The chairwoman of the collective farm directorate Kulzaira keeps herself to herself. She usually sits at the table having wrapped herself tightly into a black downy shawl. She speaks rarely but with sharp powerful voice.

-          I would like to ask you… - Kulzaira begins.

-          What about?

-          Why do you trouble us, women? In fact our thing is to take much trouble at the fireplace and be busy about the house. What else are we up to?

-          Eh, do not talk like that. Now we have equal rights. But they must be not only on paper but also practically. Such women like you must be engaged in the community service.

-          I wish you would let us alone, we do not wish any other equality, - she insists obdurately. – At all times men nourish and clothe us, and now they are unable, are they?

            The conversations about women equality do not inspire Kulzaira for some reason. “What’s the matter?” – Some people are puzzled. And the inhabitants of the aul answer: “She is just a woman. You think, is it easy for her to rein the people? Each yells in his or her own way, tries to disburden his or her own cares upon her – and as a result, they have done a number on her head. She talks like this from malice”.

            And really and truly: merely a squabble about Dairabai’s grey cow is able to make flare up anybody. One time there happened a great discord because of this cow.

            All the members of guild “Algabas” were announced that that day there would be held a meeting in the school building. They came one by one, two by two. Sixty-eight families have joined the guild but they all live here and there, from one aul to another there are about eight-ten miles.

-          We have lack of cards. The cattle became emaciated; people have to walk on foot. That is the cause why people are late, - they say.

            Meetings of the guild are held surely every second day if not to say that each day. And when authorized representatives come from the district two meetings can be hold a day. But all the same people come to visit them even if they live ten miles away.

            Today’s meeting is special. People will discuss a new regulation of the guild, more truly, some additions to it. There are a good many of additions and innovations and all of them seem practice. But you cannot please everyone. Somebody still seems that he or she is discriminated.

-          It is said clearly there: of your own free will. Does it mean that we have a right not to join this guild?! – A black husky fellow with clumsy face mumbles glowering.

            It is the truth: of your own free will. But it does not mean absolutely that you have to drop out of the guild without fail. Some people explain their wish to drop out of the guilt in the following way:

-          Well, we have lived in the guild, and what have we managed? We have disposed neither of our own cattle nor of ourselves!

            Yes! It is the truth. The district authorities overdid it, socialized the private cattle and turned the guild into a commune. And the chairman of the guild took things a step further, so to say he blazed a trail into the better tomorrow. Without asking he took away a heifer by one person, a bull-calf by the second one, a yearling cade by the third one, he began selling, cutting, splurging borrowed cattle ladling out this all. In such a way Ahmet lost his red heifer in the third year that he loved, according to his own words, more than the children of his own. In such a way Dairabai lost his grey cow that gave the whole bucket of mild for one time… People began keeping their ears open, lost any interest to the guild. And that is why they were glad and at once interpreted the new statement in their own way that both joining the guild and dropping out of it were made only of their own will.

            There came excited Shasybai.

-          Have you heard what mean Sadvockas is doing? He gathers poor men at his place and hallows them to drop out of the guild!

            Sadvockas belongs to the former atkaminers. For some time the poor men themselves cast him out from their area, they said Sadvockas did not fit them. And now the very Sadvockas has become a protector and a mentor of the poor!

            Three persons are sitting and talking at a stack sunken and plucked halfway by the cattle. One of them is a poor man, two others are medium peasants, and they are narrow-fisted and deft people. I wonder, what are they talking about?

-          Look here, - Vali said. – These ratbags work over Dutbai from two sides. I guess they hallow him against the meeting.

-          There is not such a law that forbids people to speak, - they reply him. – Let them chattering as much they want. Of course, if they scheme against plurality – so it is meanly but now let them…

            All the people gathered at last. They overcrowded the class room, the overspill meeting clambered up on the desks. The host who had given the house to arrange there a school started worrying:

-          No, no, get off, get off the desks. What are you doing? You will break, crush them!

