Book 2 Part 4 Chapter 4 (Chapter 133 Overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: The hunt. The horse Donets, Vifl-yan-ka. The "Little Uncle." Karai the wolf-hound. The buffoon, Natasya Ivanovna. The wolf-hunt. The angry huntsman.
Briggs: The wolf-hunt begins.
Maude: The wolf-hunt begins
Pevear and Volkhonsky (chapters 4-5): The hunt.

Translation:

IV.

The old count always held a huge hunt and now delivered all the same hunting into the waging of his son, and on this day, the 15th of September, cheered up, and also gathered himself to leave.

In an hour all the hunters were on the porch. Nikolay with a strict and severe look, showing that it was not now to engage in trifles, passed by Natasha and Petya, who said something to him. He examined all the parts of the hunting, sent forward a flock of hunters in a lap, sat down on his ginger don and, whistling to the dogs of his pack, set off across the threshing floor into the field leading to Otradnoe order. The horse of the old count, in a playful measure, called Viflyanka, led the count’s stirrup; he himself already was to leave all in the carriage in an abandoned by him hole.

All the bred hounds were 54 dogs under the leaving and remaining 6 persons. The hunters besides the gentlemen were 8 persons, behind which prowled more than 40 greyhounds, so that with the master’s packs left in the field were about 130 dogs and 20 equestrian hunters.

Each dog knew their owner and nickname. Every hunter knew their business, place and appointment. As only coming out behind the fence, all without noise and talking evenly and calmly stretched out by the road and weeds leading to the Otradnoe wood.

As by a fur carpet the horses went by the weeds, occasionally slapping by puddles when crossing across roads. A foggy sky continued unnoticed and evenly went down on the land; in the air was a quiet heat moving. Occasionally was heard that whistling hunter, that snore of the horses, that stroke of a whip or screech of a dog, not marching in its location.

Now driving off a verst, towards the Rostov hunt from the fog appeared five more riders with dogs. Ahead rode a fresh, nice old man with a large gray-haired mustache.

— Hello, uncle, — said Nikolay, when the old man drove to him.

— A clean business march!... and so known, — began talking the uncle (this was a further relative, a not rich neighbor of the Rostovs), — and so known how not to endure, and okay how to ride. A clean business march! (this was the favorite saying of the uncle.) — Take order now, but my Girchik announced that Ilagin with a hunt stands at Korniki; they are in yours — a clean business march! — under your nose they will take the brood.

— Go there. What again, dump the flocks? — asked Nikolay, — dump...

The hounds united into one flock, and the uncle with Nikolay went nearby. Natasha, wrapped up in a handkerchief, from under which could be seen the brisk brilliant eyes of her face, jumped up by him, not accompanied by the lagging behind from her Petya, Mihailo the hunter, and the horse trainer, who was put as her nanny. Petya for some reason laughed, beat, and jerked his horse. Natasha cleverly and confidently sat on her black Arab and with a true hand, without effort, besieged it.

The uncle disapprovingly turned back at Petya and Natasha. He did not love to unite pampering with the severe business of hunting.

— Hello, uncle, and we are going, — screamed Petya.

— Hello, hello, and the dogs not delivered, — strictly said the uncle.

— Nikolinka, what a lovely dog, Trunila! It found me, — said Natasha about her favorite hound dog.

"Trunila, first, is not a dog, but a hound dog," thought Nikolay and strictly looked at his sister, trying to give her the feeling of that distance which they must share in this moment. Natasha understood this.

— You, uncle, do not think that we hinder someone, — said Natasha. — We have come in this location and do not move.

— And good business, countess, — said the uncle. — Only from those horses do not fall, — he added: — But that — a clean business march! — not to hold on to that.

The island of the Otradnoe order was seen at one hundred fathoms, and the arriving approached to it. Rostov, having decided finally with the uncle, where from to throw the hounds and indicating to Natasha the place where she was to stand and where in no way anyone could run, directed in a lap above the ravine.

— Well, nephew, in the seasoned stand, — said the uncle: — mind not to iron (the hunt).

— As work, — was the response of Rostov. — Karay, dance! — he shouted, answering by this appeal to the words of the uncle. Karay was an old, oafish, and burly male, known by how he alone took a seasoned wolf. All came to their places.

