Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin

Queen of Spades

The Queen of Spades means secret malevolence.

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And on rainy days

They were going

They bent - God forgive them! -

From fifty

And they won

And they unsubscribed

So, on rainy days,

They were studying

One day we were playing cards with horse guard Narumov. The long winter night passed unnoticed; We sat down to dinner at five o'clock in the morning. Those who were the winners ate with great appetite; the others, absent-mindedly, sat in front of their empty instruments. But the champagne appeared, the conversation became livelier, and everyone took part in it.

-What did you do, Surin? - asked the owner.

- Lost, as usual. I must admit that I am unhappy: I play with myrandole, I never get excited, nothing can confuse me, but I keep losing!

“And you’ve never been tempted?” never put it on rue?.. Your firmness is amazing to me.

- What is Hermann like? - said one of the guests, pointing to the young engineer, - he hasn’t picked up cards in his life, he hasn’t forgotten a single password in his life, and until five o’clock he sits with us and watches our game!

“The game occupies me greatly,” said Hermann, “but I am not able to sacrifice what is necessary in the hope of acquiring what is superfluous.”

– Hermann is German: he is calculating, that’s all! - Tomsky noted. – And if anyone is unclear to me, it’s my grandmother, Countess Anna Fedotovna.

- How? What? - the guests shouted.

“I can’t understand,” continued Tomsky, “how my grandmother doesn’t show off!”

“What’s so surprising,” said Narumov, “that an eighty-year-old woman doesn’t show off?”

- So you don’t know anything about her?

- No! right, nothing!

- Oh, so listen:

You need to know that my grandmother, sixty years ago, went to Paris and was in great fashion there. People ran after her to see la Venus moscovite; Richelieu trailed after her, and the grandmother assures that he almost shot himself because of her cruelty.

At that time, ladies played pharaoh. Once at court, she lost something very much to the Duke of Orleans at his word. Arriving home, the grandmother, peeling the flies off her face and untying her hoops, announced to her grandfather that she had lost and ordered him to pay.

My late grandfather, as far as I remember, was my grandmother's butler. He feared her like fire; however, upon hearing about such a terrible loss, he lost his temper, brought the bills, proved to her that in six months they had spent half a million, that they had neither a village near Moscow nor Saratov near Paris, and completely refused payment. The grandmother slapped him in the face and went to bed alone, as a sign of her disfavor.

The next day she ordered to call her husband, hoping that the home punishment had an effect on him, but she found him unshakable. For the first time in her life, she reached the point of reasoning and explanation with him; I thought to reassure him, condescendingly proving that debt is different and that there is a difference between a prince and a coachman. - Where! grandfather rebelled. No, yes and only! Grandma didn't know what to do.

She was briefly acquainted with a very remarkable man. You have heard about Count Saint-Germain, about whom they tell so many wonderful things. You know that he pretended to be the Eternal Jew, the inventor of the life elixir and the philosopher's stone, and so on. They laughed at him as a charlatan, and Casanova in his Notes says that he was a spy; however, Saint-Germain, despite his mystery, had a very respectable appearance and was a very amiable person in society. Grandmother still loves him deeply and gets angry if people talk about him with disrespect. Grandmother knew that Saint Germain could have a lot of money. She decided to resort to him. She wrote him a note and asked him to come to her immediately.

The old eccentric appeared immediately and found him in terrible grief. She described to him in the darkest colors the barbarity of her husband and finally said that she placed all her hope in his friendship and courtesy.

Saint Germain thought about it.

“I can serve you with this amount,” he said, “but I know that you will not be calm until you pay me, and I would not want to introduce you into new troubles. There is another remedy: you can win back.” “But, dear Count,” answered the grandmother, “I tell you that we have no money at all.” “Money is not needed here,” Saint-Germain objected: “if you please listen to me.” Then he revealed to her a secret, for which any of us would give dearly...

Young players have doubled their attention. Tomsky lit his pipe, took a drag and continued.

That same evening the grandmother appeared at Versailles, au jeu de la Reine. Duke of Orleans metal; Grandma slightly apologized for not bringing her debt, weaved a little story to justify it and began to pontificate against him. She chose three cards, played them one after another: all three won her Sonic, and the grandmother won back completely.

- Chance! - said one of the guests.