-          And what is your business? – One man flares. – If we break them, it will be not you who will pay.

-          You talk wrong. – The other moderated them. – School is our state property. There is no need to break property in vain.

            The meeting began. They started to choose a chairman.

-          Let Yrysty be a chairman. He is the nearest who is sitting at the table. And the secretary will be Abish!

            There was no need to persuade Yrysty. He sat down in the middle and began smiling.

-          Announce the business of the day, - the authorized representative remembered.

-          You can say it!.. Announce yourselves, - Yrysty smiled more generously.

            The people began making noise. Just try to silence them, calm them down…

-          Hey, yellers and gabsters! Stop at last! – Yrysty said, who was the chairman of the meeting now. – There is a man who asks to say the word.

            The report lasted for the whole hour. The speaker was talking about the importance of the collective farm guild, about the fact how it was created and what additions and changes were put into the regulations.

            There was given some time for pronouncements and questions.

-          I have a question! – A beetle browed black kern sprang at once. He snatched of his astrakhan cap with three ear-flaps from his head and threw it on the desk. It was Dairabai.

            It made everybody laugh.

-          Well, here begins a narration about a grey cow!

-          There is no end to him.

-          Just when is he sick and tired to do the same thing?

-          You are a great man, you have come from afar of, if you let I would like to lodge my complaint, - Dairabai started grandly addressing to the authorized representative.

-          Hey, hey, wait for a moment, - people started exciting. – Let us finish with the questions at first. Where are you tanking?

-          Don’t snub me, comrade! Do you want me to shut up? I would like to tell about my grief. I have a right to share my grief. What this paper is talking about, do you know? So hold it and read! – Daibrai pulled out the carefully folded newspaper from his pocket.

            They had to give Daibrai the word out of turn. Just try to say him that he muddles disorder, that debates must have place after the questions, Dairabai will start kicking up the heels like an outlaw horse. “The grief of a gray cow” lies in Dairabai’s heart like a heavy stone.

-          Comrades! People laugh at me. They say, again he repeats the same narration over and over. Well… Whom it makes laugh let him or her laugh. But I am far from laughing. I will not keep silent when unlawful acts are committed. I am talking and will talk about this openly and honestly without looking at the faces! So there!

-          Just speak shortly! – Somebody asked gloomy.

-          Apyrmai, and what about you in fact? Let me speak… Where is it, freedom of speech? The comrade authorized representative, say them: don’t let them interrupt me, - Dairabai bust out even more.

            People kept silent.

-          Comrade! I am a poor man! More truly – a farmhand. For nine years long I tended Semenov’s sheep being barefooted and hungry. If I lie people sitting here can correct me… When the Soviet Power came I recovered a little. I acquired some cattle and raised a roof over my head. I started living as all poor men. Neither better nor worse. And it seems at the beginning of the twenty-ninth year our Shasybai with his fellows spread the word: “Let’s organize a kalauna!” (a trac column). Well, so they did. People agreed and created a kalauna. They got five tractors. But who had seen them earlier, these tractors? Cades reared up, came off the tethers. Cows’ tails were apeak, they started kicking women, overthrew milk pails. And small-scale cattle scrammed to the steppe in all directions at all… We laughed to ourselves; we said the new things could not rub along with old ones together yet… There were forty yards in the kalauna and sixty-eight in the guild but the land was only one, common. We needed the whole parcel of land for ploughing us to have a splurge. We decided to launch the tractors from Karatomar. But Shaken’s aul was against. “We – they say – are the poorest ones and we will give nobody our home ground”. Then, we said, join the kalauna. They did not want even to listen, started sniffing… Knowing blade Sadvockas lives in this aul, it might be he who had stirred up the people.

