Stories from collections of different years are offered to the attention of readers. Each of these small works is a pearl of sparkling humor, a grandiose and witty satire on the morals and way of life of Russian society. Among the topics that interest Averchenko are the socio-political life of the beginning of the last century, the interaction of art and everyday life, gender relations, the little joys and sorrows of children, the concerns of city dwellers. The situations and heroes presented in the author’s stories are often grotesque - and this makes them even more truthful. It is in such a bizarre depiction of reality that Averchenko’s skill is revealed, his true worldly wisdom is the result of continuous observations of the world around him and the people in it.