Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Lottery Ticket by Anton Chekhov.
Ivan Dmitry, the middle-classman who lived with his family on
an income of $1,200 a year andwas very well satisfied with his
lot, sat down on the sofa aftersupper and began reading the
newspaper.
I forgot to look at thenewspaper today.
His wife said to him as shecleared the table Look and see
(00:24):
whether the list of drawings isthere.
Yes, it is said, Ivan Dmitri,but hasn't your ticket lapsed?
No, I took the interest onTuesday.
What is the number?
Series 9,499, number 26.
All right, we will look.
(00:51):
Ivan Dmitri had no faith inlottery luck and would not, as a
rule, have consented to look atthe list of winning numbers.
But now, as he had nothing elseto do and as the newspaper was
before his eyes, he passed hisfinger downwards along the
column of numbers andimmediately, as though in
mockery of his skepticism, nofurther from the second line
from the top, his eye was caughtby the figure 9,499.
(01:17):
Unable to believe his eyes, hehurriedly dropped the paper on
his knees without looking to seethe number of the ticket and,
just as though someone had givenhim a douche of cold water, he
felt an agreeable chill in thepit of the stomach, tingling and
terrible and sweet.
Masha.
9,499, is there?
(01:37):
He said in a hollow voice.
His wife looked at hisastonished and panic-stricken
face and realized that he wasnot joking.
9,499?
She asked, turning pale anddropping the folded tablecloth
on the table.
Yes, yes, it's really there.
And the number of the ticket?
Oh yes, there's the number ofthe ticket too.
(02:00):
But stay Wait.
No, I say Anyway, the number ofour series is there.
Anyway, you understand.
Looking at his wife, Ivan Dmitrigave a broad, senseless smile,
like a baby when a bright objecthas shown it, His wife smiled
too.
It was as pleasant to her as tohim that he only mentioned the
series and did not try to findout the number of the winning
(02:22):
ticket.
To torment and tantalizeoneself with hopes of possible
fortune is so sweet, sothrilling.
It is our series, said IvanDmitri after a long silence.
So there is a probability thatwe have won.
It's only a probability, butthere it is.
Well, now look, Wait a little,we have plenty of time to be
(02:44):
disappointed.
It's on the second line fromthe top.
So the prize is 75 000.
That's not money, but power,capital.
And in a minute I shall look atthe list and they're 26.
Yeah, I say, what if we reallyhave one?
The husband and wife beganlaughing and staring at one
another in silence.
The possibility of winningbewildered them.
(03:06):
They could not have said, couldnot have dreamed what they both
needed the $75,000 for whatwould they buy?
Where would they go?
They thought only of thefigures $9,499 and $75,000, and
pictured them in theirimaginations, while somehow they
could not think of thehappiness itself, which was so
possible.
(03:27):
Ivan Dmitri, holding the paperin his hand, walked several
times from corner to corner andonly when he had recovered from
the first impression, begandreaming a little.
And if we have one, he said why?
It will be a new life, it willbe transformation.
The ticket is yours.
But if it were mine, I shouldfirst of all, of course, spend
$25,000 on real property in theshape of an estate, $10,000 on
(03:51):
immediate expenses, newfurnishing, traveling, paying
debts and so on.
The other $40,000 I would putin the bank and get interest on
it.
Yes, an estate, that would benice, said, said his wife,
sitting down and dropping herhands in her lap somewhere in
the tula oriole provinces.
In the first place, weshouldn't need a summer villa,
and besides it would alwaysbring in an income.
(04:14):
And pictures came crowding onhis imagination, each more
gracious and poetical than thelast.
And in all these pictures hesaw himself well fed, serene,
healthy, felt, warm, even hot.
Here, after eating a summersoup, cold as ice, he lay on his
back on the burning sand, Closeto a stream or in the garden
under a lime tree.
(04:34):
It is hot.
His little boy and girl arecrawling about near him, Digging
in the sand or catchingladybirds in the grass.
He dozes sweetly, thinking ofnothing and feeling all over
that he need not go to theoffice today, tomorrow or the
day after.
Or, tired of lying still, hegoes to the hay field or to the
forest for mushrooms or watchesthe peasants catching fish with
(04:56):
a net.
When the sun sets, he takes atowel and soap and saunters to
the bathing shed and in thewater, near the opaque soapy
circles, little fish flit andfro and green water weeds nod
their heads.
After bathing there, it's teatime with cream and milk rolls.
In the evening, a walk or ventwith the neighbors.
Yes, it would be very nice tobuy an estate, says his wife,
(05:17):
also dreaming, and from her faceit was evident that she was
enchanted by her thoughts.
Ivan Dimitri pictured to himselfautumn, with its rains, its
cold evenings and its St Martinsummer.
At that season he would have totake longer walks about the
garden and beside the river soas to get thoroughly chilled and
then drink a big glass of vodkaand eat a salted mushroom or a
soused cucumber and then drinkanother.
(05:39):
The children would come runningfrom the kitchen garden
bringing a carrot and a radishsmelling of fresh earth, and
then he would lie stretched fulllength on the sofa and, in
leisurely fashion, turn over thepages to some illustrated
magazine or covering his facewith it and unbuttoning his
waistcoats, giving himself up toslumber.