            Anyway we drove the tractors to Karatomar, but these poor men went towards up with perches and clubs. However, there were no volunteers to fight among us, and then these people hurled down on the ground in front of the tractors: “We will not let you to plough the ground that is all!” Then we had to pull away some people by traction aside. If you do not believe, here is sitting Shasybai, ask him. He is a communist, he will not lie… The tractors were rattling for about twenty days long and ploughed out about two hundred arpents. We got lack of seeds from the public purse. There and then we sowed and smiled in our whiskers. If this wheat grows we will have a good feed of bread. And it was doing well, the wheat! You can believe or not… Just if a poor man could see such a wealth in his dreams! But how they say, eyes have seen it but it has not got into hands. And why – now I will explain you, comrade. We left for seeds two thousand and a half of seven thousand two stone. The kalauna took away thirty-five per cent. And all the same, when we divided the rest, it was twelve two stone for each person. But here we were informed that there was a so-called special law in the Kazakhstan. According to it a member of the guild did not have a right to get more than seven two stone a year. Well… We could do nothing against the law. We sold the wheat and sent money for Red Army men in the Far East. It was our gift given without grudge. We were sincerely glad that there was so much use as the result of our modest labour. Well… There appeared another news – borrowing. And we were not greedy again – we gave it. And here our wheat was out. And if to buy it – for what? No matter, we reassured ourselves, the main thing – that we had seeds in reserve. And as for us so we could live on milk. During the very season something strange started happening with our guild. When we decided to join the kalauna Shasybai assured us that only draft-cattle and our labour would be common. And here came a kinky authorized representative from the district (he was even named “extraordinary” or “special”) and said: “No disputes! Since this time everything is common both cattle and people, and homes!” And in such a way at a one moment both a heifer and a bull-calf, and a cow became not mine… Well, we socialized all the cattle, all right. But except this they required seeds from us. “How can it be?! – The people grumbles. – Just in autumn we have already reserved the seeds”. But the authorized representative bust out even more: “Give here the seeds!” The upshot is interesting at all. I, comrade, have a family – me and my wife. Well, if you have a small family and some cattle and arpent or more of the land for good measure it turns out that you have to pay a tax. One ruble and seventy kopeck. Well… We started to divide this seed tax and I had the most part as I had a small family – twenty-one two stone! Yo-ho, weasel your way out now, Dairabai! Show your speed! Prove that you are a militant! Money – not a dime, the cattle – is written for the collective, it is impossible to approach it. Everything that was left was my wife’s dowry – an old threadbare carpet. I thought to sell it but my wife cried out with an evil voice. What to do?

-          Apyrmai, where ever have you got lost the seeds? We ourselves have filled the garner with two thousand and a half two stone of cleaned selected grain, - I say.

-          And this is not your concern, - they answered me. – That filled the bill on account of the reservation. This is a decision of the district.

            I got the hump. How can it be? If you wand to be an honest poor man you have to get twenty-one two stone of grain. Is it I – who is an enemy for the Soviet power? Don’t I mean well to it? Have not I given it the last?..

            I ran so much distracted that I could not sit at home. My soul quailed just at the thought of that I was a miserable poor man. I walked back and forth, tried to prove my honesty at all accounts but it was impossible to borrow anything by anybody. Out of mess I turned up home empty-handed. Here my wife started crying on me.

            She said we had nothing for eating at home and as for me so I was pottering around… Dear me! I was walking, looking for grain when my callet herself was hungry.

-          Change the horse for slaughter cattle, - she said. – It is better to walk on foot than to die from hunger.

            I don’t think so… While I am alive I won’t leave my dark-red horse…

            Seit turned up in the morning. I was just sitting angry and gloomy.

-          We take away your grey cow for contacting, - he informed me.

-          It was not I who have killed your father! – I bust out. – Why have you set your eyes on my grey cow?!

-          Keep head shut, comrade! – Seit threatened me. – If you start balking I will hold you for court in trice as an enemy against meat reservation.

-          Where else will you hold me for? – I asked.

