Tolstoy’s stories are no less rich in content than his novels, so it’s also important to outline them correctly so as not to miss a single important detail from the plot and remember all the main events. So a brief retelling of the "Caucasian Captive" from "Literaguru" is an indispensable help in learning, as well as book analysis.
I chapter
In the Caucasus, one gentleman by the name of Zhilin served. One day he receives a letter from his mother, in which she asks her son to return home for a while, she feels bad and wants to finally see her son. She also reports that she looked for a bride for him.
There was a war in the Caucasus at that time, and the roads were unsafe. Zhilin, along with escort of soldiers goes on a journey. Damage often occurred on the road, and Zhilin decides to go further alone, hoping for his faithful horse. Another officer went with him - Kostylin.
As soon as the two left the escort, they were immediately overtaken by the Tatars. Frightened in fear, Kostylin started, Zhilin did not want to be given alive, because he knew how the Tatars treated the Russian prisoners. His horse was shot, the man himself was brought to the aul, put on a block and thrown into the barn.
II chapter
Zhilin did not sleep all night, the Tatars came in the morning, they did not understand Russian, and the man asked with gestures to bring water. A small thin girl with a jug came in, she looked at the captive in dismay, while he drank.
Zhilin was brought into the house, there the translator explained to the officer that they would not let him go until the ransom was given for him. The Tatars demanded three thousand, but the hero, remembering his poor mother, said that he was ready to give only five hundred.
The second prisoner was brought into the house, it turned out to be Kostylin, he could not hide from the Tatars. Zhilin was told that he had already sent a letter asking for a ransom. Zhilin wrote a note, but in such a way that it did not reach the recipient. He was determined to run away.
Chapter III
Kostylin was waiting for a ransom to be sent for him. Zhilin did not waste time in vain: during the day he examined the surroundings of the village, in the evenings he engaged in needlework.
Many Tatars spoke well of captured Russian: Zhilin repaired the clock of one of the villagers, cured the patient, and made beautiful dolls for the girls. The slender girl who brought a jug of water on the first day began to carry him milk. Her name was Dina.
Chapter IV
Zhilin lived this way for a month. Dina carried cakes and milk to him, some of the Tatars began to glare apprehensively at the prisoner, rumors appeared that they wanted to kill the soldiers without waiting for the ransom.
Zhilin made a small dig in the barn, in the afternoon he persuaded the boy, who was supposed to keep an eye on him, to climb the mountain. He examined the surroundings of the aul and roughly imagined which side to move to.
Chapter v
Kostylin was frightened of the escape, but nevertheless agreed. The yard dog barked when the prisoners crawled out from under the barn, but Zhilin had been feeding the dog for a long time, and he quickly became silent.
The captives wandered for a long time in the night forest, Kostylin was completely exhausted, he tore his legs into the blood and could no longer move. Zhilin was not ready to leave his comrade and carried him on his back.
The soldiers heard the clatter of hooves, and in an instant their Tatars overtook them, tied them up and drove them back to the aul. There the prisoners were beaten with whips, one of the Tatars told Zhilin that if the ransom did not come in a week, then he and his friend would be killed. The prisoners were put in a deep hole and fed like dogs.
Chapter VI
Zhilin’s last hope was the kind girl Dina. He made her beautiful new dolls, but the girl was afraid to take them, she gestured to the man that they wanted to kill him. Then he asked to bring him a long stick, the heroine shook her head and ran away.
Zhilin thought that the girl was cowardly, but one night a long pole went down into the pit. Kostylin ordered Zhilin to get out alone, he could not cope. The officer with difficulty with a heavy block on his leg climbed up the pole. Dina gave Zhilin food and cried for a long time. "Who will make you dolls without me?" The captive told her, stroking the girl on the head and hiding in the forest.
Zhilin got out of the forest and saw in the distance Cossacks, Russian soldiers. The hero turned around, and the Tatars rushed behind him at full speed. Of the last forces, the man rushed to his cry: “Brothers! Brothers! ” Tatars were afraid to run into the Russian cordon and stopped. The Cossacks immediately removed the block from Zhilin, fed and watered it. After that, he decided to stay in the Caucasus: “So I went home, got married! No, it’s clearly not my fate. ” A month later, Kostylin also returned barely alive; nevertheless, a ransom was sent for him.