The St Martin's summer isfollowed by cloudy, gloomy
(06:01):
weather, rains day and night.
The bare trees weep, the windis damp and cold.
The dogs, the horses, the fowls, all are wet, depressed,
downcast.
There's nothing, nowhere towalk.
One can't go out for days.
One has to pace up and down theroom, looking despondently at
the gray window.
It's dreary.
Ivan Dmitri stopped and lookedat his wife.
(06:22):
I should go abroad, you know,Masha, he said, and he began
thinking how nice it would be inlate autumn to go abroad,
somewhere to the south of France, to Italy, to India.
I should certainly go abroadtoo, his wife said but look at
the number of the ticket, Wait,wait.
He walked about the room andwent on thinking.
(06:44):
It occurred to him what if hiswife really did go abroad?
It is pleasant to travel aloneor in the society of light,
careless women who live in thepresent and not such as think
and talk all the journey aboutnothing but their children sigh
and tremble with dismay overevery farthing.
Ivan Dmitri imagined his wife inthe train, with a multitude of
(07:05):
parcels, baskets and bags.
She would be sighing oversomething, complaining that the
train made her headache, thatshe had spent so much money At
the station.
She would continuously behaving to run for boiling water,
bread and butter.
She wouldn't even have dinnerready.
Jeez, she would begrudge meevery farthing.
(07:29):
He thought with a glance at hiswife.
The lottery ticket is hers, notmine.
Besides, what is the use of hergoing abroad?
What does she want there?
She would shut herself up inthe hotel and not let me out of
her sight.
I know, and for the first timein his life, his mind dwelt on
the fact that his wife had grownelderly and plain and that she
(07:50):
was saturated through andthrough with the smell of
cooking While he was still young, fresh and healthy and might as
well get married again.
Of course, all of this sillynonsense, he thought.
But why would she go abroad?
What would she make of it?
And yet she would go.
Of course I can fancy.
In reality, it is all one toher, Whether it is Naples or
(08:14):
Clinton.
She would only be in my way.
I should be dependent upon her.
I can fancy how, Like a regularwoman, she will lock the money
up as soon as she gets it.
She will hide it from me, shewill look after her relations
and grudge me every farthing.
Ivan Dmitri thought of herrelations.
All those wretched brothers andsisters and aunts and uncles
(08:35):
would come crawling about assoon as they heard of the
winning ticket, Would beginwhining like beggars and fawning
upon them with oily,hypocritical smiles.
Wretched, detestable people.
If they were given anything,they would ask for more, While
if they were refused they wouldswear at them, slander them and
wish them every kind ofmisfortune.
(08:56):
Ivan Dmitri remembered his ownrelations, and their faces, at
which he had looked impartiallyin the past, struck him now as
repulsive and hateful.
They are such reptiles, hethought.
And his wife's face too, struckhim as repulsive and hateful.
They are such reptiles, hethought, and his wife's face too
struck him as repulsive andhateful.
Anger surged up in his heartagainst her and he thought
malignantly she knows nothingabout money and so she is stingy
(09:22):
.
If she wanted, she would giveme a hundred roubles and put the
rest away under lock and key.
If she wanted, she would giveme a hundred rubles and put the
rest away under lock and key.
And he looked at his wife, notwith a smile now, but with
hatred.
She glanced at him too, andalso with hatred and anger.
She had her own daydreams, herown plans, her own reflections.
She understood perfectly wellwhat her husband's dreams were.
(09:42):
She knew who would be the firstto try and grab her winnings.
It's very nice.
Making daydreams at otherpeople's expense is what her
eyes expressed.
No, don't you dare.
Her husband understood her look.
Hatred began stirring again inhis breast and in order to annoy
his wife, he glanced quicklyDespite her at the fourth page
(10:05):
on a newspaper and read it outtriumphantly.
To spy her at the fourth pageon a newspaper and read it out
triumphantly Series 9,499,Number 46, Not 26.
Hatred and hope both disappearedat once, and it began
immediately to seem to IvanDmitri and his wife that their
(10:27):
rooms were dark and small andlow-pitched, that the supper
they had been eating was notdoing them good but lying heavy
on their stomachs, that theevenings were long and wearisome
.
What the devil's the meaning ofit?
Said Ivan Dmitri, beginning tobe ill-humored.
Wherever one steps, there arebits of paper under one's feet,
(10:48):
crumbs, husks.
The rooms are never swept.
One is simply forced to go out.
Damnation, take my soulentirely.
I shall go hang myself on thefirst aspen tree.
Ahoy, ahoy, Ahoy, hoy.
Oh, hey, hey, hey.
How's this pleasant day findingyou?
(11:09):
Well, it's probably freezingballs there in Montana, I'm
guessing.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
It's not luau weather , shall we say.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Right, you know something like Russia at this
point in time, I'm assuming thetundra.
Yeah, Nonetheless, what did youthink of the lottery ticket man
?
Speaker 2 (11:31):
That was interesting and that was the first question.
I imagined, listening to it,that it was fiction and was glad
to hear that it was yeah, butjust that it seemed that when we
discussed it after Ed listenedthat we took away the same thing
.
Look, they didn't have anyproblems until they imagined
(11:54):
they had all this money coming,and then they turned on one
another and just yeah, I mean.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Right, within a matter of minutes, it seems, you
know, like, if you were to likethink about it as I read, the
story you know reads about 10minutes long or so, but like, at
the end of the you know it's,it's probably describing a five
minute little thing there.