            Instead of to reply me Seit pulled out a sheet of paper and began scribbling. And after the court, you know, usually follows a prison. And what a prison is I have already felt one time. Just in the year twenty-fifth Esmaganbet cast me into it having indicted me in horse-stealing. As if I have stolen his cade… I was thrown into this prison and there was sitting and feeling bored a well-known thief Koishygul. “Ah, - he said, - you are from those who have squealed on me, pointed that I am a thief. And now, a rat, you yourself have got into my hands!” Well, he began beating me with his huge fists. When I remember that prison and that drubbing I come to a boil with anger and I am not able to recover myself.

-          If you want to hold me for court I will try that there will be some reason in this!

            And I crushed Seit down and beat him with all the heart.

            Next day baskarma¹ drove me on foot in the district for the physical insult of the authorized representative… It was cold, there blew blizzard accompanied by ground wind. The wind was beating in the face… I walked on foot but Kusebai rode on a thin bay with yellowish markings.

 

¹the chairman of the directorate

He hunched up and was shivering… Here is he sitting, spotted and unconspicuous… It is he who drove me then in the district. I froze through over, and here I spoke to Kusabai:

-          Let’s call on in the nearest aul, warm us up.

            But from time to time something came over on this bullet-head.

-          No, - he said, - I have the order to bring you immediately.

            I turned round: Kusebai was sitting having bent and having nothing except a whip in his hand. I attacked him. I slipped him out of his saddle, mounted myself on the feeble and come on to ride up hill and down dale…

            In such a way I came in the district. “Where is the prison?” – I asked every Tom, Dick and Harry. Everybody looked at me rolling out their eyes and fought shy of me aside. I rode along the street and thought that I might meet somebody who usually hung about in the authorities. And suddenly I saw a huge red husky fellow in front of me. He had a folder in his hand. I have not seen him earlier but I felt: he is some kind of boss.

-          Dear! – I called him out. – Where is your prison?

            He turned round.

-          What for do you need it?

            I replied that I had come to be thrown into a prison.

            - And what is the cause? Do you belong to rich men? Why aren’t you accompanied by?

            - What a rich man?! – I said. – I am a poor man. A former eager militant Dairabai from aul number three. I have beaten out a member of the directorate. And by the way I have slipped my convoy out of the horse. That is why I have come alone.

            He gave such a level look at me and then said:

-          Let’s go to my place, have a talk.

            He led me to his district committee, sat me down at the table, and sat himself opposite me:

-          At first tell me about everything.

            I began speaking. And he was listening and listening, and writing down my words. “What is he getting out? – I thought. – He might be an examining official?” But I know that examining officials examine in other way. They start straight of with your ancestry.

            - There is not a cause to throw you into a prison. I will check everything by myself. Come back home, - this red fellow said lastly.

            I started smiling with joy and threw off reserve. I wonder: who is he? It turned out that it was a new secretary of the district committee. Then I decided to empty him the bag.

            - Dear, - I said. – Day and night I am followed by twenty-one two stone of grain. They say if I do not pay the tax so I will gain the character of a harmful dishonest person. Perhaps, is it possible to leave me in number of honest poor men?

            - If you have a surplus so give it in. But if you have nothing to give in so a man cannot give what he hasn’t got. That is all honesty.

            I did not believe my ears. I was sitting and looking blank. Then he stood up, found a newspaper and stretched me it.

            - If anybody requires from you grain without any reason, show him or her this newspaper. Here is typed a decision of the Party Central Committee, - the red secretary said.

            - Here it is, this newspaper! – Dairabai unfolded the newspaper “Soviet Aul” rustling with its papers. – As for me so I am illiterate. But somewhere here must be the fact what he has talked me about.

            As soon as Dairabai ended his narration everybody started making noise.

-          Comrade authorized representative! Have you come here to listen to Dairabai or hold the meeting? – Somebody boiled over.

-          Each of us can tell such kinds of narrations, - the second one mumbled.  

-          I propose to stop any jeremiads and return to the meeting. Because it is already late. There is nobody at home to look after the cattle. The cattle is hungry, half-dead, it needs thorough watch or care. Otherwise while we are bawling and squalling here the last one will peg out, - the third one cried.

