The Marble Rabbit

In the small novella “Marble Rabbit,” the author tells about a marble figurine of a rabbit—“the size of a small potato.” The figurine appeared with the author in early childhood and has accompanied him to this day, serving as a talisman no less dear than Mitka, the famous hare.

In the novella, the author recalls his childhood, school truancies with well-made excuses, and the “prophecy” of his sister’s husband: “Maybe he will become a writer…”; his attitude to the moral character of young Vladimir Ulyanov; the little-known author of the well-known rhyme “One, two, three, four, five— the little rabbit went out for a walk”; and the boys from “Caravel,” among other things.