The old count, knowing the hunting hotness of his son, in a hurry not to be late, and still not in time arriving drove to his place, as Ilya Andreich, merry, rosy, with shaking cheeks, on his black rolled up to the greens to the left of his hole and, straightening his fur coat and wearing hunting shells, climbed onto his smooth, well-fed, meek, kind, and grayish as he, Viflyanka. The horses were sent with the carriage. Count Ilya Andreich, although not a hunter by soul, knew firmly the hunting laws, entered into the edge of the bushes from which he stood, disassembled his reins, recovered on the saddle and, feeling himself ready, turned back smiling.

Beside him stood his valet, the vintage, but heavy rider, Semen Chekmar. Chekmar held onto a pack of three dashing, but also as overweight as the master and horse, — wolfhounds. Two dogs, smart, old, settled down with a pack. One hundred steps a little farther on the edge stood a different stirrup of the count, Mitka, a desperate rider and passionate hunter. The count by old habit drank before the hunt a silver glass of hunting casseroles, ate and washed it down with a half-bottle of his favorite bordeaux.

Ilya Andreich was a little bit red from the wine and drive; his eyes, covered in moisture, especially shone, and he, wrapped up in a fur coat, sitting on the saddle, had the view of a child who was collected for a walk.

The lean, with drawn in cheeks Chekmar, arranged with his own business, glanced at the baron, with whom he lived for 30 years-old soul to soul, and, understanding his pleasant location of spirit, was waiting to have a nice conversation. Still a third face drove carefully (it was seen, it was already learned) from behind the forest and stopped behind the count. This face was an old man in a gray haired beard, in a female hood and high cap. This was the jester Nastasya Ivanovna.

— Well, Nastasya Ivanovna, — winking to him, whispered the count, — you only stomp the beast, to you Danilo will assign.

— I myself... with my mustache, — said Nastasya Ivanovna.

— Shhhh! — hissed the count and turned to Semen.

— Saw Natalia Ilyinichna? — he asked Semen. — Where is she?

— They with Petya Ilyich from Zharov weeds come, — was the response of Semen smiling. — Also a lady, but having a big hunt.

— But you are amazed, Semen, at how she rides... ah? — said the count, —  Though would a man in time!

— How do you not wonder? Bold and clever!

— But Nikolasha is where? Above Lyadovsky on horseback? — all in a whisper asked the count.

— Exactly so. Really they know where to begin. He knows to ride so that I with Danilo at different times give to marveling — spoke Semen, knowing that this pleased his master.

— Okay to ride, ah? But on a horse is something, ah?

— As drawing a picture! As the other day from the Zavarzin weeds he pushed the fox. They began to skip over from the killing of passion — The horse is a thousand rubles, but the rider is priceless. Yes, really such a fine fellow to search!

— To search... — repeated the count, apparently regretting that Semen ran out of speech so soon. — To search, — he said, turning away the floors of his fur coat and getting a snuffbox.

— I find how from mass in thorough regalia he came out so that Mihail Sidorych... — Semen did not finish talking, upon hearing a clearly distributed in the quiet air rut with the howling of not more than two or three hounds. He, tilting his head, listened and silently threatened his master. — In the brood they’ve leaked — he whispered, — all onto Lyadovskaya they lead.

The count, forgetting to wipe off the smile from his face, watched before himself far away from the barrier and, not smelling, held his hand on the snuffbox. Following behind the bark of the dogs was heard the voice of a wolf, served in the bass horn of Danilo; the flock joined to the first three dogs and it was heard how the hounds roared with a bay voice, with that special howling which served as a sign of rutting by the wolves. The arriving now did not smack, but hooted, and from behind all the voices came forward the voice of Danilo, that bass piercingly small. The voice of Danilo, it seemed, filled all the forest, went out from behind the forest and was heard a long way into the field.

Listening for a few seconds silently, the count and his stirrup made sure that the hounds broke into two flocks: one big, roaring especially hot, had begun to move away, another part of the flock raced along by the wood past the count, and at this flock was heard the hooting of Danilo. Both of these ruttings blended, overflowed, but both were removed. Semen sighed and bent down, so to send a bundle, in which was a confused young male; the count also sighed and, noticing the snuffbox in his hand, opened it and took out a pinch.

— Backwards! — shouted Semen at a male which came forward behind the edge. The count flinched and dropped the snuffbox. Nastasya Ivanovna tore and began to raise it.

The count and Semen looked at him. Suddenly, as this often is, the sound of the rutting instantly approached, as if here before themselves were the barking mouths of the dogs and the hooting of Danilo.

The count turned back and to the right saw Mitka, whose rolling out eyes watched the count and, holding up his hat, pointed out to him forward, on the other side.