You know what I'm saying.
And they imagined all thatturned on each other.
All of a sudden, his wife'selderly, like what the fuck?
(12:22):
I didn't like that part.
I was like what the hell?
I didn't like that part, kindof.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
I was like what the hell is this?
Yeah, I really didn't like.
It was ugly at times.
I enjoyed listening to it, butI guess even after they, it
seemed that they decided on thatand the state would be a
positive thing.
Yeah, that was the one thing.
But I guess that was just histhinking right.
(12:47):
It went through his thinkingfirst and then hers.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yes, correct.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Yeah, so maybe she wanted to buy Twinkies.
I don't think they have them, Idon't know.
I hope for their sake there areno Twinkies available.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
No, there would not have been.
It was 1892 is when it waswritten.
Yeah, so that was um, and it'sfunny that you um, that you say
that about how the story, if itwas fiction or not.
He has like a thing that he'sfamous for, apparently, and it's
called the author, uh, chekhov,it's called Chekhov's gun, the
(13:22):
Chekkhov's Gun Principle, andit's a dramatic principle which
states that every elementintroduced into a story should
be necessary and irrelevantelements should be removed.
This principle emphasizeseconomy and purpose and
storytelling.
So he's really just focusedlike that.
And then what he typically waswriting about, always what they
(13:44):
say.
Anyway, I didn't do a tooin-depth thing, I really just
picked the story because we Itell stories man I figured I'd
tell a story and we talk aboutit.
That's, that's where this comesfrom, guys, um, but anyway, he
focused on ordinary people andthe nuances of their like,
behaviors and subtleties and allthese things, and I thought it
was a pretty good job and it'svery like they didn't even have
(14:08):
the money and they turned oneach other.
You know, that's the thing.
It was just the imagination ofit all, like actually made them
upset, and I think we as peopledo that shit to ourselves all
the time in many other ways.
Right, like, our fantasy iskind of like, you know, we set
the bar so high and then all ofa sudden, like it doesn't
(14:30):
manifest and then your worldcomes crashing down.
You know, and it could be forsome people as small as like an
order, like they get your orderwrong at Starbucks, they didn't
have the right foam in there orsomething you know, and it's the
end of their fucking world.
Owen.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Oh, several people can turn any little thing into a
disaster.
Yeah, it's a thing you know,but we all do.
I can dwell on stuff, sorry, no, yeah, but that's something I'm
not going to throw a fit about.
No, especially in order ofRight.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Well, you know, especially in order of.
Right, yeah, I agree, no, it's athing, and it's really just
about like yeah, it just showshuman nature right there, how
like happy they sort of were.
At least they were content withtheir life, and then, as soon
as they thought they could reachfor the stars, they did and you
know, then they disappointedthemselves all in the same
(15:26):
little period of time.
I like to keep a positive focusabout things as well.
Like when we were talking aboutit, I was like dude, if you won
the lottery I wouldn't be alljealous of you.
I'd be like hell, yeah, dog,good job.
Way to make a smart choice.
I don't know, but it would behappy for you.
You know, I guess that's athing I would never think to be.
(15:48):
Like what would she do with themoney, especially if you were
married and stuff?
But I don't know, I feel likethat's a thing.
Anyway, guy's Pretty Famous is acool short story.
I guess you can take what youwant from it.
People, owen told me what hejust spilled his guts on, how he
felt about it right now.
But uh, yeah, he was a hell ofa writer apparently.
(16:13):
That's all I know.
Didn't want to look into himtoo much.
If you do want to check him out.
Anton Chekhov is.
You know, just type it in manand you're going to find it, and
he has a lot of stories.
Apparently, he was a playwrightas well, and there are more
famous stories than this one.
The other one would be the Ladywith the Dog, which I haven't
(16:36):
read either of these, and theother is called the Bet.
He pioneered a style thatfocused on character development
over plot.
The Bet he pioneered a stylethat focused on character
development over plot.
The two that I just referencedthere are considered literary
masterpieces.
So, as I can't speak correctly,this guy can write really well.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
I was also thinking what was the 75,000 that they
were to have collected right?
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Yeah, you know, and's just set way back in russia.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, that's what I mean?
Yeah, I was thinking 1892, likewhat is 75?
Yeah, ruples, imagine it wasstill.
Oh, yeah, it's still ruples.
So, yeah, like what is thatworth today?
Um, hold on guys.
Oh, okay, maybe, whatever it is, it's worth less than one's
(17:26):
life a day.
Hold on guys.
Whatever it is, it's worth lessthan one's life.
Holy shit, you can't enjoymoney if you're not around
anymore.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
What year was it again?
I fucking forget, damn it.
1892,.
I believe you said oh wow, god,you remember everything what
happened.
Yeah, I believe you said oh wow, god, you remember everything
what happened.
Yeah, I know right, I was justgoing to give you a compliment,
but I'm going to leave it alone.
No, I'm just joking.
I was just going to say you'regoing to make some lady lucky
one day, rowan, because that'sone of the guy's biggest things
(17:57):
that we always be forgetting,shit that we shouldn't be
forgetting.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
I live next to a grey house.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Right, I can't find anything definite.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
There's a lot of money.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Yeah, sorry to fucking draw that out.