- Fairy tale! – Hermann noted.

– Maybe powder cards? – picked up the third.

“I don’t think so,” Tomsky answered importantly.

- How! - said Narumov, - you have a grandmother who guesses three cards in a row, and you still haven’t learned her cabalistics from her?

- Yes, the hell with it! - Tomsky answered - she had four sons, including my father: all four were desperate gamblers, and she did not reveal her secret to any of them; although it would not be bad for them and even for me. But this is what my uncle, Count Ivan Ilyich, told me, and what he assured me of on honor. The late Chaplitsky, the same one who died in poverty, having squandered millions, once in his youth lost - Zorich remembers - about three hundred thousand. He was desperate. Grandmother, who was always strict with the pranks of young people, somehow took pity on Chaplitsky. She gave him three cards so that he would play them one after another, and took his word of honor never to play again. Chaplitsky appeared to his winner: they sat down to play. Chaplitsky bet fifty thousand on the first card and won Sonic; I forgot my passwords, my passwords, I won back and still won...

However, it's time to sleep: it's already a quarter to six.

In fact, it was already dawn: the young people finished their glasses and left.

– II paraît que monsieur est décidément pour les suivantes.

- Que voulez-vous, inadame? Elles sont plus fraîches.

Small talk

The old Countess *** was sitting in her dressing room in front of the mirror. Three girls surrounded her. One was holding a jar of rouge, another a box of hairpins, the third a tall cap with fiery-colored ribbons. The Countess did not have the slightest pretension to beauty, which had long since faded, but she retained all the habits of her youth, strictly followed the fashions of the seventies and dressed just as long, just as diligently, as she had done sixty years ago. At the window, a young lady, her pupil, was sitting at the hoop.

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin

"Queen of Spades"

“Once we were playing cards with the horse guard Narumov.” After the game, Tomsky told the amazing story of his grandmother, who knows the secret of three cards, allegedly revealed to her by the famous Saint Germain, which will certainly win if you bet on them in a row. After discussing this story, the players went home. This story seemed implausible to everyone, including Hermann, a young officer who had never played, but without stopping, followed the game until the morning.

Tomsky's grandmother, the old countess, sits in her dressing room, surrounded by maids. Her pupil is also here behind the hoop. Tomsky enters, he starts small talk with the countess, but quickly leaves. Lizaveta Ivanovna, the countess’s pupil, left alone, looks out the window and sees a young officer, whose appearance makes her blush. She is distracted from this activity by the Countess, who gives the most contradictory orders and at the same time demands their immediate execution. Lizanka's life in the house of a wayward and selfish old woman is unbearable. She is literally to blame for everything that annoys the Countess. Endless nagging and whims irritated the proud girl, who was eagerly awaiting her deliverer. That is why the appearance of the young officer, whom she had seen for several days in a row standing on the street and looking at her window, made her blush. This young man was none other than Hermann. He was a man with strong passions and a fiery imagination, whom only strength of character saved from the delusions of his youth. Tomsky's anecdote fired his imagination, and he wanted to know the secret of the three cards. This desire became an obsession, which involuntarily led him to the house of the old countess, in one of the windows of which he noticed Lizaveta Ivanovna. This minute became fatal.

Hermann begins to show signs of attention to Lisa in order to enter the Countess's house. He secretly gives her a letter declaring his love. Lisa answers. Hermann demands a meeting in a new letter. He writes to Lizaveta Ivanovna every day and finally gets his way: Liza makes an appointment for him in the house at the time when her mistress is at the ball, and explains how to get into the house unnoticed. Having barely waited for the appointed time, Hermann enters the house and makes his way to the countess’s office. After waiting for the countess to return, Hermann goes to her bedroom. He begins to beg the Countess to tell him the secret of the three cards; Seeing the old woman’s resistance, he begins to demand, turns to threats and finally pulls out a pistol. Seeing the gun, the old woman falls from her chair in fear and dies.

Lizaveta Ivanovna, returning from the ball with the countess, is afraid to meet Hermann in her room and even experiences some relief when there is no one in it. She indulges in thoughts when Hermann suddenly enters and reports the death of the old woman. Lisa learns that it is not her love that is Hermann’s goal and that she became the unwitting culprit in the death of the Countess. Remorse torments her. At dawn, Hermann leaves the Countess's house.

