Lyubka the Cossack by Isaac Babel
"Lyubka the Cossack" is a short story by Isaac Babel, set in Moldavanka, a vibrant and notorious district of Odessa known for its colorful and diverse Jewish community. The narrative centers on Tsudechkis, who becomes entangled in the operations of an inn owned by the titular character, Lyubka, a woman with a strong and imposing presence. The story unfolds with a blend of humor and social commentary, as Tsudechkis finds himself locked in a room after a landowner skips out on a bill, leading to a series of interactions that reveal the dynamics of life in this seaport.
Babel's storytelling is characterized by a unique narrator who, while not directly involved in the plot, offers a lively and engaging perspective, infusing the tale with wit and warmth. The plot also touches on themes of motherhood, as Lyubka is depicted as indifferent to her child while navigating her own challenges. As the story progresses, Tsudechkis’s cleverness ultimately earns him a position of responsibility at the inn, showcasing a blend of resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity. This tale serves as a vivid portrayal of the social fabric and complexities within the everyday lives of Moldavanka's inhabitants, encapsulating the essence of Babel's literary exploration of Jewish life in early 20th-century Odessa.
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Lyubka the Cossack by Isaac Babel
First published: "Lyubka Kazak," 1924 (English translation, 1955)
Type of plot: Symbolist
Time of work: About 1914
Locale: Odessa, Russia
Principal Characters:
Lyubka Shneiveis (the Cossack) , a proprietess of an innTsudechkis , a broker, and later the manager of Lyubka's innLittle Dave , Lyubka's infant sonMr. Trottyburn , the chief engineer on thePlutarch The unnamed narrator
The Story
"Lyubka the Cossack" is set in Moldavanka, the thieves' district of Odessa, the city where Isaac Babel lived after 1905. Although the narrator could be equated with the author, he plays no role in the action. His manner of storytelling, however, is highly colorful, so that the reader is continually reminded of his presence. The narrator becomes a separate, quaintly jocular persona who in fact acts as a substitute for the author. This special persona is to be found in all the stories, of which "Lyubka the Cossack" is one, making up the collection Odesskie rasskazy (1931; Tales of Odessa, 1955). The narrator informs the reader that his point in telling the story is to reveal how old Tsudechkis got the job of manager of the inn owned by Lyubka, who is nicknamed the Cossack. It is clear, however, that the author has the additional intent of portraying the colorful Moldavanka Jews and the exotic seaport itself.
The tale begins with the information that Tsudechkis has negotiated a sale to a landowner and then brought him to Lyubka's inn. The landowner enjoyed a meal and a girl—and skipped at dawn without paying. Tsudechkis is therefore asked to pay the six rubles. He refuses, however, and is locked up in Lyubka's room by the watchman Yevzel. Tsudechkis declares that God will free him as He led the Jews out of Egypt and out of the wilderness. Later he laments that he is in the "hands of Pharaoh."
From a window, Tsudechkis sees the procuress, Pesya-Mindl, minding Lyubka's baby, Little Dave, and reading a book about the Hasidic Jews. The baby is squalling. Tsudechkis learns that Lyubka has gone for the day and that the baby—already "as big as a Rooski-boy"—will take milk only from his mother's breast.
When Lyubka finally returns in the afternoon, Tsudechkis screams at her from his prison to have pity on the child and feed it. Lyubka pulls out her monstrous breast; the baby sucks at the nipple but finds no milk. Lyubka has been running all over town in the broiling heat. How could there be any milk? Essentially indifferent to the child, Lyubka leaves—but not before asking Tsudechkis one more time for the six rubles. Again he refuses, so Lyubka locks the door behind her.
Awaiting her in the yard is Mr. Trottyburn, the chief engineer on the Plutarch. He has brought with him two sailors, one an Englishman and the other a Malay. They have dragged into the yard a heavy box of contraband from Port Said: "cigars and fine silks, cocaine and files, unbonded tobacco from the State of Virginia, and dark wine from the Island of Chios." They make a deal on the goods and then get drunk. Late at night, the three visitors return to their ship, as an "orange star which has slid to the very brim of the horizon gazed wide-eyed at them."
Lyubka returns to her room, where Tsudechkis is rocking Dave's cradle with his bare toes. When Lyubka lies down to sleep, Tsudechkis places the infant beside her and a fine-toothed comb against her breast. When the baby tries to get milk he pricks himself and begins to cry. Tsudechkis quickly gives it a bottle. Within a few minutes the baby is feeding from the bottle on its own. When the sleepy Lyubka realizes that Dave has been weaned, she frees Tsudechkis. The next day she not only gives him a pound of tobacco and some tea but also makes him the manager of her inn.