Oh, hold on.
In modern terms, 75,000 rupeesfrom 1892 might be worth around
7.5 million to 10 million today.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
So this would the rubles correct, Not rupees.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Oh, son of a Indian, yeah, son of a bitch.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Or at least was.
I'm not up on current Russiannor Indian currency, but maybe I
should be.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Or is it rubles, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Rubles is the Russian , I thought it was rupees.
I think rupees is Indian.
Rupees is Indian, I believe.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yes, yeah, I know, I'm just marveling at how great
we are at this sometimes.
What?
Speaker 2 (19:11):
I don't even have a screen in front of me, I'm just
going from limited memory ofRussian and Indian currency,
which I'm very much trading orprofessional knowledge.
Hard-hitting journalism people.
I tell stories.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Oh my God, I know that's hilarious.
I think I got better at this.
I don't know.
We're going to find out, okay.
So just so you're aware, as of2023, which I'm sure this could
have changed the Russian rubleis roughly the equivalent of a
(19:49):
not Jesus, not even a littleover a penny, guys.
So like a ruble.
Now is one point, I don't evenknow.
It's .011 cents, okay, guysknow it's 0.011 cents, okay,
(20:09):
guys.
Uh, so anyway, therefore, 75 orthe, the rubles from back then
would be worth 11.25 millionrubles now.
So it's still I don't know.
Over there.
It might be a lot of moneythough, guys, I don't know,
that's still a lot of money, butit doesn't compare to our
fucking billion dollar drawings.
That's.
That's something totallydifferent.
I don't even know what wouldyou do with $500 million.
I'd take the lump sum and paythe taxes.
(20:31):
That's what I would do, guys.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Yeah, definitely so.
Reinvest, take care of thepeople.
Like, realize, and I meanthat's just silly, because I
don't even play the lottery,that is hypothetical.
But like, yeah, I would alsoprepare for cousins.
I didn't even know I had comingout of the woodwork, right,
(20:54):
yeah, oh, hey, rememberThanksgiving in 1992?
No, no, I did not.
No.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Yeah, I don't know.
I would probably not tellanybody.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
That's the thing yeah , I would probably just invest
half of it and then maybe buyproperty with a quarter of it
and give a quarter away for sureand again, this is silly, this
is easy for me to say that whenthere's all this money staring
you in the face, but I reallyhonestly believe that's what I
(21:27):
would do would be like, okay,people need this more than me,
but I've got to be secure and uhyeah, yeah, and if you continue
to make money off it and suchtoo, then you can do more.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
You know some more good things Like there's yeah, I
agree with you, and it doesn'ttake Bill Gates' money to be
that way, but if you did havethat kind of security, then you
could really impact some shit.
I totally agree.
You know there is thepossibility that you may end up
going on a polar bear huntingexpedition too, though who knows
?
You know that's.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Nah, I'm not shooting a polar bear, I'm just joking.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
That's what I'm saying.
How disgusted you got aboutthat shows that you wouldn't be
that way.
Sorry about that, because I wastrying to make a joke, bro,
like you'd switch him.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
It's like I don't know Smokers have it hard enough
Shit.
No, I know you need to go killone.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
You are an empath.
That's so funny.
Oh man, that's good though.
Alright, guys.
Well, I hope you liked theshort story.
We might do more of thesebecause, uh, that was kind of
fun and, um, I don't know.
The goal would be to bring backsome like stuff they're not
teaching anymore.
I was shocked.
I think I remember reading thisin high school and and stuff
(22:44):
like oh, wow, yeah, and uh, itmight have been a night school
that I did, though I can'tremember, I don't know, but I
know I'd read it before and whenI'd seen it I recognized it and
that's why I picked it out.
I didn't totally remember it ornothing, and you know, the other
goal with it would be is hereand there, sticking like you
know, a retold folklore that'swritten kind of like, similar to
the Tales of the Little People,that book I had from 18, 19, 14
(23:14):
, or whatever the fuck it was,you know.
So, nonetheless, I hopeeverybody out there is having a
good winter.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
If that's possible, guys, winter's probably not too
bad in Haiti, right as youdiscussed.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Yes, sorry about that , I didn't think you know the
warm breeze is.
I don't know.
Maybe it's some kind of weirdstorm season, though Maybe it's
raining like a mother.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Yeah, no, it could be very unpleasant and getting
like yeah, yeah, but it's notcold, Colonized and Ugh gosh, no
fun.
Poor Haitians man, not cold.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
No, I've, yes, very much.
So, yeah, I'm with Killer Mikenow.
I feel for them.
Haitian people, anyway, feelfor all.
Yeah, well, yeah, for sure, ofcourse, no doubt, dude.
Yeah, all right, guys, well,anyway, have a nice day evening,
whatever it may be, don'tforget about us at
pitlocksupplycom.
Get you an I Tell a Story shirt, or maybe feel generous and
(24:06):
click the subscribe link.
You know, make our show grow.
Share the subscribe link.
You know, make our uh, make ourshow grow.
Share it, share.
It would be good If you guysshare it on social media.
That'd be King.
I mean, that's the, the enginethat drives everything at this
point.
So would be appreciated, and wedo appreciate you out there.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Much love everybody, thank you.
