HereVologonovlowershisvoice，andcontinueswithsomethingofthegrowlofanangrydog:
　　“Itoohavehadsons，oneofwhomwaskilledatKushkaadocumenthascertifiedtothateffect，anotherwasdrownedwhilstdrunk，threemorediedininfancy，andonlytwoarestillalive。Oftheselast，IknowthatoneisactingasawaiterinahotelatSmolensk，whiletheother，Melenti，waseducatedfortheChurch，senttostudyinaseminary，inducedtoabscondandgetintotrouble，andeventuallydispatchedtoSiberia。Therenow！Yes，theRussianiswhatmightbecalleda’lightweighted’
　　individual，anindividualwho，unlessheholdshimselfdownbythehead，issooncarriedoffbythewindlikeachicken’sfeather——forwearetooself-confidentandrestless。Beforenow，Imyselfhavebeenagull，amanlackingbalance:forneverdoesyouthrealiseitsowninsignificance，orknowhowtowait。“
　　Dissertationsofthekinddropfromtheoldmanlikewaterfromaleakypipeonacold，blusterydayinautumn。Wagginghisgreybeard，hetalksandtalks，untilIbegintothinkthathemustbeanevilwizard，andmasterofthisremote，barren，swampy，ravine-pittedregion——thatheitiswhooriginallyplantedthetowninthisuncomfortable，clayeyhollow，andhasthrownthehousesintoheaps，andentangledthestreets，andwantonlycreatedthetown’sunaccountablyrudeandroughanddeadlyexistence，andaddledmen’sbrainswithdisconnectednonsense，andconsumedtheirheartswithafearoflife。Yes，itcomestomethatitmustbehewho，duringthelongsixmonthsofwinter，causescruelsnowstormsfromtheplaintoinvadethetown，andwithfrostcompressesthebuildingsofthetownuntiltheirrafterscrack，andstingingcoldbringsbirdstotheground。
　　Lastly，Ibecomeseizedwiththeideathatitmustbehewho，almosteverysummer，envelopsthetowninthoseterriblevisitationsofheatbynightwhichseemalmosttocausethehousestomelt。
　　However，asarulehemaintainscompletesilence，andmerelymakeschewingmotionswithhisstrong-toothedjawsashesitswagginghisbeardfromsidetoside。Atsuchtimesthereisinhiseyesabluishfirelikethegleamofcharcoal，whilehiscrookedfingerswrithelikeworms，andhisoutwardappearancebecomessheerlythatofamagicianofiniquity。
　　OnceIaskedhim:
　　“Whatinparticularoughtmentowaitfor？“
　　Forawhilehesatclaspinghisbeard，and，withcontractedeyes，gazingasatsomethingbehindme。Thenhesaidquietlyanddidactically:
　　“SomedaytherewillariseaStrangeManwhowillproclaimtotheworldtheWordtowhichthereneverwasabeginning。ButtowhichofusisthehourwhenthatManwillariseknown？Tononeofus……AndtowhichofusareknownthemiracleswhichthatWordwillperform？Tononeofus。“
　　Onceuponatimethereusedtoglidepastthewindowofmyroomthefair，curly，wavering，goldenheadofNilushkatheidiot，aladlookinglikeathingwhichtheearthhasbegottenoflove。
　　Yes，Nilushkawaslikeanangelinsomesacredpictureadorningthesouthernorthenortherngatesofanancientchurch，as，withhisflushedfacesmearedwithwax-smokeandoil，andhislightblueeyesgleaminginacold，unearthlysmile，andaframecladinaredsmockreachingtobelowhisknees，andthesolesofhisfeetshowingblackalwayshewalkedontiptoe，andhisthincalves，asstraightandwhiteasthecalvesofawoman，coveredwithgoldendown，hewalkedthestreets。
　　Sometimeshoppingalongononeleg，andsmiling，andwavinghisarms，andcausingtheamplefoldsandsleevesofhissmocktoflutteruntilheseemedtobemovinginthemidstofanimbus，Nilushkawouldsinginahaltingwhisperthechildishditty:
　　0hLo-ord，pardonme！
　　Wo-olvesrun，Anddo-ogsrun，AndthehunterswaitTokillthewolves。
　　0hLo-ord，pardonme！
　　Meanwhile，hewoulddiffuseacheeringatmosphereofhappinesswithwhichnooneinthelocalityhadanythingincommon。Forhewaseveralighthearted，winning，essentiallypureinnocentofthetypewhichneverfailstoevokegood-naturedsmilesandkindlyemotions。Indeed，asheroamedthestreets，thesuburbseemedtoliveitslifewithlessclamour，toappearmoredecentofoutwardguise，sincethelocalfolklookedupontheimbecilewithfarmoreindulgencethantheydidupontheirownchildren；
　　andhewasintimatewith，andbelovedby，eventheworst。
