The Bear By Anton Chekhov A Comic and Charming One Act Play

Author’s Introduction

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904) is regarded as one of Russia’s most cherished storytellers. He has written some hilarious one-acts, but his tragic stories have made him one of the major dramatists.

He is one of the playwrights and masters of the modern short story. He began writing short stories at the University of Moscow At the start of his career, he mastered the art of one-act and produced some fine pieces.

His well-known literary contributions include The Seagull, The Cherry Orchard, The Bear, The Steppe, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, Easter Eve, The Bet, The Black Monk, and so on. Most of his works centered upon the themes of serfdom, the rise of the middle class, the downfall of the feudal system, etc.

In 1888, Chekhov was given the Pushkin Prize, and after that, he was elected a member of the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature. Chekhov finally married an actress, Olga Knipper, who had performed in his plays in 1901. He died in Germany from tuberculosis.

Historical Overview

The Bear by Anton Chekhov with another name The Boor, is a one-act farce written in 1888 and first performed in the same with the name of Medved in Moscow Russia. Later, it was translated into English as The Bear by Julius West and in The Plays by Anton Tchekoff in 1916.

It was also included in The Cherry Orchard & Other Plays by Anton Checkov, the second series, published by Hard Press in 2006. Chekhov passed through a transition from writing short stories to focusing more on the theater in those days.

The period of The Bear was marked by his exploration of human folly and the absurdities of everyday life, which he often portrayed through humor and satire. It is a comedic play that employs exaggerated characters and situations to express incongruities of human behavior.

The Bear received positive reviews for its wit and humor upon its initial performance. It has since become one of Chekhov’s most popular short plays and is frequently performed in various theaters. It is known for the clever use of dialogue, character development, and its commentary on themes such as love, grief, and gender roles.

Summary | The Bear By Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov’s classic play The Bear revolves around two protagonists, Popova and Grigory Stepanovtch Smirnov. Popova is a widow. Her husband died seven months ago, but she is still mourning. She has decided to cut off herself from the outside world.

She has strictly ordered her servant, Luka, not to allow anybody to see her. Luka is an old and faithful servant of Popova. He dislikes the mourning condition of his mistress. He advises his mistress not to shut herself in the four walls.

He says It isn’t right madam…..you’re just destroying yourself. He tells Popova to change her decision to mourn throughout her life. She declares her determination not to forget her husband till she breathes her last. She says I shall never go out…..why should I? Why life is already at an end?

Again she says, I shall be true till death, and show him how I can love. Luka quotes his example and tells her that his wife had also died. He mourned her for a month and that was enough. He could not grieve for her throughout his life.

He advises her to visit the neighborhood and meet the young army officers as she is still young and can attract many young people. But Popova does not accept any advice. After some time, Smirnov enters Popova’s house.

He is a landowner who lent 1200 roubles to Mr. Nikolai( Popova’s late husband) before he died. He demands the debt be paid once because his creditors are behind him. Popova informs him about having less money and her steward is out in the field. 

On his return, her steward will pay the amount. Smirnov insists and makes fun of Popova’s mourning. He refuses to leave her house until she pays money. Both Popova and Smirnov were stubborn.

Popova tells him that she cannot pay money as she is in a state of mind. Smirnov insists that he wants his money at the same time. Popova requests him not to disturb her. Popova calls him coarse-bear. Smirnov criticizes all the women and calls them insincere, cruel, and vain.

Popova calls men cruel and faithless. She gives the example of her late husband who had illegal relations with many women. He was also insincere with Popova. Smirnov behaves rudely. She gets annoyed at this behavior and tells him to be nice to women in this rough manner.

Popova and Smirnov angrily fight with each other. Popova challenges Smirnov to a gunfight. Popova brings out her husband’s pistols. But she doesn’t know how to shoot. Smirnov teaches her how to fire with a gun.

During this, Smirnov falls in love with Popova. He kneels before her and says, I love you as I’ve never loved before! I’ve refused twelve women, nine have refused me, but I never loved one of them as I love you. He also says, I’m in love like a student, I’ve been on my knees. I want to fall in love with you.

Firstly, Popova refuses him but later when he describes his property and wealth, she accepts his marriage proposal. When Popova’s servants arrive to beat Smirnov, they are amused and surprised to see that Popova and Smirnov are embracing each other.

