Chekhov's story of a policeman, a small white dog, and an opinion that changes again and again.
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Ten words open the story. Do the four short activities. Say your answer out loud first, then click Reveal.
Three words: owner · general · stray. Say the right word, then reveal.
This is a famous Russian story, told here in simple English. Read each part. Then answer the questions from memory, and talk about one question.
A policeman called Ochumelov is walking across the market square. He is wearing a new coat. Behind him walks a young constable. Everything is quiet. The shops are open, but there are no people in the square. It is a quiet, sleepy day, and nothing is happening. Ochumelov is an important man here, and he knows it.
Suddenly someone shouts: "You bit me, you terrible animal!" A small white dog runs out of a yard. A man runs after it, falls down and catches it by the back legs. In a minute, a big crowd is there.
The man is Khryukin, a goldsmith. He is holding up his finger, and there is blood on it. "This dog bit me for no reason!" he says. "I work with my hands. I can't work for a week! Somebody must pay me!" The little dog sits in the middle of the crowd. It is trembling.
"I'll stop this!" says Ochumelov. "The owner will pay a fine, and the dog will be destroyed. Whose dog is it?" Somebody in the crowd says, "I think it's the general's dog."
1. What happened to Khryukin?
2. What does Ochumelov say first about the dog and its owner?
1. A small white dog bit his finger. He wants money because he can't work.
2. The owner will pay a fine, and the dog will be destroyed.
"The general's dog? Oh!" says Ochumelov. "Take my coat off, please. It's boiling today!" He looks at Khryukin. "This is a tiny dog, and you are a huge man. How could it bite you? I think you cut your finger on a nail, and now you want money!"
"He put a cigarette in the dog's face for a joke," says a man in the crowd, "so the dog bit him." "That's a lie!" shouts Khryukin. "And my brother is a policeman, you know!" "Be quiet!" says Ochumelov.
"No," says the constable. "This isn't the general's dog. His dogs are big and expensive." "Really?" says Ochumelov. "Yes, I thought so. Look at it — it's a dirty, ugly street dog! Khryukin, you are right. This dog must be destroyed!"
"But maybe it is the general's," says the constable. "I saw a dog like this at his house." "Oh!" says Ochumelov. "Put my coat on, please. It's freezing! Take the dog to the general's house. It's a lovely, valuable dog. And you, Khryukin — put your stupid finger down. It's your fault!"
1. Why does Ochumelov take his coat off — and why does he put it on again?
2. How many times does his opinion about the dog change in this part?
1. He says it's hot, then cold — but really he is nervous because the dog might belong to the general.
2. Three times: it's a tiny dog (general's) → an ugly street dog (not the general's) → a lovely dog (maybe the general's).
Then the general's cook, Prokhor, walks past. Everybody in the crowd turns to look at him. "Prokhor! Is this your dog?" "No," says Prokhor. "We never had a dog like that." "Then it's a stray!" says Ochumelov. "Destroy it!"
"It's not ours," Prokhor says, "because it belongs to the general's brother. He arrived yesterday." Ochumelov smiles a huge smile. "His brother! How wonderful! What a sweet little dog! It bit this man's finger — ha ha! Clever little dog!"
Prokhor takes the dog home. The crowd laughs at Khryukin. "I'll get you later!" Ochumelov says to Khryukin. Then he puts his coat around him and walks away across the square, as if nothing happened.
1. Who is the real owner of the dog?
2. Who do the people laugh at at the end?
1. The general's brother.
2. Khryukin — not the policeman.
Ochumelov uses strong adjectives when he wants to show strong feelings: the dog is tiny, the day is boiling, then freezing. Strong adjectives mean "very + adjective".
Write the strong adjective.
1. The dog was very small. → It was .
2. "Take my coat off — it's very hot!" → "It's !"
3. Khryukin was a very big man. → He was .
1. tiny 2. boiling 3. huge
Write very or absolutely.
1. "Put my coat on — it's freezing!"
2. The dog was afraid.
3. Khryukin was furious.
1. absolutely 2. very 3. absolutely
Really is fine in all three!
Write a strong adjective in each gap. Then read the paragraph aloud.
First, Ochumelov said the dog was (very small) and Khryukin was (very big). He said it was (very hot) and took his coat off. Then he said the dog was (very dirty) and (very bad). Then he said it was (very cold) and put his coat on again. At the end, he said the dog was (very good)!
tiny · huge · boiling · filthy · terrible · freezing · wonderful
Seven strong adjectives — and they show you how much his feelings change!
Keep these adjectives ready — in the Speak tab you will tell the whole story yourself.
Anton Chekhov wrote this story in 1884. He was 24 years old and was just becoming a doctor. He wrote many short, funny stories for magazines to earn money for his family. Today Russian people still call a person who always changes their opinion "a chameleon".
This is the most important part of the lesson. Do everything out loud. Use the timer and try to speak for the whole time.
Tell A Chameleon in your own words. Follow the steps: the quiet square → the bitten finger → "pay a fine!" → "the general's dog?" — coat off → "an ugly street dog" → "maybe it is the general's" — coat on → the cook → "the general's brother!" → the crowd laughs.
Use at least four strong adjectives and at least five key words (crowd, tremble, bite, owner, stray, general, fine, laugh at, change your mind, take off / put on).
Say what you think and give three reasons. Is Ochumelov a bad man? Or is he only afraid of the general and of losing his job? What should a good policeman do in this situation?
Then change sides! Speak for one minute for the other opinion.
Talk about how people treat important people.
No idea? Choose one of these: