Quiet Morning

In life, we often have to make choices. Doing a good deed is not easy, and sacrificing oneself in an emergency is even harder—especially for a child.

Two boys, Yashka and Volodya, went fishing on a quiet early morning. Yashka grew up in the village, and Volodya came from the city. Yashka walks in boots, while Volodya is barefoot. The boys don’t find it easy to get along, and sometimes they’re on the verge of an argument—but an incident while fishing changes their attitude to each other completely.

Volodya accidentally falls into the water and begins to drown. And Yashka is faced with a choice: run to the village to call for help, or throw himself in to save his friend. Calling for help is, of course, easier—but conscience tells Yashka that while he goes for help, Volodya will drown. And Yashka stops. He jumps into the water.

The boy risks his life, because saving a friend can mean drowning himself. There are many things he could have been afraid of, but Yashka fears most that he will be guilty of Volodya’s death. He can’t delay, can’t be afraid, can’t pity himself.

In the silence of the village morning, Yashka cried from everything he had endured. He made the right choice, and Volodya became endlessly dear to him.