The play comes to a dramatic end. At the end of the play, Popova orders Luka, to tell them in the stables that Toby isn’t to have any oats at all today. This sentence shows that Popova has completely forgotten her late husband and she has accepted Smirnov as her husband.

The Theme of the Play

Anton Chekhov’s The Bear has had a significant influence on the development of modern drama. He blended comedy with more serious themes. The themes of The Bear are satirical exploration of love, grief, and the roles of genders. 

He explores the irrationalities of human emotions and societal expectations through humor. The play reveals how love can unexpectedly arise even in the most adverse situation. Popova and Smirnov go from grief, and anger to love and acceptance.

Popova’s pretended mourning for her late husband shows her absurdity of living in the past and refraining from meeting people. It suggests that excessive grief can be self-destructive and that it is important to move on ignoring societal norms and human behaviors.

Popova and Smirnov’s interaction is a challenge to traditional gender roles. In the beginning, Smirnov exhibits a macho attitude and Popova pretends to be a fragile widow. However, as the play progresses, both characters reveal their strengths and vulnerabilities breaking down gender stereotypes.

Popova and Smirnov’s sudden reconciliation followed by intense situations converts the play into a farcical and comic tone that gives entertainment and happiness to the audience too. The audience puts itself into the feet of these two characters. This comic play lightens the mood of the readers.

The Bear by Anton Chekhov Analysis

The Bear is a one-act comedic farce and gives a satirical look at human emotions and the absurdities of societal norms. Through the interactions of Popova, a mourning widow, and Smirnov, a brusque landowner, the play explores how love can be felt even in the most unusual circumstances.

Popova, a young widow, deeply mourned the death of her husband. She has isolated herself from society, vowing to remain loyal to her late husband’s memory. But undergoes significant transformations throughout the novel. 

I vowed never to the end of my days to cease to wear mourning, or to see the light…

The starting lines of the play depict Popova as a fragile and melancholic figure but as the play proceeds, she reveals her strength and assertiveness in her confrontation with Smirnov. By the end, she transforms from a mourning widow to a vibrant lady open to love again.

Smirnov is a rough and impatient creditor who demands his debt from Popova, exhibiting a misogynistic attitude and showing little respect for Popova’s grief. Gradually  Smirnov’s character softens and reveals his vulnerability. His initial rudeness changes into genuine affection for Popova.

And I’m in a state of mind which, if I don’t pay the interest due tomorrow, will force me to make a graceful exit from this life first.

The play highlights the transformative power of love. Popova and Smirnov experience profound changes in their attitudes and behaviors through the interactions. Chekhov suggests that love can break down barriers and alter even the most rigid characters. Popva’s servant Luka compels her to enjoy life before her beauty would perish and there would be no one to provide her company. Despite her husband’s disloyalty, she wants to be sincere with him and won’t get married next. The Bear is famous for its brevity, art of characterization, and powerful dialogue delivery.

Major Characters of the Play

Smirnov

Smirnov is the main character of the play. He is a creditor who comes to Popova’s house to take back his credit from Popova’s husband who has borrowed 1200 rubles to buy food for his horses. Popova refuses to return her husband’s loan. Her steward is out of the city.

When her steward comes back, she will return his loan. But Smirnov is stubborn and wants to take back his money at once. Both Smirnov and Popova get entangled and start fighting. In the end, the story takes a U-turn. Smirnov offers Popova for marriage and she accepts the proposal.

Popova

Popova is the Heroine of the play. She is a beautiful woman but a widow because her husband died seven months ago. She left meeting people after her husband’s demise. When Smirnov comes to her house to take back his credit, she denies meeting him.

She pretends that she loves her husband very much and is loyal to him. Her servant compels him to come out of this situation and meet people but she refuses him not to move out. Smirnov demands his money but she is not ready to give him money.

Luka

Luka is the servant of Popova. He is an expert. When Popova weeps for her husband, she consoles her and motivates her to meet people. He advises her to leave the mourning and participate in the activities of life. In the end, he is taken aback when he sees Popova in Smirnov’s arms.

Nicolai Mehalowich

Nicolai Mehalowich is Popova’s husband. When the play starts, we come to know that he had died seven months ago. He is shown as unfaithful and cheating with his wife. When he was alive, he had many girlfriends and illicit relations with women. He wrote letters to women and deceived his wife.

