
On a sweltering June afternoon the city’s dust‑laden streets seem endless, and a weary dock worker drifts through the heat, longing for a breath of fresh air. He finds a quiet park bench, where the shade offers a brief respite from the clamor of urban life. A chance encounter with an old colleague, Esa, breaks the monotony, as the two exchange hurried greetings and the weary man pours out his frustrations about the relentless grind.
Esa speaks of a simple summer retreat on the banks of Lake Päijänne—a place where dockworkers gather each year to rest, fish, and share meals of potatoes, milk, and fresh strawberries. The invitation promises cool breezes, wholesome food, and a chance to feel human again, far from the city’s relentless noise. As the conversation unfolds, the prospect of leaving the concrete jungle for a few weeks becomes a tempting glimpse of renewal, hinting at what a change of scenery might mean for a tired soul.
Language
fi
Duration
~54 minutes (51K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2006-11-26
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
1870–1920
A Finnish writer and journalist with strong ties to the labor movement, he also helped found the newspaper Kouvolan Sanomat. His surviving work is remembered for its early-20th-century social focus and working-class perspective.
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