A very ill French officer and his orderly, who have both been hiding in the forest, approach one of the Russian campfires. The Russians show kindness, giving them both food and finding for the unwell officer an indoor place to sleep.
A very ill French officer and his orderly, who have both been hiding in the forest, approach one of the Russian campfires. The Russians show kindness, giving them both food and finding for the unwell officer an indoor place to sleep.
Book 15, Chapter 9
A very ill French officer and his orderly, who have both been hiding in the forest, approach one of the Russian campfires. The Russians show kindness, giving them both food and finding for the unwell officer an indoor place to sleep.
Summary:
Out of the forest into the bright firelight of the Russian Fifth Company stepped two strangely clad human figures clinging to one another. These were two Frenchmen who had been hiding in the forest, an officer and his orderly. The exhausted French officer, who is very ill, was Ramballe and the other Frenchman is his orderly. The French officer is so ill he can barely walk. The Russian soldiers treat them with great kindness, spreading a greatcoat on the ground for the sick man, and bringing some buckwheat porridge and vodka for both of them. The sick officer refuses the food and resting his head on his elbow lay silent beside the campfire, looking at the Russian soldiers with red and vacant eyes and groaning occasionally. Permission is obtained for the French officer to share the hut of one of the Russian officers, and the men carry him there. The French orderly, who appears tipsy, remains by the campfire and sings for the Russians, who enjoy but do not understand the song since none of these men is bilingual. They give him some more porridge and he with a laugh sets to work on his third bowl. The Russians look on smiling. realizing that although they have fought in the opposing army, all of them are human. In the night sky above, the stars are busy whispering something gladsome and mysterious to one another.
quote from the chapter:
They gave him some more porridge and Morel with a laugh set to work on his third bowl. All the young soldiers smiled gaily as they watched him. The older men, who thought it undignified to amuse themselves with such nonsense, continued to lie at the opposite side of the fire, but one would occasionally raise himself on an elbow and glance at Morel with a smile.
They are men too, said one of them as he wrapped himself up in his coat. Even wormwood grows on its own root.
O Lord, O Lord! How starry it is! Tremendous! That means a hard frost….
They all grew silent. The stars, as if knowing that no one was looking at them, began to disport themselves in the dark sky: now flaring up, now vanishing, now trembling, they were busy whispering something gladsome and mysterious to one another.
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