Three days later, Hermann attends the funeral service of the Countess. When saying goodbye to the deceased, it seemed to him that the old woman looked at him mockingly. He spends the day upset, drinks a lot of wine and falls soundly asleep at home. Waking up late at night, he hears someone entering his room and recognizes the old countess. She reveals to him the secret of three cards, three, seven and ace, and demands that he marry Lizaveta Ivanovna, after which she disappears.

Three, seven and ace haunted Hermann's imagination. Unable to resist temptation, he goes to the company of the famous gambler Chekalinsky and bets a huge amount on three. His card wins. The next day he bet on seven, and again he won. The next evening, Hermann is again standing at the table. He placed a card, but instead of the expected ace, he had a queen of spades in his hand. It seems to him that the lady narrowed her eyes and grinned... The image on the card strikes him with its resemblance to the old countess.

Hermann has gone crazy. Lizaveta Ivanovna got married.

One day, while playing cards with guardsman Naumov, the young officers heard an amazing story that Tomsky told, having heard from his grandmother. This story is about the secret of three cards that are sure to win if you bet on them in a row. This seemed implausible to everyone, including Herman, the young officer. He wanted to know about the secret of the cards.

The old countess, sitting surrounded by her maids, was Tomsky's grandmother. Next to her was her pupil, who was embroidering with a hoop. Lizaveta Ivanovna saw a young officer in the window, which caused a slight blush to appear on her cheeks. The countess, who found the young girl at the window, did not like this activity. And she immediately gives the pupil a task that requires its execution. Lizaveta is very irritated by the constant nagging and whims of the selfish and capricious old woman. Therefore, Lizaveta waited impatiently for her deliverer. The young officer standing at the window turned out to be Herman, a man with great imagination and strong character. Seeing the girl in an instant, it seemed fatal to him. The Countess, returning after the ball, is afraid of meeting Herman in the room, but is relieved when there is no one in it.

Herman enters and says that the Countess has died. Lizaveta learns that she unwittingly became the culprit in the death of the countess. Repentance greatly torments the soul.

During the funeral service for the Countess, Herman thought that the old woman looked at him mockingly. He drinks a lot of wine and sleeps. Waking up at night, he hears someone's steps in the room, and with horror recognizes the countess, who reveals to him the secret of the three cards, and in return demands to marry Lizaveta and slowly disappears.

“Once we were playing cards with the horse guard Narumov.” After the game, Tomsky told the amazing story of his grandmother, who knows the secret of three cards, allegedly revealed to her by the famous Saint Germain, which will certainly win if you bet on them in a row. After discussing this story, the players went home. This story seemed implausible to everyone, including Hermann, a young officer who had never played, but without stopping, followed the game until the morning.

Tomsky's grandmother, the old countess, sits in her dressing room, surrounded by maids. Her pupil is also here behind the hoop. Tomsky enters, he starts small talk with the countess, but quickly leaves. Lizaveta Ivanovna, the countess's pupil, left alone, looks out the window and sees a young officer, whose appearance makes her blush. She is distracted from this activity by the Countess, who gives the most contradictory orders and at the same time demands their immediate execution. Lizanka's life in the house of a wayward and selfish old woman is unbearable. She is literally to blame for everything that annoys the Countess. Endless nagging and whims irritated the proud girl, who was eagerly awaiting her deliverer. That is why the appearance of the young officer, whom she had seen for several days in a row standing on the street and looking at her window, made her blush. This young man was none other than Hermann. He was a man with strong passions and a fiery imagination, whom only strength of character saved from the delusions of youth. Tomsky's anecdote fired his imagination, and he wanted to know the secret of the three cards. This desire became an obsession, which involuntarily led him to the house of the old countess, in one of the windows of which he noticed Lizaveta Ivanovna. This minute became fatal.

Hermann begins to show signs of attention to Lisa in order to enter the Countess's house. He secretly gives her a letter declaring his love. Lisa answers. Hermann demands a meeting in a new letter. He writes to Lizaveta Ivanovna every day and finally gets his way: Liza makes an appointment for him in the house at the time when her mistress is at the ball, and explains how to get into the house unnoticed. Having barely waited for the appointed time, Hermann enters the house and makes his way to the countess’s office. After waiting for the countess to return, Hermann goes to her bedroom. He begins to beg the Countess to tell him the secret of the three cards; Seeing the old woman’s resistance, he begins to demand, turns to threats and finally pulls out a pistol. Seeing the gun, the old woman falls from her chair in fear and dies.

