Ivan Ivanovitch tells the second story – “Gooseberries” – about his brother Nikolai’s 25-year attempt to establish himself on a farm in the countryside where he can drink tea, watch his ducks swim and grow gooseberries. Dismissive of his brother’s rural ambition, Ivan Ivanovitch becomes passionate – in the warmth of the drawing room – about the importance of not allowing oneself to be lulled to sleep.