The Witch

Saveliy is highly suspicious that his wife, Raisa is a witch. She is constantly luring people into their poverty-ridden house, under the pretence of shelter from a storm, in order to seduce them. His suspicions seem to be confirmed as a mailman and his coachman appear at their doorway, unable to contend with the harsh winds outside. Bursting with dialogue, and modelled on the real-life, secluded church that fascinated Chekhov himself, the tale of this sexton and his reluctant wife is widely considered to be one of Chekhov's most successful short stories.