The Use of Literary Devices

Anton Chekhov’s various literary devices in The Bear enhance the comedic and thematic elements of the play.

Satire: Satire is a technique used to criticize society with its norms and human behavior particularly the absurdity of excessive mourning and rigid gender roles in The Bear. Through Popova’s fake mourning and Smirnov’s macho attitude,  the author highlights the irrationality and flaws in these behaviors.

Irony: The Bear is rich in irony, especially in situational irony. Popova‘s vow to remain loyal to her late husband, and ends up falling in love with Smirnov, is deeply ironic. Moreover, Smirnov’s transition from a rude creditor to a love-struck suitor is another example of situational irony.

Hyperbole: The use of hyperbole in The Bear emphasizes the characters’ emotions and actions. Popova’s declaration that she will mourn her husband forever and her refusal to leave the house are exaggerated to highlight the absurdity of her situation.

Symbolism: Many symbols are used throughout the play, such as the pistols symbolize both conflict and resolution. The title The Bear itself is symbolic of Smirnov’s rough and uncouth nature, which is later revealed to have a tender side.

Dialogue: Chekhov used sharp, witty dialogue as a key device in the play. The exchanges between Popova and Smirnov are filled with humor, sarcasm, and wit, driving the plot forward and revealing the characters’ personalities and emotions.

Characterization: The dramatist uses characterization to develop the main characters. Popova and Smirnov are well-rounded characters with distinct personalities and motivations. 

Humor: The Bear is a comic play that employs various forms of humor, including slapstick, verbal wit, and situational comedy. The exaggerated behaviors and absurd situations create a humorous and entertaining atmosphere.

Important Questions and Answers of The Bear

Answer

Comedy is a play in which the writer exposes, The social evils of the people like pretension and hypocrisy. They have variety in their moods. The Bear is a farce rather than an absurd play because it is full of fun, fury, and boisterous noisy laughter.

The characters are ridiculous, funny, emotional, and sentimental. Popova is a beautiful young widow. Her husband died seven months ago. After the death of her husband, she has decided not to see anybody.

She outwardly shows her grief to others by wearing a black dress and remaining on the four walls of her house. She lives in darkness even during the daytime. When Luka advises her to give up her mourning. She says,

My life is already at an end. He is in his grave, and I have buried myself between four walls, we are both dead.

This is however all affectation, pretension, and hypocrisy. One day, Smirnov, a moneylender comes to Popova’s house and insists on seeing her. She meets him contrary to her wishes. He tells Popova his intention to take back the 1200 roubles he lent to her late husband.

Popova agrees to give him the debt but requests him to visit when her steward comes. Smirnov insists on getting back the money immediately. Both criticize each other with unpleasant words. Then Popova calls Smirnov in a bad and uneducated manner.

You’re a boor! A coarse bear! Bourbon! A monster

She explains that he knows nothing about how to treat women. He ridicules all the women. He accuses the women by saying they are insincere, selfish, and hypocritical. Both start to fight with pistols in a duel. At that, Smirnov falls in love with Popova and says.

Her eyes, her eyes! What an inspiring woman.

The reader laughs at their moods in different situations. The play The Bear starts with a tragic situation where we see a quarrel at the outset and the end is comical. The writer observes three unities time, place, and action.

Answer

As an animal, the bear stands for stubborn nature, sore-headedness, ill-tempered, and quarrelsome. A bear remains untidy, dirty, and filthy all the time. The same case is the physical condition of Smirnov in the play.

It becomes evident that when Popova leaves the drawing room, he looks at himself and utters his physical condition in words. Dirty, unwashed, unkept, straw on my waistcoat. Like a bear, he is also obstinate, aggressive, and quarrelsome.

His ill-mannered nature becomes clear when he enters Popova’s drawing room without permission. Similarly, his obstinacy becomes evident when he insists on staying in the presence of Popova while she implores him to go out.

Being irrational, sentimental, and aggressive, he does not speak and behaves Popova softly and gently. He calls Popova disobedient, faithless, and insincere like other women. He calls her rudely compelled or bound to behave him roughly and harshly.

He castigates, rebukes, and taunts in such a harsh and quarrelsome manner that Popova is bound to call him: You are a rude, ill-bred man! He becomes even more aggressive and angry when Popova orders her servant Luka to send him out.