The Lottery Ticket by Anton Chekhov.
Ivan Dmitry, the middle-classman who lived with his family on
an income of $1,200 a year andwas very well satisfied with his
lot, sat down on the sofa aftersupper and began reading the
newspaper.
I forgot to look at thenewspaper today.
His wife said to him as shecleared the table Look and see
(00:24):
whether the list of drawings isthere.
Yes, it is said, Ivan Dmitri,but hasn't your ticket lapsed?
No, I took the interest onTuesday.
What is the number?
Series 9,499, number 26.
All right, we will look.
(00:51):
Ivan Dmitri had no faith inlottery luck and would not, as a
rule, have consented to look atthe list of winning numbers.
But now, as he had nothing elseto do and as the newspaper was
before his eyes, he passed hisfinger downwards along the
column of numbers andimmediately, as though in
mockery of his skepticism, nofurther from the second line
from the top, his eye was caughtby the figure 9,499.
(01:17):
Unable to believe his eyes, hehurriedly dropped the paper on
his knees without looking to seethe number of the ticket and,
just as though someone had givenhim a douche of cold water, he
felt an agreeable chill in thepit of the stomach, tingling and
terrible and sweet.
Masha.
9,499, is there?
(01:37):
He said in a hollow voice.
His wife looked at hisastonished and panic-stricken
face and realized that he wasnot joking.
9,499?
She asked, turning pale anddropping the folded tablecloth
on the table.
Yes, yes, it's really there.
And the number of the ticket?
Oh yes, there's the number ofthe ticket too.
(02:00):
But stay Wait.
No, I say Anyway, the number ofour series is there.
Anyway, you understand.
Looking at his wife, Ivan Dmitrigave a broad, senseless smile,
like a baby when a bright objecthas shown it, His wife smiled
too.
It was as pleasant to her as tohim that he only mentioned the
series and did not try to findout the number of the winning
(02:22):
ticket.
To torment and tantalizeoneself with hopes of possible
fortune is so sweet, sothrilling.
It is our series, said IvanDmitri after a long silence.
So there is a probability thatwe have won.
It's only a probability, butthere it is.
Well, now look, Wait a little,we have plenty of time to be
(02:44):
disappointed.
It's on the second line fromthe top.
So the prize is 75 000.
That's not money, but power,capital.
And in a minute I shall look atthe list and they're 26.
Yeah, I say, what if we reallyhave one?
The husband and wife beganlaughing and staring at one
another in silence.
The possibility of winningbewildered them.
(03:06):
They could not have said, couldnot have dreamed what they both
needed the $75,000 for whatwould they buy?
Where would they go?
They thought only of thefigures $9,499 and $75,000, and
pictured them in theirimaginations, while somehow they
could not think of thehappiness itself, which was so
possible.
(03:27):
Ivan Dmitri, holding the paperin his hand, walked several
times from corner to corner andonly when he had recovered from
the first impression, begandreaming a little.
And if we have one, he said why?
It will be a new life, it willbe transformation.
The ticket is yours.
But if it were mine, I shouldfirst of all, of course, spend
$25,000 on real property in theshape of an estate, $10,000 on
(03:51):
immediate expenses, newfurnishing, traveling, paying
debts and so on.
The other $40,000 I would putin the bank and get interest on
it.
Yes, an estate, that would benice, said, said his wife,
sitting down and dropping herhands in her lap somewhere in
the tula oriole provinces.
In the first place, weshouldn't need a summer villa,
and besides it would alwaysbring in an income.
(04:14):
And pictures came crowding onhis imagination, each more
gracious and poetical than thelast.
And in all these pictures hesaw himself well fed, serene,
healthy, felt, warm, even hot.
Here, after eating a summersoup, cold as ice, he lay on his
back on the burning sand, Closeto a stream or in the garden
under a lime tree.
(04:34):
It is hot.
His little boy and girl arecrawling about near him, Digging
in the sand or catchingladybirds in the grass.
He dozes sweetly, thinking ofnothing and feeling all over
that he need not go to theoffice today, tomorrow or the
day after.
Or, tired of lying still, hegoes to the hay field or to the
forest for mushrooms or watchesthe peasants catching fish with
(04:56):
a net.
When the sun sets, he takes atowel and soap and saunters to
the bathing shed and in thewater, near the opaque soapy
circles, little fish flit andfro and green water weeds nod
their heads.
After bathing there, it's teatime with cream and milk rolls.
In the evening, a walk or ventwith the neighbors.
Yes, it would be very nice tobuy an estate, says his wife,
(05:17):
also dreaming, and from her faceit was evident that she was
enchanted by her thoughts.
Ivan Dimitri pictured to himselfautumn, with its rains, its
cold evenings and its St Martinsummer.
At that season he would have totake longer walks about the
garden and beside the river soas to get thoroughly chilled and
then drink a big glass of vodkaand eat a salted mushroom or a
soused cucumber and then drinkanother.
(05:39):
The children would come runningfrom the kitchen garden
bringing a carrot and a radishsmelling of fresh earth, and
then he would lie stretched fulllength on the sofa and, in
leisurely fashion, turn over thepages to some illustrated
magazine or covering his facewith it and unbuttoning his
waistcoats, giving himself up toslumber.
The St Martin's summer isfollowed by cloudy, gloomy
(06:01):
weather, rains day and night.