Lizaveta Ivanovna, returning from the ball with the countess, is afraid to meet Hermann in her room and even experiences some relief when there is no one in it. She indulges in reflection when Hermann suddenly enters and reports the death of the old woman. Lisa learns that it is not her love that is Hermann’s goal and that she became the unwitting culprit in the death of the Countess. Remorse torments her. At dawn, Hermann leaves the Countess's house.

Three days later, Hermann attends the funeral service of the Countess. When saying goodbye to the deceased, it seemed to him that the old woman looked at him mockingly. He spends the day upset, drinks a lot of wine and falls soundly asleep at home. Waking up late at night, he hears someone entering his room and recognizes the old countess. She reveals to him the secret of three cards, three, seven and ace, and demands that he marry Lizaveta Ivanovna, after which she disappears.

Three, seven and ace haunted Hermann's imagination. Unable to resist temptation, he goes to the company of the famous gambler Chekalinsky and bets a huge amount on three. His card wins. The next day he bet on seven, and again he won. The next evening, Hermann is again standing at the table. He placed a card, but instead of the expected ace, he had a queen of spades in his hand. It seems to him that the lady narrowed her eyes and grinned... The image on the card strikes him with its resemblance to the old countess.

Hermann has gone crazy. Lizaveta Ivanovna got married.

Queen of Spades

“Once we were playing cards with the horse guard Narumov.” After the game, Tomsky told the amazing story of his grandmother, who knows the secret of three cards, allegedly revealed to her by the famous Saint Germain, which will certainly win if you bet on them in a row. After discussing this story, the players went home. This story seemed implausible to everyone, including Hermann, a young officer who had never played, but without stopping, followed the game until the morning.

Tomsky's grandmother, the old countess, sits in her dressing room, surrounded by maids. Her pupil is also here behind the hoop. Tomsky enters, he starts small talk with the countess, but quickly leaves. Lizaveta Ivanovna, the countess's pupil, left alone, looks out the window and sees a young officer, whose appearance makes her blush. She is distracted from this activity by the Countess, who gives the most contradictory orders and at the same time demands their immediate execution. Lizanka's life in the house of a wayward and selfish old woman is unbearable.

She is literally to blame for everything that annoys the Countess. Endless nagging and whims irritated the proud girl, who was eagerly awaiting her deliverer. That is why the appearance of the young officer, whom she had seen for several days in a row standing on the street and looking at her window, made her blush. This young man was none other than Hermann.

He was a man with strong passions and a fiery imagination, whom only strength of character saved from the delusions of youth. Tomsky's anecdote fired his imagination, and he wanted to know the secret of the three cards. This desire became an obsession, which involuntarily led him to the house of the old countess, in one of the windows of which he noticed Lizaveta Ivanovna. This minute became fatal.

Hermann begins to show signs of attention to Lisa in order to enter the Countess's house. He secretly gives her a letter declaring his love. Lisa answers. Hermann demands a meeting in a new letter. He writes to Lizaveta Ivanovna every day and finally gets his way: Liza makes an appointment for him in the house at the time when her mistress is at the ball, and explains how to get into the house unnoticed. Having barely waited for the appointed time, Hermann enters the house and makes his way to the countess’s office. After waiting for the countess to return, Hermann goes to her bedroom. He begins to beg the Countess to tell him the secret of the three cards; Seeing the old woman’s resistance, he begins to demand, turns to threats and finally pulls out a pistol. Seeing the gun, the old woman falls from her chair in fear and dies.

Lizaveta Ivanovna, returning from the ball with the countess, is afraid to meet Hermann in her room and even experiences some relief when there is no one in it. She indulges in reflection when Hermann suddenly enters and reports the death of the old woman. Lisa learns that it is not her love that is Hermann’s goal and that she became the unwitting culprit in the death of the Countess. Remorse torments her. At dawn, Hermann leaves the Countess's house.