Here, he starts yelling and condemning Luka. As a result, Popova calls him: You are a boor, a coarse bear, bourbon, a monster. This situation becomes even more thrilling when he tells Popova to fight a duel with pistols. Upon which, Popova calls him Bear, bear, bear.

In short, the title aptly suits the action as well as the subject matter of the play. Smirnov is physically termed and he has behavior problems. The title of the play is ironic. Popova calls Smirnov a bear but at the end of the play, she accepts him as her future husband.

Answer

The play is a farce, yet it produces laughter through the rude, contradictory, and opposing behaviors. Both are very rash and sentimental. They make decisions suddenly but at the next moment, they change them.

Comedy is a story in which the writer exposes the shortcomings and follies of the people like pretension and hypocrisy. The characters of a comedy are also not serious. They have variety in their moods. Popova is a beautiful young widow. Her husband died seven months ago.

She outwardly shows her sufferings to others by wearing black attire and confining herself to the four walls of her house. She creates darkness in her house all the time even during the daytime. Luka, her faithful attendant, advises her to give up her mourning.

You know when Nicolai Mihailovitch, life lost all its meaning for me. I vowed never to the end of my days to cease to wear mourning or to see light… Let his ghost see how well I love him

She expresses her so-called love for her husband and even dies with her husband. This is however all her affectation, pretension, and hypocrisy. when Smirnov comes,  she starts hating him. She doesn’t like his way of talking and calls him a bear.

At the end of the play, we find a sudden change in her attitude when she responds to Smirnov’s love.  She lets him kiss and embrace. The reader bursts into laughter to see her different moods in different situations. Smirnov also becomes a laughing stock having his variety of moods.

At the start of the play, he is very aggressive and annoyed. Even he criticizes Popova’s mourning. He even criticizes all the women and creates a lot of noise, jumps up and down, and speaks in a loud, aggressive, and angry voice.

I’d rather sit on a barrel of gunpowder than talk to a woman.

In the end, Smirnov starts liking Popova. All his rude behavior and ill-mannerism blew in the air. The aggressive man is now the same one begging for a hand. The play starts in a tragic situation but ends in comedy.

I love you as I’ve never loved before! I’ve refused twelve women, nine have refused me,  but I never loved one of them as I love you. 

Answer

The Bear is a classic one-act play written in 1900. It is one of the greatest works of Anton Chekhov which is very much about a woman. It is a comedy play that gives the audience entertainment and amusement.

Popova is the heroine of the play. When the play opens, she is presented as a beautiful and young widow. She is seen in a sad condition. Although outwardly she tries her best to spend the rest of her life in the memories of her husband, inwardly she is mourning over her unfulfilled and unbridled desires.

At the beginning of the play, she pledges to remain alone her whole life. She says to Luka that she will remain loyal to her husband till the time of her death. She promises not to see anybody, but when Smirnov comes, she first annoys him to meet her but later she is ready to talk with him.

I know it’s no secret to you that he was often unfair to me, cruel, and even unfaithful, but I shall be true till death

Popova is a very bold and proud woman. She fights with Smirnov with the pistol. She instigates Smirnov to teach her how to shoot a man with a gun. At the end of the play, Popova proves selfish as she fights with Smirnov and when Smirnov tells her about his property and status, she accepts his proposal of marriage.

Popova is highly talkative and violent. She repeats her words, talks fast, long, and sometimes uses insulting words. So she calls Smirnov a boor, a coarse bear, a monster, Devil take you. but her talk endears her to Smirnov. She is ready to fight a duel with him when she can not even for a pistol

In short, Popova is a double-minded personality in the play. She says something different but acts according to her own will and benefit. She has been ridiculed in the play and she reflects the real face of a woman with her pretension of love.

Answer

The play The Bear by Anton Chekhov is written in the setting of farce and comedy in which an emotional and pretentious woman Popova and a misogynist Smirnov meet and express their views about women and men respectively.

Popova is a young, beautiful, and rich Russian landlady who needs a rich landowner to be her husband. And so is the need of a rich landowner to have a fine young and rich wife.

The rural society is under the landowners’ control and the agreement between the status of husband and wife is very significant. The play ends with the rich old bachelor Smirnov’s marriage with the richer Popova.