The bare trees weep, the windis damp and cold.
The dogs, the horses, the fowls, all are wet, depressed,
downcast.
There's nothing, nowhere towalk.
One can't go out for days.
One has to pace up and down theroom, looking despondently at
the gray window.
It's dreary.
Ivan Dmitri stopped and lookedat his wife.
(06:22):
I should go abroad, you know,Masha, he said, and he began
thinking how nice it would be inlate autumn to go abroad,
somewhere to the south of France, to Italy, to India.
I should certainly go abroadtoo, his wife said but look at
the number of the ticket, Wait,wait.
He walked about the room andwent on thinking.
(06:44):
It occurred to him what if hiswife really did go abroad?
It is pleasant to travel aloneor in the society of light,
careless women who live in thepresent and not such as think
and talk all the journey aboutnothing but their children sigh
and tremble with dismay overevery farthing.
Ivan Dmitri imagined his wife inthe train, with a multitude of
(07:05):
parcels, baskets and bags.
She would be sighing oversomething, complaining that the
train made her headache, thatshe had spent so much money At
the station.
She would continuously behaving to run for boiling water,
bread and butter.
She wouldn't even have dinnerready.
Jeez, she would begrudge meevery farthing.
(07:29):
He thought with a glance at hiswife.
The lottery ticket is hers, notmine.
Besides, what is the use of hergoing abroad?
What does she want there?
She would shut herself up inthe hotel and not let me out of
her sight.
I know, and for the first timein his life, his mind dwelt on
the fact that his wife had grownelderly and plain and that she
(07:50):
was saturated through andthrough with the smell of
cooking While he was still young, fresh and healthy and might as
well get married again.
Of course, all of this sillynonsense, he thought.
But why would she go abroad?
What would she make of it?
And yet she would go.
Of course I can fancy.
In reality, it is all one toher, Whether it is Naples or
(08:14):
Clinton.
She would only be in my way.
I should be dependent upon her.
I can fancy how, Like a regularwoman, she will lock the money
up as soon as she gets it.
She will hide it from me, shewill look after her relations
and grudge me every farthing.
Ivan Dmitri thought of herrelations.
All those wretched brothers andsisters and aunts and uncles
(08:35):
would come crawling about assoon as they heard of the
winning ticket, Would beginwhining like beggars and fawning
upon them with oily,hypocritical smiles.
Wretched, detestable people.
If they were given anything,they would ask for more, While
if they were refused they wouldswear at them, slander them and
wish them every kind ofmisfortune.
(08:56):
Ivan Dmitri remembered his ownrelations, and their faces, at
which he had looked impartiallyin the past, struck him now as
repulsive and hateful.
They are such reptiles, hethought.
And his wife's face too, struckhim as repulsive and hateful.
They are such reptiles, hethought, and his wife's face too
struck him as repulsive andhateful.
Anger surged up in his heartagainst her and he thought
malignantly she knows nothingabout money and so she is stingy
(09:22):
.
If she wanted, she would giveme a hundred roubles and put the
rest away under lock and key.
If she wanted, she would giveme a hundred rubles and put the
rest away under lock and key.
And he looked at his wife, notwith a smile now, but with
hatred.
She glanced at him too, andalso with hatred and anger.
She had her own daydreams, herown plans, her own reflections.
She understood perfectly wellwhat her husband's dreams were.
(09:42):
She knew who would be the firstto try and grab her winnings.
It's very nice.
Making daydreams at otherpeople's expense is what her
eyes expressed.
No, don't you dare.
Her husband understood her look.
Hatred began stirring again inhis breast and in order to annoy
his wife, he glanced quicklyDespite her at the fourth page
(10:05):
on a newspaper and read it outtriumphantly.
To spy her at the fourth pageon a newspaper and read it out
triumphantly Series 9,499,Number 46, Not 26.
Hatred and hope both disappearedat once, and it began
immediately to seem to IvanDmitri and his wife that their
(10:27):
rooms were dark and small andlow-pitched, that the supper
they had been eating was notdoing them good but lying heavy
on their stomachs, that theevenings were long and wearisome
.
What the devil's the meaning ofit?
Said Ivan Dmitri, beginning tobe ill-humored.
Wherever one steps, there arebits of paper under one's feet,
(10:48):
crumbs, husks.
The rooms are never swept.
One is simply forced to go out.
Damnation, take my soulentirely.
I shall go hang myself on thefirst aspen tree.
Ahoy, ahoy, Ahoy, hoy.
Oh, hey, hey, hey.
How's this pleasant day findingyou?
(11:09):
Well, it's probably freezingballs there in Montana, I'm
guessing.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
It's not luau weather , shall we say.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Right, you know something like Russia at this
point in time, I'm assuming thetundra.
Yeah, Nonetheless, what did youthink of the lottery ticket man
?
Speaker 2 (11:31):
That was interesting and that was the first question.
I imagined, listening to it,that it was fiction and was glad
to hear that it was yeah, butjust that it seemed that when we
discussed it after Ed listenedthat we took away the same thing
.
Look, they didn't have anyproblems until they imagined
(11:54):
they had all this money coming,and then they turned on one
another and just yeah, I mean.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Right, within a matter of minutes, it seems, you
know, like, if you were to likethink about it as I read, the
story you know reads about 10minutes long or so, but like, at
the end of the you know it's,it's probably describing a five
minute little thing there.