Three days later, Hermann attends the funeral service of the Countess. When saying goodbye to the deceased, it seemed to him that the old woman looked at him mockingly. He spends the day upset, drinks a lot of wine and falls soundly asleep at home. Waking up late at night, he hears someone entering his room and recognizes the old countess. She reveals to him the secret of three cards, three, seven and ace, and demands that he marry Lizaveta Ivanovna, after which she disappears.

Three, seven and ace haunted Hermann's imagination. Unable to resist temptation, he goes to the company of the famous gambler Chekalinsky and bets a huge amount on three. His card wins. The next day he bet on seven, and again he won. The next evening, Hermann is again standing at the table. He placed a card, but instead of the expected ace, he had a queen of spades in his hand. It seems to him that the lady narrowed her eyes and grinned... The image on the card strikes him with its resemblance to the old countess.

Hermann has gone crazy. Lizaveta Ivanovna got married.

Still from the film “The Queen of Spades” (1982)

“Once we were playing cards with the horse guard Narumov.” After the game, Tomsky told the amazing story of his grandmother, who knows the secret of three cards, allegedly revealed to her by the famous Saint Germain, which will certainly win if you bet on them in a row. After discussing this story, the players went home. This story seemed implausible to everyone, including Hermann, a young officer who had never played, but without stopping, followed the game until the morning.

Tomsky's grandmother, the old countess, sits in her dressing room, surrounded by maids. Her pupil is also here behind the hoop. Tomsky enters, he starts small talk with the countess, but quickly leaves. Lizaveta Ivanovna, the countess’s pupil, left alone, looks out the window and sees a young officer, whose appearance makes her blush. She is distracted from this activity by the Countess, who gives the most contradictory orders and at the same time demands their immediate execution. Lizanka's life in the house of a wayward and selfish old woman is unbearable. She is literally to blame for everything that annoys the Countess. Endless nagging and whims irritated the proud girl, who was eagerly awaiting her deliverer. That is why the appearance of the young officer, whom she had seen for several days in a row standing on the street and looking at her window, made her blush. This young man was none other than Hermann. He was a man with strong passions and a fiery imagination, whom only strength of character saved from the delusions of his youth. Tomsky's anecdote fired his imagination, and he wanted to know the secret of the three cards. This desire became an obsession, which involuntarily led him to the house of the old countess, in one of the windows of which he noticed Lizaveta Ivanovna. This minute became fatal.

Hermann begins to show signs of attention to Lisa in order to enter the Countess's house. He secretly gives her a letter declaring his love. Lisa answers. Hermann demands a meeting in a new letter. He writes to Lizaveta Ivanovna every day and finally gets his way: Liza makes an appointment for him in the house at the time when her mistress is at the ball, and explains how to get into the house unnoticed. Having barely waited for the appointed time, Hermann enters the house and makes his way to the countess’s office. After waiting for the countess to return, Hermann goes to her bedroom. He begins to beg the Countess to tell him the secret of the three cards; Seeing the old woman’s resistance, he begins to demand, turns to threats and finally pulls out a pistol. Seeing the gun, the old woman falls from her chair in fear and dies.

Lizaveta Ivanovna, returning from the ball with the countess, is afraid to meet Hermann in her room and even experiences some relief when there is no one in it. She indulges in thoughts when Hermann suddenly enters and reports the death of the old woman. Lisa learns that it is not her love that is Hermann’s goal and that she became the unwitting culprit in the death of the Countess. Remorse torments her. At dawn, Hermann leaves the Countess's house.

Three days later, Hermann attends the funeral service of the Countess. When saying goodbye to the deceased, it seemed to him that the old woman looked at him mockingly. He spends the day upset, drinks a lot of wine and falls soundly asleep at home. Waking up late at night, he hears someone entering his room and recognizes the old countess. She reveals to him the secret of three cards, three, seven and ace, and demands that he marry Lizaveta Ivanovna, after which she disappears.

Three, seven and ace haunted Hermann's imagination. Unable to resist temptation, he goes to the company of the famous gambler Chekalinsky and bets a huge amount on three. His card wins. The next day he bet on seven, and again he won. The next evening, Hermann is again standing at the table. He placed a card, but instead of the expected ace, he had a queen of spades in his hand. It seems to him that the lady narrowed her eyes and grinned... The image on the card strikes him with its resemblance to the old countess.

Hermann has gone crazy. Lizaveta Ivanovna got married.

Retold