who were left alone. Kolya
[2:21] Speaker 1: was not afraid of taking care of the house. Besides,
[2:24] Speaker 1: he had Pereshvan, who had been told to lie flat,
[2:27] Speaker 1: without moving, under the bench in the hall. Every time Kolya,
[2:31] Speaker 1: walking to and fro through the rooms, came into the hall,
[2:34] Speaker 1: The dog shook his head and gave two loud and
[2:37] Speaker 1: insinuating taps on the floor with his tail, but, alas,
[2:40] Speaker 1: the whistle did not sound to release him. Collier looked
[2:44] Speaker 1: sternly at the luckless dog, who relapsed again into obedient rigidity.
[2:49] Speaker 1: The one thing that troubled Collier was the kids. He looked,
[2:53] Speaker 1: of course, with the utmost scorn on Katharina's unexpected adventure,
[2:57] Speaker 1: but he was very fond of the bereaved kiddies, and
[3:00] Speaker 1: had already taken them a picture-book. Nastya, the elder, a
[3:04] Speaker 1: girl of eight, could read, and Kostya, the boy, aged seven,
[3:09] Speaker 1: was very fond of being read to by her. Krasotkin could,
[3:13] Speaker 1: of course, have provided more diverting entertainment for them. He
[3:16] Speaker 1: could have made them stand side by side and played
[3:19] Speaker 1: soldiers with them, or sent them hiding all over the house.
[3:23] Speaker 1: He had done so more than once before, and was
[3:25] Speaker 1: not above doing it, so much so that a report
[3:28] Speaker 1: once spread at school that Krasotkin had played horses with
[3:32] Speaker 1: the little lodgers at home, prancing with his head on
[3:34] Speaker 1: one side like a trace-horse. But Krasatkin heartily parried this thrust,
[3:40] Speaker 1: pointing out that to play horses with boys of one's
[3:42] Speaker 1: own age, boys of thirteen, would certainly be disgraceful at
[3:46] Speaker 1: this date, but that he did it for the sake
[3:49] Speaker 1: of the kids, because he liked them, and no one
[3:51] Speaker 1: had a right to call him to account for his feelings.
[3:54] Speaker 1: The two kids adored him. But on this occasion he
[3:58] Speaker 1: was in no mood for games. He had very important
[4:01] Speaker 1: business of his own before him, something almost mysterious. Meanwhile,
[4:06] Speaker 1: time was passing, and Agafia, with whom he could have
[4:09] Speaker 1: left the children, would not come back from market. He
[4:12] Speaker 1: had several times already crossed the passage, opened the door
[4:15] Speaker 1: of the lodger's room, and looked anxiously at the kids,
[4:18] Speaker 1: who were sitting over the book, as he had bidden them.
[4:21] Speaker 1: Every time he opened the door, they grinned at him,
[4:23] Speaker 1: hoping he would come in, and would do something delightful
[4:26] Speaker 1: and amusing. But Collier was bothered, and did not go in.
[4:31] Speaker 1: At last it struck eleven, and he made up his
[4:33] Speaker 1: mind once for all that if that damned Agafia did
[4:36] Speaker 1: not come back within ten minutes he should go out
[4:39] Speaker 1: without waiting for her, making the kid's promise, of course,
[4:42] Speaker 1: to be brave when he was away, not to be naughty,
[4:45] Speaker 1: not to cry from fright. With this idea he put
[4:48] Speaker 1: on his wetted winter overcoat with its catskin fur collar,
[4:52] Speaker 1: slung a satchel round his shoulder, and, regardless of his
[4:55] Speaker 1: mother's constantly reiterated entreaties that he would always put on
[4:59] Speaker 1: galoshes in such cold weather, he looked at them contemptuously
[5:03] Speaker 1: as he crossed the hall and went out with only
[5:05] Speaker 1: his boots on. Peresvon, seeing him in his outdoor clothes,
[5:10] Speaker 1: began tapping nervously, yet vigorously, on the floor with his tail.
[5:14] Speaker 1: Twitching all over, he even uttered a plaintive whine. But Collier,
[5:19] Speaker 1: seeing his dog's passionate excitement, decided that it was a
[5:22] Speaker 1: breach of discipline, kept him for another minute under the bench,
[5:26] Speaker 1: and only when he had opened the door into the
[5:27] Speaker 1: passage whistled for him. The dog leapt up like a
[5:31] Speaker 1: mad creature, and rushed bounding before him rapturously. Collier opened
[5:36] Speaker 1: the door to peep at the kids. They were both
[5:39] Speaker 1: sitting as before at the table, not reading, but warmly
[5:42] Speaker 1: disputing about something. The children often argued together about various
[5:46] Speaker 1: exciting problems of life, and Nastya, being the elder, always
[5:50] Speaker 1: got the best of it. If Kostya did not agree
[5:53] Speaker 1: with her, he almost always appealed to Kolya Krasotkin, and
[5:57] Speaker 1: his verdict was regarded as infallible by both of them.
