NIKÍTA. It's still alive! I can't! It's alive!
ANÍSYA. If it's alive, where are you off to? [Tries to stop him].
NIKÍTA [rushes at her] Go away! I'll kill you! [Catches hold of her arms; she escapes, he runs after her with the spade. Matryóna runs towards him and stops him. Anísya runs into the porch. Matryóna tries to wrench the spade from him. To his mother] I'll kill you! I'll kill you! Go away! [Matryóna runs to Anísya in the porch. Nikíta stops] I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!
MATRYÓNA. That's because he's so frightened! Never mind, it will pass!
NIKÍTA. What have they made me do? What have they made me do? How it whimpered.… How it crunched under me! What have they done with me?… And it's really alive, still alive! [Listens in silence] It's whimpering … There, it's whimpering. [Runs to the cellar].
MATRYÓNA [to Anísya] He's going; it seems he means to bury it. Nikíta, you'd better take the lantern!
NIKÍTA [does not heed her, but listens by the cellar door] I can hear nothing! I suppose it was fancy! [Moves away, then stops] How the little bones crunched under me. Krr … kr … What have they made me do? [Listens again] Again whimpering! It's really whimpering! What can it be? Mother! Mother, I say! [Goes up to her].
MATRYÓNA. What is it, sonnie?
NIKÍTA. Mother, my own mother, I can't do any more! Can't do any more! My own mother, have some pity on me!
MATRYÓNA. Oh dear, how frightened you are, my darling! Come, come, drink a drop to give you courage!