They want to enjoy the power of money and property together in each other’s company. Money and property are the upper classes’ best means of enjoyment of life. Chekhov presents this richest segment of society in the best possible manner.

The glamour of this segment hides the wretchedness of the lower classes. These classes revolted against upper-class economic exploitation. Injustice to the oppressed is the distasteful aspect of Russian life that gave rise to the Russian Revolution of 1917.

We in our country close our eyes to this distasteful theme of our society that some other nations do in their countries. The play has unusual situations. It has unexpected happenings. Thus the play has universal relevance.

Answer

Smirnov is a middle-aged and retired army lieutenant of the Russian army. He is forceful, energetic, and smart. He looks like a fine shot as he says, I can put a bullet through a coin tossed into the air as it comes down. He gives the expression of an outspoken man.

Everything he says or does proves his aggressive nature. Firstly, Smirnov is very active and sharp, bold, but unmannerly. When Luka tells him that Popova does not see any visitors in her sad condition, he pushes himself right in.

He comes into the dining room without permission. Secondly, Smirnov is a bright and brilliant talker ready to reply wisely. It makes the play lively. Thirdly, Smirnov is passionate and indecent in his behavior. His point of view for women can be seen in these words:

I’ve seen more women than you’ve seen sparrows! Three times I’ve fought duels on account of women.

He humorously describes all his past secrets and love affairs with women. He boasts before Popova and says that he has met more women in his life than she has seen sparrows. He blames her for merely overacting the death of her husband. He insists on staying at her house till his money is paid.

I’ll stay for a year. I’m going to get my own, my dear! You don’t get at me with your widow’s weeds and your dimpled cheeks!

He tells Luka that he doesn’t care about Popova’s black clothes and dimples in her cheeks., and only needs his money. He asks Luka to bring wine without letting Popova offer it to him. Fourthly, Smirnov presents himself as a clever psychologist in his long talk with Popova after calling her dear lady. He gets to know her views.

Thus, he lays a solid foundation for their marriage. Smirnov is lucky to get a beautiful, faithful, and childless wife, fit for him in terms of age and status. He increases his property by joining it with hers and gets mental peace, companionship, and happiness for all time.

Explanation of Passages

Passage 1

What grace there was in his strength! Do you remember? Toby, Toby! Tell them to give him an extra feed of oats

Reference

This extract has been taken from the play, The Bear by Anton Chekhov

Context

Popova is a young widow. After the death of her husband, she has decided not to see anybody. Smirnov, a moneylender, comes and insists on seeing her. She meets him contrary to her wishes.

He demands the money lent to her husband and insists on getting back the money immediately. The situation turns when both decide to marry contrary to the readers’ expectations.

Explanation

These are Popova’s lines Popova is a very young and beautiful lady. Her husband died seven months ago. She is very upset after the death of her husband and has worn a black dress.

In these lines, Popova shows her love for her late husband. As she knows that her late husband liked to ride on Toby. So she orders her servants to give him extra oats. Actually, she wants to show her true and constant love for her husband

Passage 2

You won’t get around me like that now! I’ve had enough black eyes, passionate eyes, ruby lips, dimpled cheeks, the moon, whispers, timid breathing………

Reference and Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

These are Smirnov’s lines. He is a humorous and loveable character in the play. Smirnov is very rough and rude in his behavior. When Popova refuses to give him money, he becomes ruder.

He rebukes her solitude and mourning condition. He blames her for merely overacting at the death of her husband. He humorously describes all his past secrets and love affairs with women. He boasts before Popova and says that he has met many women in his life.

He also describes that he will never be impressed with her black and passionate eyes, ruby lips, dimpled cheeks, and whispers. In simple, Smirnov is a jolly character in the play and he makes the play funny and readable

Passage 3

It isn’t right madam… you’re just destroying yourself. The maid and the cook have gone off for fruit picking, every living being is rejoicing…

Reference and context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

In these lines, Luka, an old sincere servant advises his mistress; Popova, about her future life. He tells her that it is not right that she is destroying herself by constantly mourning the death of her husband.

He tells her that the maid and the cook have gone out to pick the fruit. He also adds that everything is enjoying life and is pleasurable. Luka does not like the mourning condition of his mistress. He thinks that she must enjoy herself like other normal people.