            Dairabai was about to boil over, but all the same the plurality managed to shout him down. They returned to the questions.

-          Is it possible to drop out of the guild? – Somebody asked.

-          Yes, it is.

-          So I will do it.

-          The cause?

-          And the cause is the following. – The man who had asked the question stepped forward. – I also know about Dairabai’s misfortunes. What conditions these are when you do not have any rights for your own property?! This year I have sewn a fur coat for myself but there was no opportunity for me to wear it. One day Kairanbai asked it for – we have such a man. Give me it, he says, I want to take a trip to the district. He put on my fur coat and that was all! “Why do not you give me back my fur coat?” – I asked. But he swore at me. “Shut up! Or do not you know that from now on all the property is common?!” As for the fur coat – for Heaven’s sake. But some time ago I had a piebald yearling; it was so graceful and lank. Even if my grandfather reanimated I would never cut it. The yearling was well bred. I dreamed: I will have a good horse… And one day my wife ran suddenly into the house and cried out: “They take away our yearling!” I ran in hurry out from the house and came across baskarma’s people.

-          Ou, - I said. – How dare you take away the cattle from somebody’s barn without rhyme and reason?

-          This cattle is not yours, old fellow, - they objected me. – But of the collective farm. We want to cut the yearling for meat for poor men.

            I petrified. I had nothing to say. And my yearling was nickering, so plaintively as if it felt its death. Its mother, heifer, was nickering too, calling it in the loose box. I loved, fondled the yearling more than a human. I had pity on it, did not cut it though I would like too to eat some meat. Everybody knows about my condition. Last year I had eight heads of cattle. And now I have the same quantity. In autumn one Russian man sold me a jade for slaughter. Now we are sitting at home without any meat. Recently my two cows dropped some calves. Now we subsist on some dairy. Perhaps there are some poor men, of course, who do not have even this.

            I do not deny this. If to seek we can find such persons. But has the meat of my piebald yearling really fallen to hungry people? It was gobbled by idlers and hellbenders! Those who have a habit to gab about the auls, while the others work their fingers to the bone and earn their living by sweat of their brow.

             - Who are they? Can you name them? – Somebody asked nearby.

            - Why not? I can name them. For example, it is Ershakyp. Is not he an idler? Has he ever worked? A husky dzhigit, he can bend a horseshoe. If he worked in summer could not he nourish three persons? It is he who needs be nailed down!.. That is why I want to leave the guild.

            - Comrade authorized representative! – A scrubby man addressed to him. – It is said in the newspaper if somebody was forced to join the guild so he or she can drop out of it at will now. Will you follow this decision?

            - Of course, I will.

            - But if a medium peasant wants to leave will you punish him?

            - No, I won’t.

            - Then I wish to drop out of the guild. Just don’t ask and I will not say – why.

            - No, no! He must explain! – The meeting demanded.

            - Comrades! You must not force a human. So says the soviet law. And you do not have a right to force me…

            - I could explain you why he wishes to leave the guild, - Shasybai said standing up.

            - Well?! Let him say?!

            - Yes.

            - No, not Shasybai but he himself must answer.

            - Speak, Shasybai!

            After long debates and chattering Shasybai was given the word.

-          Comrades! I will explain everything from the very beginning. – Shasybai’s point of the nose perspired. The name of this burgess is Aisary. Shanbura was his father. Old men say: “When Shanbura reined nobody was able to call his or her own in the auls…”

-          What is that to his father?

-          Where Shasybai was there was a squabble.

-          Shasybai settles accounts, revenges, - there heard some voices.