— Guard! — he shouted in such a voice that it was seen that this word for a long time was already painfully requested out of him. And galloping, he released the dogs by the direction of the count.

The count and Semen jumped out from the fringes and left from themselves was seen the wolf, which softly waddling in a quiet gallop jumped to the left of them to that very edge in which they were standing. The spiteful dog screeched and, having broken with the pack, carried to the wolf past the feet of the horses.

The wolf suspended its run, awkwardly, as a sick toad, turning its forehead to the dogs, and also softly waddling jumped a time, another and, shaking a log (its tail), hid at the edge. At that same moment from the opposite fringes with a roar, similar to a cry, bewilderingly jumped out one, another, then a third hound, and all of the flock raced by the weeds by that very place where the wolf climbed (ran). Following behind the hounds parted the hazel bushes and appeared the brown, blackened from sweat horse of Danilo. On its long lumpy back, lying forward, sat Danilo without a hat with gray-haired, disheveled hair above his red, sweaty face.

— Ulyulyulyu, ulyulyu!... — he shouted. When he saw the count, in his eyes flashed lightning.

— Zh... — he shouted, threatening with a raised whip at the count.

— Ah...whether that wolf!.. Hunters! — and as if would not honor the confused, scared count with further conversation, he with all malice prepared at the count, stroked by the sunken wet sides of his brown gelding and carried behind the hounds. The count, as punished, stood looking back and trying to smile caused in Semen regret to his position. But Semen already was not there: he, in a detour by the bushes, jumped the wolf from the notches. With two parties he also jumped over the beast with the greyhounds. Yet the wolf went to the bushes and not one hunter intercepted it.

Time: 15th of September an hour later
Mentioned: the other day

Locations: Otradnoe
Mentioned: Zharov steppe (...rank grass in Maude and Mandelker....high grass in Dunnigan. high grass at Zharvry in Garnett, high grass near Zharovo in Dole. thicket by Yarow in Bell.), Lyadov height (...upland in Maude, Mandelker, and Dunnigan (plural in the latter). Lyadovsky upland in Garnett. Lyadovo hill in Dole. Liadow in Bell.), Zavarzin steppe (Zavarzinsky thicket in Pevear and Volkhonsky, Garnett, and Mandelker. Zavarzinsky high grass in Dunnigan. patch at Zavarzino in Briggs. Zavarzinsk thicket in Maude. steppe at Zavarzino in Dole. plain by Zavarzine in Bell.)

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: The setting up of the hunt and Nikolai's stern supervision over it. Sort of a parallel to the military: "Each dog knew its master and its name. Each hunter knew his task, place, and purpose." An overseriousness to almost the point of parody.

The introduction "the uncle" and "The uncle glanced disapprovingly at Petya and Natasha. He did not like combining play with the serious business of hunting."

Natasha rides "equal of any man!" and is "bold, skillful" along with emphasis on how Nikolai sits on his horse (contrast with how Napoleon sits on his earlier in the novel). Again, the count suffers a sort of embarrassment here,
first being submissive to his son and the rules of the hunt, while he becomes frightened at the end of the chapter, while his subordinates take charge

Characters (characters who do not appear, but are mentioned are placed in italics. First appearances are in Bold. First mentions are underlined. Final appearance denoted by *):

Count Ilya Andreyitch Rostof (also "the old count" and "barin".)

Nikolai (also "son", "little nephew", and "Nikolenka". Called "Nikolasha" by the count. Maude, Briggs, and Edmonds just use the normal variation of Nikolai.)

Natasha (also "sister" and "little countess". Called "Natalia Ilyinitchna" by her father, as in Dole. "Natalya Ilyinitchna" in Garnett. "Natalya Ilyinichna" in Dunnigan. Maude, Mandelker, and Edmonds just replace it with "young
countess". Briggs just calls her "Natasha" there. Bell calls her "Natalie Ilinischna" and Wiener "Natalya Ilinichna".)

Petya (called "Piotr Ilyitch" by Semyon, as in Dole. "Pyotr Ilyitch" in Garnett. "Pyotr Ilyich" in Dunnigan. Just "Count Peter" there in Maude. "Master Petya" in Briggs. "Count Piotr" in Edmonds. "Count Pyotr" in Mandelker.
"Peter Ilich" in Wiener. Just "her brother" in Bell.)

Donets (as in Dole, Maude, and Mandelker. Nikolai's "sorrel". "chestnut Don horse" in Garnett and Dunnigan (Mandelker and Maude also preface with "chestnut") Bell calls him "Donetz" in an alternate reading.)

