: Undertaker and violinist who spent his whole life calculating losses, understands that life passed him. Before his death, he bequeaths his violin to a man whom he just offended.
In a small town lives seventy-year-old master undertaker Yakov Matveevich Ivanov, nicknamed Bronze. Things are going badly - there are few people, they rarely die, therefore there are not many orders.
In addition to the main craft, playing the violin brings him a small income - he is periodically invited to the Jewish orchestra when there are not enough people. Playing sometimes with the orchestra, the undertaker is imbued with hatred for the Jews, and especially the flutist Rothschild, who even manages to play the most fun song plaintively.
Jacob is always in a bad mood, because he suffers losses, and the thought of them constantly pesters him. So on this day, he calculates losses. From this occupation he is distracted by the dying wife of Martha.
She looked at the ceiling and moved her lips, and her expression was happy, as if she had seen death, her deliverer, and whispered to her.
Looking at his wife, Yakov Matveyevich suddenly realizes that for all his life he did not say a kind word to his wife, never brought any sweetness from the weddings he played at, often rushed at her with his fists and forbade her to drink too expensive tea, and she always was nearby ... It becomes clear to him why the dying wife has such a "strange, joyful face."
In the morning he takes a horse from a neighbor and takes Martha to the hospital. Starikov is taken by paramedic Maxim Nikolaevich, who, after a quick inspection, sums up - Martha does not live. He prescribes powders and a cold compress. At the request of Jacob to deliver the banks or to treat the paramedic with leeches, the refusal responds.
Elderly spouses returning home. Jacob recalls the upcoming Orthodox holidays, on which it is a sin to work, and begins to make a coffin for the old woman. In the evening, the old woman begins to recall what God had given them once upon a time a baby, but no luck, the girl died. Jacob himself does not remember anything and replies that this seems to her.
The priest comes to collect. Martha begins to mumble something, and dies by morning. The funeral is almost in vain: instead of the clerk, Jacob reads the hymn, the graveyard guard, his godfather, provides a free grave, and the coffin is also brought to the cemetery for free.
Jacob was very pleased that everything was so honest, decent and cheap and not offensive to anyone.
While saying goodbye to his wife, Yakov involuntarily notes what a good coffin he made.
On the way from the cemetery Jacob grips. He meets with Rothschild, whom Moses Ilyich, the managing director of the orchestra, sent for him. Jacob pounces on Rothschild with his fists, and the Jew runs away.
Not wanting to return home, Jacob wanders along the river. Passing by the willow, he recalls the baby that the old woman was talking about. Undertaker thinks about his life, which passed by, about losses, and about the fact that he just offended many people.
I couldn’t sleep at night.In the morning, Jacob rises through strength and goes to the hospital. Ivanov understands from the eyes of the paramedic that things are bad. He is not sorry to die - death will be only good and no losses. At home, he sees a violin, and he becomes sorry to leave it. Yakov Matveevich leaves the hut, sits at the threshold, begins to play and think about his unprofitable life.
He began to play, not knowing what, but it turned out plaintively and touching, and tears flowed down his cheeks. And the harder he thought, the sadder the violin sang.
Rothschild arrives and reports that the orchestra really needs a violinist to perform at a wedding. Hearing the melody played by Jacob, the flutist begins to cry.
In the evening, the father confesses Ivanov. Finally, Yakov Matveyevich says: "Give the violin to Rothschild."
Since then, Rothschild casts a flute, plays only the violin. He is trying to repeat those sounds that he heard performed by Jacob. It turns out so mournful composition that the performer himself cries. This new song is so popular in the city that the violinist vied with each other to call on merchants and officials, forcing them to play many times.