-          No, comrades, I do not revenge. I say how it is in fact. To say the truth I did not know Shanbura, but I know Aisary. I know him when under Nicolay’s rule he was a Ruler of the aul six years long. I know how he took backhanders, and not only me alone, you all know about this… But has he justified your confidence? Is not it he who all by himself spoils the whole tabun like that flecked horse in the saying? Is not it he who holds at home secret meetings? Is not it he who gathers different gossip and buzz round the auls? – Aisary sprang to his feet:

-          Comrade! Let me say some words… It is not the first time when Shasybai attacks me. Already for ten years long he has been trying to run me down. But up to now Allah saves me. And I hope I will live like this up to my death. It turns out that the Party itself thinks that it is a voluntary matter to be or not to be in the guild. If it is the truth – I leave it. Good bye!

            And Aisary came towards the door.

-          It is good that you leave it yourself; otherwise we ourselves would throw you out. – Shasybai cast him on the heels.

-          So Shasybai will tell us everything! – Umirzak mumbled. – So while the going is good I will also cut out.

-          And I want too, - Shauke stood up.

            People started coming away one after another. Somebody quarreled with someone. Somebody grappled with someone. All hell broke loose – it was impossible to understand anything. The chairman of the meeting Yrysty stood gapping all in flutter.

-          Hey, hey, what is going on? What does it mean? – He could just murmur.

            Flurried members of the guild disparted each his own way carrying each other away. Of sixty-eight people there were left only twenty ones. Not only Shasybai’s point of the nose perspired, now his temples were in the bath of sweat. Among the people who had stayed eight ones were members of the Party, and nine – Komsomols.

 

            Does it mean that neither party nor komsomol units could influence the plurality?..

-          How could it happen? – Shasybai took alarm in real earnest.

-          It is very simply! – Dutbai answered. – This all was planned by Aisary and Sadvockas. They stirred up the people.

-          And where have you been? Where is your explanatory work? – The authorized representative raised his voice. – Why have you let even poor men slip through fingers? Does such kind of a person like Aisara have more influence than you?!

-          You think wrongly about us, - Shasybai said wiping away the sweat from the face. – We have had a good collective. And many people have had authority with poor men. But the last company has done huge damage to and shaken the faith. A bludgeon hit poor men’s heads. And the district is guilty in this! You, authorized representatives and different unfortunate militants, are guilty in this all!

            Shasybai spoke sharply and angrily about maximalism and lawlessness that were allowed at last time in still weak guilds…

            Dairabai came in, he was mussy and alarmed:

-          Hey, why are you sitting here?

-          And what’s up?

-          What, what! Sadvockas and Aisary hallows the people, they stir them up to drop out of the guild.

-          You have been the first who have started this foul-up, firebrand! What do you require from Aisary?!

-          Come on, Shasybai! Don’t make a wrongful accusation against me.

            Dairabai offended:

-          And what am I talking about? About the lawlessness of the chairman of the direction. And from now on I will talk about this!.. And in the district committee I will talk too. But have I said just for once that I am going to leave the guild? Why? Even if you drive me – all the same in no step out of the guild!.. And where is this Tynybai? What is up with him, is he also raving?

            Dairabai came out in hurry too.

            The people are making noise. One come in, other come out. They are rushing about, shouting, crowding. Suddenly it turned out that it was the same quantity of people and again they had to climb on the desks.

-          Comrade authorized representative! Everybody who had to come is here. I have set partly forth my grievance and given vent to my feelings. – Dairabai informed. – The rest I will say in the district committee. Go on your work. Fifty families of sixty-eight are present here. It is not so few for one collective farm. We are listening to – speak! – And he smiled.

-          Exactly herewith it should be necessary to start, troublemaker! – It just slipped out by Alish.

-          Oh, Aleke, have you been in a doubt about me? Do you think I will split off poor men? Fasten upon Aisara’s lap? Eh, no! Nobody is able to separate me from the party!

            Dairabai sank into his thoughts for a short time and then asked:

-          Comrade authorized representative! If, for example, I would like to join the party will I be admitted?

-          Just such people should be admitted.

-          Then I wish to join the party! Eh, Shasybai, mark me in your list. Write down: since the 1^st of April 1930 Dairabai is a Communist.

            Everybody started laughing with one accord.

            The authorized representative stood up and began reading the new regulations of the guild.

1930