　　Probablythereasonforthiswasthatthesemblanceofflightamidanatmosphereofgoldendustwhichwashiscombinedwithhisstraight，slenderlittlefiguretoputallwhobeheldhiminmindofchurches，angels，God，andParadise。Atallevents，allviewedhiminamannercontemplative，interested，andmorethanalittledeferential。
　　AcuriousfactwasthecircumstancethatwheneverNilushkasightedastraygleamfromapieceofglass，ortheglitterofamorselofcopperinsunlight，hewouldhaltdeadwherehewas，turngreywiththeashinessofdeath，losehissmile，andremaindilatingtoanunnaturalextenthiscloudedandtroubledeyes。
　　Andso，withhiswholeformdistortedwithhorror，andhisthinhandcrossinghimself，andhiskneestrembling，andhissmockflutteringaroundhisfrailwispofabody，andhisfeaturesgrowingstonelike，hewould，foranhourormore，continuetostand，untilatlengthsomeonelaidahandinhis，andledhimhome。
　　Thetalehaditthat，inthefirstinstance，born“soft-headed，“
　　hefinallylosthisreason，fiveyearsbeforetheperiodofwhichIamwriting，whenagreatfireoccurred，andthatthenceforthanything，savesunlight，thatinanywayresembledfireplungedhimintothistorporofdumbdread。
　　Naturallythepeopleofthesuburbdevotedtohimagreatdealofattention。
　　“TheregoesGod’sfool，“wouldbetheirremark。“ItwillnotbelongbeforehediesandbecomesaSaint，andwefalldownandworshiphim。“
　　Yettherewerepersonswhowouldgosofarastocrackrudejestsathisexpense。Forinstance，ashewouldbeskippingalong，withhischildishvoiceraisedinhislittleditty，someidleroranotherwouldshoutfromawindow，orthroughthecrannyofafence:
　　“Hi，Nilushka！Fire！Fire！“
　　Whereupontheangel-facedimbecilewouldsinktoearthasthoughhislegshadbeencutawayatthekneefromunderhim，andhewouldhuddle，franticallyclutchinghisgoldenheadinhispermanentlysoiledhands，andexposinghisyouthfulformtothedust，underthenearesthouseorfence。
　　Onlythenwouldthepersonwhohadgivenhimthefrightrepent，andsaywithalaugh:
　　“Godinheaven，whatastupidladthisis！“
　　And，shouldthatpersonhavebeenaskedwhyhehadthusterrifiedtheboy，hewouldprobablyhavereplied:
　　“Becauseitissuchsporttodoso。Asaladwhocannotfeelthingsasotherhumanbeingsdo，heinclinesfolktomakefunofhim。“
　　AsfortheomniscientAntipaVologonov，thefollowingwashisfrequentcommentonNilushka:
　　“Christalsohadtowalkinterror。Christalsowaspersecuted。
　　Whyso？BecauseeverHeenduredinrectitudeandstrength。Menneedtolearnwhatisrealandwhatisunreal。Manyarethesinsofearthcomeofthefactthattheseemingismistakenfortheactual，andthatmenkeeppressingforwardwhentheyoughttobewaiting，tobeprovingthemselves。“
　　HenceVologonov，liketherest，bestowedmuchattentionuponNilushka，andfrequentlyheldconversationswithhim。
　　“DoyounowpraytoGod，“hesaidonceashepointedtoheavenwithoneofhiscrookedfingers，andwiththedisengagedhandclaspedhisdishevelled，variouslycolouredbeard。
　　WhereuponNilushkaglancedfearfullyatthemysteriouslypointingfinger，and，pluckingsharplyathisforehead，shoulders，andstomachwithtwofingersandathumb，intonedinthin，plaintiveaccents:
　　“OurFatherinHeaven——“
　　“WHICHARTinHeaven。“
　　“Yes，intheHeavenofHeavens。“
　　“Ah，well！Godwillunderstand。Heisthefriendofallblessedones。“[Idiots；sincepersonsmentallydeficientarepopularlydeemedtostandinapeculiarlycloserelationtotheAlmighty。]
　　Again，greatwasNilushka’sinterestinanythingspherical。
　　Also，hehadaloveforhandlingtheheadsofchildren；when，softlyapproachingagroupfrombehind，hewould，withhisbright，quietsmile，layslender，bonyfingersuponaclose-croppedlittlepoll；withtheresultthatthechildren，notrelishingsuchfingering，wouldtakealarmatthesame，and，boltingtoadiscreetdistance，thenceabusetheidiot，putouttheirtonguesathim，anddrawlinanasalchorus:
　　“Nilka，thebottle-neck，theneckwithoutanapetoit“
　　[ProbablytheattractivenessofthisformulalayratherintherhymingoftheRussianwords:“Nilka，butilka，bashkabezzatilka！“thanintheiractualmeaning]。