The five stories written by Iwan Bunin in 1912 are treasures that resonated strongly with his contemporaries. The unusual fates represent Bunin's vision of rural Russian life, a seemingly timeless existence in the shadow of modernity, far from the large cities. Yet, in the small and large destinies, the inner life of this world is reflected: in the deadly drinking bet of the peasant Worobjow, as well as in the fate of the abused child Ljubka or that of Andrej and Vera, who realize the failure of their dreams during their last meeting.