You know what I'm saying.
And they imagined all thatturned on each other.
All of a sudden, his wife'selderly, like what the fuck?
(12:22):
I didn't like that part.
I was like what the hell?
I didn't like that part, kindof.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
I was like what the hell is this?
Yeah, I really didn't like.
It was ugly at times.
I enjoyed listening to it, butI guess even after they, it
seemed that they decided on thatand the state would be a
positive thing.
Yeah, that was the one thing.
But I guess that was just histhinking right.
(12:47):
It went through his thinkingfirst and then hers.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yes, correct.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Yeah, so maybe she wanted to buy Twinkies.
I don't think they have them, Idon't know.
I hope for their sake there areno Twinkies available.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
No, there would not have been.
It was 1892 is when it waswritten.
Yeah, so that was um, and it'sfunny that you um, that you say
that about how the story, if itwas fiction or not.
He has like a thing that he'sfamous for, apparently, and it's
called the author, uh, chekhov,it's called Chekhov's gun, the
(13:22):
Chekkhov's Gun Principle, andit's a dramatic principle which
states that every elementintroduced into a story should
be necessary and irrelevantelements should be removed.
This principle emphasizeseconomy and purpose and
storytelling.
So he's really just focusedlike that.
And then what he typically waswriting about, always what they
(13:44):
say.
Anyway, I didn't do a tooin-depth thing, I really just
picked the story because we Itell stories man I figured I'd
tell a story and we talk aboutit.
That's, that's where this comesfrom, guys, um, but anyway, he
focused on ordinary people andthe nuances of their like,
behaviors and subtleties and allthese things, and I thought it
was a pretty good job and it'svery like they didn't even have
(14:08):
the money and they turned oneach other.
You know, that's the thing.
It was just the imagination ofit all, like actually made them
upset, and I think we as peopledo that shit to ourselves all
the time in many other ways.
Right, like, our fantasy iskind of like, you know, we set
the bar so high and then all ofa sudden, like it doesn't
(14:30):
manifest and then your worldcomes crashing down.
You know, and it could be forsome people as small as like an
order, like they get your orderwrong at Starbucks, they didn't
have the right foam in there orsomething you know, and it's the
end of their fucking world.
Owen.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Oh, several people can turn any little thing into a
disaster.
Yeah, it's a thing you know,but we all do.
I can dwell on stuff, sorry, no, yeah, but that's something I'm
not going to throw a fit about.
No, especially in order ofRight.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Well, you know, especially in order of.
Right, yeah, I agree, no, it's athing, and it's really just
about like yeah, it just showshuman nature right there, how
like happy they sort of were.
At least they were content withtheir life, and then, as soon
as they thought they could reachfor the stars, they did and you
know, then they disappointedthemselves all in the same
(15:26):
little period of time.
I like to keep a positive focusabout things as well.
Like when we were talking aboutit, I was like dude, if you won
the lottery I wouldn't be alljealous of you.
I'd be like hell, yeah, dog,good job.
Way to make a smart choice.
I don't know, but it would behappy for you.
You know, I guess that's athing I would never think to be.
(15:48):
Like what would she do with themoney, especially if you were
married and stuff?
But I don't know, I feel likethat's a thing.
Anyway, guy's Pretty Famous is acool short story.
I guess you can take what youwant from it.
People, owen told me what hejust spilled his guts on, how he
felt about it right now.
But uh, yeah, he was a hell ofa writer apparently.
(16:13):
That's all I know.
Didn't want to look into himtoo much.
If you do want to check him out.
Anton Chekhov is.
You know, just type it in manand you're going to find it, and
he has a lot of stories.
Apparently, he was a playwrightas well, and there are more
famous stories than this one.
The other one would be the Ladywith the Dog, which I haven't
(16:36):
read either of these, and theother is called the Bet.
He pioneered a style thatfocused on character development
over plot.
The Bet he pioneered a stylethat focused on character
development over plot.
The two that I just referencedthere are considered literary
masterpieces.
So, as I can't speak correctly,this guy can write really well.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
I was also thinking what was the 75,000 that they
were to have collected right?
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Yeah, you know, and's just set way back in russia.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, that's what I mean?
Yeah, I was thinking 1892, likewhat is 75?
Yeah, ruples, imagine it wasstill.
Oh, yeah, it's still ruples.
So, yeah, like what is thatworth today?
Um, hold on guys.
Oh, okay, maybe, whatever it is, it's worth less than one's
(17:26):
life a day.
Hold on guys.
Whatever it is, it's worth lessthan one's life.
Holy shit, you can't enjoymoney if you're not around
anymore.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
What year was it again?
I fucking forget, damn it.
1892,.
I believe you said oh wow, god,you remember everything what
happened.
Yeah, I believe you said oh wow, god, you remember everything
what happened.
Yeah, I know right, I was justgoing to give you a compliment,
but I'm going to leave it alone.
No, I'm just joking.
I was just going to say you'regoing to make some lady lucky
one day, rowan, because that'sone of the guy's biggest things
(17:57):
that we always be forgetting,shit that we shouldn't be
forgetting.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
I live next to a grey house.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Right, I can't find anything definite.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
There's a lot of money.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Yeah, sorry to fucking draw that out.