[6:00] Speaker 1: This time the kids' discussion rather interested Krasotkin, and he
[6:04] Speaker 1: stood still in the passage to listen. The children saw
[6:08] Speaker 1: he was listening, and that made them dispute with even
[6:11] Speaker 1: greater energy.' I shall never, never believe,' Nastya prattled,' that
[6:17] Speaker 1: the old women find babies among the cabbages in the
[6:20] Speaker 1: kitchen garden.' It's winter now, and there are no cabbages,
[6:23] Speaker 1: and so the old woman couldn't have taken Katharina a daughter.
[6:27] Speaker 1: Collier whistled to himself. Or perhaps they do bring babies
[6:32] Speaker 1: from somewhere, but only to those who are married. Kostya
[6:36] Speaker 1: stared at Nastya and listened, pondering profoundly. Nastya, how silly
[6:41] Speaker 1: you are, he said at last, firmly and calmly. How
[6:45] Speaker 1: can Katharina have a baby when she isn't married? Nastya
[6:49] Speaker 1: was exasperated. You know nothing about it, she snapped irritably.
[6:54] Speaker 1: Perhaps she has a husband, only he's in prison, so
[6:57] Speaker 1: now she's got a baby. But is her husband in prison?
[7:02] Speaker 1: The matter-of-fact Kostya inquired gravely. Or, I tell you what,
[7:08] Speaker 1: Nastya interrupted impulsively, completely rejecting and forgetting her first hypothesis.
[7:13] Speaker 1: She hasn't a husband, you're right there, but she wants
[7:16] Speaker 1: to be married, and so she's been thinking of getting married,
[7:19] Speaker 1: and thinking and thinking of it, Till now she's got it,
[7:22] Speaker 1: that is, not a husband, but a baby. Well, perhaps so,
[7:28] Speaker 1: Kostya agreed, entirely vanquished. But she didn't say so before,
[7:32] Speaker 1: so how could I tell? Come, kiddies, said Kolya, stepping
[7:37] Speaker 1: into the room. You are terrible people, I see. And
[7:41] Speaker 1: Pereshvan with you, grinned Kostya, and began snapping his fingers
[7:45] Speaker 1: and calling Pereshvan.' I' m in a difficulty, kids,' Krasotkin began solemnly.'
[7:51] Speaker 1: And you must help me. Agafia must have broken her
[7:54] Speaker 1: leg since she has not turned up till now. That's certain.
[7:58] Speaker 1: I must go out. Will you let me go?' The
[8:01] Speaker 1: children looked anxiously at one another. Their smiling faces showed
[8:05] Speaker 1: signs of uneasiness, but they did not yet fully grasp
[8:08] Speaker 1: what was expected of them.' You won't be naughty while
[8:12] Speaker 1: I'm gone. You won't climb on the cupboard and break
[8:14] Speaker 1: your legs.' You won't be frightened, alone, and cry.' A
[8:19] Speaker 1: look of profound despondency came into the children's faces.' And
[8:23] Speaker 1: I could show you something as a reward, a little
[8:25] Speaker 1: copper cannon, which can be fired with real gunpowder.' The
[8:29] Speaker 1: children's faces instantly brightened.' Show us the cannon,' said Kostya,
[8:34] Speaker 1: beaming all over. Kosovkin put his hand in his satchel,
[8:38] Speaker 1: and pulling out a little bronze cannon, stood it on
[8:40] Speaker 1: the table.' Ah, you're bound to ask that. Look!' It's
[8:45] Speaker 1: on wheels. He rolled the toy on along the table.
[8:49] Speaker 1: And it can be fired off, too. It can be
[8:52] Speaker 1: loaded with shot and fired off. And it could kill anyone.
[8:57] Speaker 1: It can kill anyone. You've only got to aim at anybody.
[9:01] Speaker 1: And Kosutkin explained where the power had to be put,
[9:04] Speaker 1: where the shot should be rolled in, showing a tiny
[9:06] Speaker 1: hole like a touch hole, and told them that it
[9:09] Speaker 1: kicked when it was fired. The children listened with intense interest.
[9:14] Speaker 1: What particularly struck their imagination was that a cannon kicked.
[9:18] Speaker 1: And have you got any powder? Nastya inquired. Yes. Show
[9:24] Speaker 1: us the powder, too, she drawled with a smile of entreaty.
[9:28] Speaker 1: Kosotkin dived again into his satchel and pulled out a
[9:31] Speaker 1: small flask containing a little real gunpowder. He had some shot, too,
[9:35] Speaker 1: in a screw of paper. He even uncorked the flask
[9:39] Speaker 1: and shook a little powder into the palm of his hand.
[9:42] Speaker 1: One has to be careful there's no fire about, or
[9:44] Speaker 1: it will blow up and kill us all, Kossutkin warned
[9:48] Speaker 1: them sensationally. The children gazed at the powder with an
[9:52] Speaker 1: awe-stricken alarm that only intensified their enjoyment. But Kostya liked
[9:56] Speaker 1: the shot better. And does the shot burn? he inquired.' No,
[10:01] Speaker 1: it doesn't.'' Give me a little shot,' he asked in
[10:05] Speaker 1: an imploring voice.' I' ll give you a little shot. Here,
[10:09] Speaker 1: take it. But don't show it to your mother till
[10:11] Speaker 1: I come back, or she'll be sure to think it's gunpowder,
[10:14] Speaker 1: and will die of fright, and give you a thrashing.''