Viflyanka ("the old count's steed, a dun-colored gelding".)

The count's groom (who actually takes Viflyanka. As with Viflyanka, this description makes it debatable whether they are just mentioned or an actual character in the chapter.)

The old man (that Nikolai calls "little uncle", a neighbor and distant relative of the Rostofs.)

Girchik

Mikhailo (here is where things get a little weird. Dole's alternate spelling, as well as the fact that he is called "the huntsman", suggest a different character than the one referenced last chapter, especially since Dole has an
additional groom "delegated to attend her." However, Edmonds uses the same spelling as last chapter and conflates him with the groom as one character. Garnett and Briggs do the same thing. Dunnigan keeps the same
spelling but differentiates between him and the "riding master". Maude and Mandelker do something very similar. In light of this, I'll keep the alternate spelling Dole uses for this chapter so I can put both in the index, but I'm
going to assume the Mikhails in the last two chapters are the same character and the same as in chapter 67. I also won't separate him from the groom that is supposed to watch Natasha, as I don't think that differentiation
is clear enough. To add further confusion, Semyon begins a story that is quickly interrupted that references "Mikhailto Sidoruitch", as in Dole. Garnett translates the second name as "Sidoritch". "Sidorych" in Dunnigan,
Maude, and Mandelker. Whether this is supposed to be the same person is unclear. Weiner calls him "Mikhayla" and Bell calls him "Mikailo", confusingly saying "Michael Sidorovich" the second time, implying a different
person. Wiener also implies it is a different person with "Mikhail Sidorych".)

Arabchik (as in Dole, Dunnigan, and Edmonds. "raven black" horse Natasha rides. "Arabtchick" in Garnett. "Arabchick" in Mandelker. Bell just calls it "a handsome arab with a lustrous black coat.")

Trunila (Natasha's favorite greyhound. Bell calls him "Trounila")

Karai (as in Dole. "an aged, deformed, ugly-faced hound". "Karay" in Briggs, Weiner, Garnett, and Edmonds. "Karae" in Bell)

Semyon Chekmar (as in Dole, Briggs, and Mandelker. Ilya Andreyitch's valet. Not to be confused with the musician with the same first name from Book 1 Part 1. "Simon Chekmar" in Maude. "Semyon Tchekmar" in
Garnett. "Semione Tchekmar" in Bell. "Semen Chekmar" in Wiener.)

Mitka (another "whipper-in" and "huntsman".)

Nastasya Ivanovna ("the buffoon who bore the woman's name". Bell offers an alternate reading in "Nastacia Ivanovna".)

Danilo (called "Danila" by Count Rostof)

(130 dogs and twenty mounted huntsmen. Also, the Ilagins, Mandelker uses an alternate in Dagins, are referenced as a family or hunting party. Also a notable wolf that gets away.)

Abridged Versions: No break in Bell.
Gibian: Chapter 4.

Fuller: Entire Chapter is cut.

Komroff: Entire Chapter is cut.

Kropotkin: Entire Chapter is cut.

Bromfield: Natasha doesn't call Trunila a "dog", so Nikolai doesn't get on to her for it. There is also an erroneous reference to Shakespeare's Henry IV Part 2 (Tolstoy has Henry IV shunning Falstaff as an analogy for Nikolai's
treatment of Natasha. It is actually Henry V that does this at the end of the play). There is a dispute about a different dog named Zavidka. No chapter break.
Simmons: Chapter 4: The conversations with Simon and the character of Nastasya Ivanovna are removed.

Additional Notes: Maude: "The practice of keeping a buffoon in country houses lasted till after the abolition of serfdom. 'Alesha the Pot, from whom Tolstoy later made so tragic a story, was a sort of buffoon Tolstoy's wife
found at Yasnaya Polyana when she arrived there after her marriage in 1862."

Morson: He noted that the character “uncle,” described in the hunting episode “as accurately and carefully as the novel’s main characters,” reappears at Borodino in the drafts of the novel, but not at all in the finished work

Nikitenko/Jacobson/Kolchin: Page 48: "'Uncle" is a term of address by children to any male of mature age."

Constantine Leontiev The Greatness and Universality of War and PEace “In Tolstoy’s analysis, however, there are no limits either in man’s temperament, his age, or his sex, nor even in a zoological species, for at times he shows us what the bull felt, what the dog thought, what the horse was

imagining.