Oh, hold on.
In modern terms, 75,000 rupeesfrom 1892 might be worth around
7.5 million to 10 million today.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
So this would the rubles correct, Not rupees.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Oh, son of a Indian, yeah, son of a bitch.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Or at least was.
I'm not up on current Russiannor Indian currency, but maybe I
should be.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Or is it rubles, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Rubles is the Russian , I thought it was rupees.
I think rupees is Indian.
Rupees is Indian, I believe.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yes, yeah, I know, I'm just marveling at how great
we are at this sometimes.
What?
Speaker 2 (19:11):
I don't even have a screen in front of me, I'm just
going from limited memory ofRussian and Indian currency,
which I'm very much trading orprofessional knowledge.
Hard-hitting journalism people.
I tell stories.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Oh my God, I know that's hilarious.
I think I got better at this.
I don't know.
We're going to find out, okay.
So just so you're aware, as of2023, which I'm sure this could
have changed the Russian rubleis roughly the equivalent of a
(19:49):
not Jesus, not even a littleover a penny, guys.
So like a ruble.
Now is one point, I don't evenknow.
It's .011 cents, okay, guysknow it's 0.011 cents, okay,
(20:09):
guys.
Uh, so anyway, therefore, 75 orthe, the rubles from back then
would be worth 11.25 millionrubles now.
So it's still I don't know.
Over there.
It might be a lot of moneythough, guys, I don't know,
that's still a lot of money, butit doesn't compare to our
fucking billion dollar drawings.
That's.
That's something totallydifferent.
I don't even know what wouldyou do with $500 million.
I'd take the lump sum and paythe taxes.
(20:31):
That's what I would do, guys.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Yeah, definitely so.
Reinvest, take care of thepeople.
Like, realize, and I meanthat's just silly, because I
don't even play the lottery,that is hypothetical.
But like, yeah, I would alsoprepare for cousins.
I didn't even know I had comingout of the woodwork, right,
(20:54):
yeah, oh, hey, rememberThanksgiving in 1992?
No, no, I did not.
No.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Yeah, I don't know.
I would probably not tellanybody.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
That's the thing yeah , I would probably just invest
half of it and then maybe buyproperty with a quarter of it
and give a quarter away for sureand again, this is silly, this
is easy for me to say that whenthere's all this money staring
you in the face, but I reallyhonestly believe that's what I
(21:27):
would do would be like, okay,people need this more than me,
but I've got to be secure and uhyeah, yeah, and if you continue
to make money off it and suchtoo, then you can do more.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
You know some more good things Like there's yeah, I
agree with you, and it doesn'ttake Bill Gates' money to be
that way, but if you did havethat kind of security, then you
could really impact some shit.
I totally agree.
You know there is thepossibility that you may end up
going on a polar bear huntingexpedition too, though who knows
?
You know that's.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Nah, I'm not shooting a polar bear, I'm just joking.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
That's what I'm saying.
How disgusted you got aboutthat shows that you wouldn't be
that way.
Sorry about that, because I wastrying to make a joke, bro,
like you'd switch him.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
It's like I don't know Smokers have it hard enough
Shit.
No, I know you need to go killone.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
You are an empath.
That's so funny.
Oh man, that's good though.
Alright, guys.
Well, I hope you liked theshort story.
We might do more of thesebecause, uh, that was kind of
fun and, um, I don't know.
The goal would be to bring backsome like stuff they're not
teaching anymore.
I was shocked.
I think I remember reading thisin high school and and stuff
(22:44):
like oh, wow, yeah, and uh, itmight have been a night school
that I did, though I can'tremember, I don't know, but I
know I'd read it before and whenI'd seen it I recognized it and
that's why I picked it out.
I didn't totally remember it ornothing, and you know, the other
goal with it would be is hereand there, sticking like you
know, a retold folklore that'swritten kind of like, similar to
the Tales of the Little People,that book I had from 18, 19, 14
(23:14):
, or whatever the fuck it was,you know.
So, nonetheless, I hopeeverybody out there is having a
good winter.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
If that's possible, guys, winter's probably not too
bad in Haiti, right as youdiscussed.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Yes, sorry about that , I didn't think you know the
warm breeze is.
I don't know.
Maybe it's some kind of weirdstorm season, though Maybe it's
raining like a mother.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Yeah, no, it could be very unpleasant and getting
like yeah, yeah, but it's notcold, Colonized and Ugh gosh, no
fun.
Poor Haitians man, not cold.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
No, I've, yes, very much.
So, yeah, I'm with Killer Mikenow.
I feel for them.
Haitian people, anyway, feelfor all.
Yeah, well, yeah, for sure, ofcourse, no doubt, dude.
Yeah, all right, guys, well,anyway, have a nice day evening,
whatever it may be, don'tforget about us at
pitlocksupplycom.
Get you an I Tell a Story shirt, or maybe feel generous and
(24:06):
click the subscribe link.
You know, make our show grow.
Share the subscribe link.
You know, make our uh, make ourshow grow.
Share it, share.
It would be good If you guysshare it on social media.
That'd be King.
I mean, that's the, the enginethat drives everything at this
point.
So would be appreciated, and wedo appreciate you out there.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Much love everybody, thank you.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.