[10:17] Speaker 1: Mother never does whip us,' Nastya observed at once.' I know.
[10:21] Speaker 1: I only said it to finish the sentence. And don't
[10:24] Speaker 1: you ever deceive your mother except just this once, until
[10:27] Speaker 1: I come back. And so, kiddies, can I go out?
[10:30] Speaker 1: You won't be frightened and cry when I'm gone?'' We
[10:33] Speaker 1: shall cry,' drawled Kostya, on the verge of tears already.'
[10:38] Speaker 1: We shall cry. We shall be sure to cry,' Nastya
[10:42] Speaker 1: chimed in with timid haste.' Oh, children, children, how fraught
[10:47] Speaker 1: with peril are your years!' There's no help for it, chickens.
[10:50] Speaker 1: I shall have to stay with you. I don't know
[10:52] Speaker 1: how long. And time is passing. Time is passing. Tell
[10:58] Speaker 1: Perishvon to pretend to be dead, Kostya begged. There's no
[11:02] Speaker 1: help for it. We must have recourse to Perishvon. Isi Perishvon.
[11:07] Speaker 1: And Collier began giving orders to the dog, who performed
[11:10] Speaker 1: all his tricks. He was a rough-haired dog, of medium size,
[11:13] Speaker 1: with a coat of a sort of lilac-grey colour. He
[11:16] Speaker 1: was blind in his right eye, and his left ear
[11:18] Speaker 1: was torn. He whined and jumped, stood and walked on
[11:22] Speaker 1: his hind legs, lay on his back with his paws
[11:24] Speaker 1: in the air, rigid as though he were dead. While
[11:27] Speaker 1: this last performance was going on, the door opened, and Agafia,
[11:31] Speaker 1: Madame Kasotkin's servant, a stout woman of forty, marked with smallpox,
[11:36] Speaker 1: appeared in the doorway. She had come back from market,
[11:39] Speaker 1: and had a bag full of provisions in her hand.
[11:41] Speaker 1: Holding up the bag of provisions in her left hand,
[11:44] Speaker 1: she stood still to watch the dog. Though Collier had
[11:47] Speaker 1: been so anxious for her return, he did not cut
[11:49] Speaker 1: short the performance, and, after keeping Peresvon dead for the
[11:53] Speaker 1: usual time, at last he whistled to him. The dog
[11:57] Speaker 1: jumped up, and began bounding about in his joy at
[11:59] Speaker 1: having done his duty.' Only think! A dog!' Agafia observed sententiously.'
[12:05] Speaker 1: Why are you late, female?' asked Korsotkin sternly.' Female, indeed!
[12:12] Speaker 1: Go on with you, you brat!'' Brat?'' Yes, a brat.
[12:17] Speaker 1: What is it to you if I'm late?'' If I'm late,
[12:19] Speaker 1: you may be sure I have good reason,' muttered Agafia,
[12:22] Speaker 1: busying herself about the stove without a trace of anger
[12:25] Speaker 1: or displeasure in her voice. She seemed quite pleased, in fact,
[12:29] Speaker 1: to enjoy a skirmish with her merry young master.' Listen,
[12:33] Speaker 1: you frivolous young woman,' Kasatkin began, getting up from the sofa.'
[12:37] Speaker 1: Can you swear by all you hold sacred in the world,
[12:40] Speaker 1: and something else besides, that you'll watch vigilantly over the
[12:44] Speaker 1: kits in my absence?' I'm going out.'' And what am
[12:47] Speaker 1: I going to swear for?' laughed Agafia.' I shall look
[12:50] Speaker 1: after them without that.'' No, you must swear on your
[12:54] Speaker 1: eternal salvation, else I shan't go.'' Well, don't then. What
[12:59] Speaker 1: does it matter to me? It's cold out. Stay at home.'' Kids,'
[13:04] Speaker 1: Collier turned to the children,' this woman will stay with
[13:07] Speaker 1: you till I come back, or till your mother comes,
[13:09] Speaker 1: for she ought to have been back long ago. She
[13:12] Speaker 1: will give you some lunch, too.' You'll give them something, Agafia,
[13:15] Speaker 1: won't you?'' That I can do.'' Good- bye, chickens. I go
[13:19] Speaker 1: with my heart at rest. And you, Granny?' he added gravely,
[13:23] Speaker 1: in an undertone, as he passed Agafia.' I hope you'll
[13:27] Speaker 1: spare their tender years and not tell them any of
[13:30] Speaker 1: your old woman's nonsense about Katharina.'' I see, Persephone.'' Get
[13:35] Speaker 1: along with you,' retorted Agafia, really angry this time.' Ridiculous boy!
[13:40] Speaker 1: You want a whipping for saying such things. That's what
[13:43] Speaker 1: you want.' End of chapter 2 of book 10

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