One of the greatest Russian writers and playwrights, Anton Chekhov single-handedly created what later became the modern short story and influenced scores of writers in various languages. The stories in this collection have not been included in the latest published selections of Chekhov in English. These stories represent a lesser-known part of Chekhov’s genius. which is his remarkable ability to make people laugh; in particular, at some painful situations that are not entirely laughable. Examples include a botched tooth extraction, drinking a shot of kerosene, or being attacked by a big, mean dog. In these early Chekhov stories we also can see clear signs of the later Chekhov’s development leading to his remarkable plays: his ability to penetrate the entanglement of the human condition and to elucidate the hard, and - sometimes – impossible choices people face in their everyday lives.