An ordinary story

Once in summer, in the village of Gratschakh, in the house of a not wealthy landowner lady named Anna Pavlovna Adieva, everyone in the house woke up since dawn, starting with the housekeeper and ending with the guard dog Barbos. Only her only son, Alexander Fyodorich, did not deviate from this; he remained deeply asleep as every young man in his twenties should sleep. Everyone was busy and preoccupied, but they were walking on tiptoe, speaking to each other in whispers for fear of waking the noble young man. And if one of them disturbed this complete silence with a loud word, even slightly, or with a movement accompanied by a rustle, no matter how small, Anna Pavlovna would immediately rush like an agitated lioness to punish the offender for the sin committed, either by uttering a foul word or sometimes striking him, depending on her anger and her ability to control her temper. Work in the kitchen was going on at a brisk pace, as if preparing a feast for ten people, even though the noble family consisted only of Anna Pavlovna and Alexander Fyodorich. In the barn, the cart was being cleaned and oiled. Everyone was working hard and actively, to the point that sweat was pouring down their faces. As for the guard dog Barbos, he was the only one who was not doing anything, but he also contributed in his own way to this general movement. When a servant, groom, or a rushing girl passed by him.