L'enfance et l'adolescence Édition spéciale pour la jeunesse revue par l'auteur

A young boy awakens in a cramped Parisian boarding house of the 1880s, greeted by the clumsy antics of his elderly preceptor, Karl Ivanovitch, who battles a fly with a makeshift swatter. The scene is painted with vivid details—the creaking oak bed, the red knitted cap, the soft goat‑skin boots—capturing the absurdity and tenderness of daily life in a Russian‑inspired household. Through the child's eyes we sense the push‑pull of admiration and irritation, a small rebellion that hints at the larger journey toward self‑understanding.

Tolstoy’s early narrative blends gentle humor with moments of unexpected melancholy, as the narrator confesses a fleeting nightmare of loss and wrestles with sudden tears. The dialogue between the boy, his stern but caring servant Nicolas, and the exuberant older sibling Volodia creates a lively chorus that carries the listener through the intimate routines of morning. Richly narrated, the story invites listeners to recall their own childhood quirks, making the simple act of rising from bed feel both universal and deeply personal.