Passage 4

Excuse me, Sir, I am not accustomed to listening to such expressions or not to such a tone of voice. I want to hear no more.

Reference and Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

These are Popova’s lines. Popova is a very young and beautiful lady. She belongs to a wealthy Russian family. She is disturbed after the death of her husband and starts wearing a black dress. She decides to remain in a black dress till the end of her life.

Although her husband died seven months ago, she is still dressed in black clothes. One day, Smirnov, a rich moneylender, comes there and insists on seeing her. She meets him contrary to her desires. He tells Popova that he has come to get back the 1200 roubles that he has lent to her husband.

Popova agrees to give him the debt but requests him to wait till her steward comes. Smirnov insists on getting it back immediately. At this moment Popova expresses her views that she is a very gentle lady and does not like to listen to the harsh tone of Smirnov. She warns him not to speak in this manner.

Passage 5

But I shall be true till death and show him how I  can love. There, beyond the grave, he will see me as I was before his death.

Reference and Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

The Bear is an interesting and light comedy. In this play, the writer describes the nature of human beings. In these lines, Popova, who is looking at the portrait of her late husband, tells her old servant that she will be true in her love for her dead husband till her death.

She adds that she wants to show his ghost her love and sincerity. Beyond his grave, he will see her as she was before his death. These are hypocritical remarks. But at the end of the play, she behaves to her words as she accepts Smirnov’s proposal to marry him.

Passage 6

Are you afraid? Yes? You don’t get out of it. You come with me! I shan’t have any peace until I’ve made a hole in your forehead…that forehead which I hate so much! Are you afraid?

Reference and Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

Popova speaks out this dialogue, addressing Smirnov when they are ready to fight a duel. She rebukes Smirnov and asks him sternly to go away. Smirnov is a retired army officer and a rich landowner. He has come to take credit from Popova’s late husband.

Popova refuses to pay that day as she has no cash. They exchange harsh words and come to the point of staging and fighting a duel. Popova brings out two pistols and asks him to teach her to shoot. That is quite ridiculous.

In the meanwhile, Smirnov is deeply enamored of her because of her beauty, courage, and bravery. Surprisingly, he offers Popova for marriage. The paragraph is a dialogue full of many farces, questions, and exclamations.

She is in a furious mood and tells him that she will not be satisfied until she has shot him dead. She expresses so much hate for him and intends to make a hole in his forehead. She throws him a challenge and asks, Are you afraid? She is surprised to see a revolutionary change in how Smirnov has changed his mind.

Passage 7

Moreover, it’s exactly seven months today since the death of my husband, and I’m in a state of mind that absolutely prevents me from giving money matters my attention.

Reference and Context

Same as for the first passage.

Explanation

These lines occur in the initial part of the play and are spoken by Popova. Popova tries to convince Smirnov that she has less to pay off the debt to her late husband, at the moment. It is because she is still mourning the death of her husband.

She is seriously disturbed, upset, and sorrowful at her heavy loss. Her mental condition is not in a proper, stable, and right position to think over monetary or worldly matters. In other words, she means to convey that her mind is disturbed and unable to ponder over things.

She is still preoccupied with the sad memories of her dead husband since his death. She is in a perturbed, depressed condition to consider and devote attention to her worldly matters like money or business, etc.

Passage 8

Instead of talking like that, you ought to go and have a walk in the garden, or else order Toby or Giant to be harnessed and then drive out to see some of the neighbors.

Reference and Context

The same is explained in the first passage.

Explanation

In these lines, Popova’s servant Luka advises her to be happy. Popova’s husband died seven months ago and she is in a state of mourning because she claims to be in love with her husband and is determined to show her husband even after death that she is a faithful lady and will remain faithful till death.

Luka on the other hand is telling Popova that life is not meant just for one person and that life must not be ruined by one grief. Popova should go to the garden for change and order Toby or Giant to be prepared to go to some neighbor.

In this way, she can overcome her grief, or buy something for herself. She is buried in her four walls, quite devastating for her. She is quite young with roses in her cheeks so she should take care of herself and think about marrying again to someone.

However, instead of listening to this sound advice she remembers her husband’s love for Toby and asks Luka to give some extra feed of oats to Toby and Giant which were the favorite horses of her husband. Popova’s husband used to buy food for these horses.