About the book: 1929 / Country boy Vasya strives for knowledge. He taught himself to read and dreams of going to school. His mother, a peasant widow, opposes this in every possible way; she is afraid that Vasya, her only assistant, will abandon the farm, and most importantly, will not take care of the cow. Neither the teacher nor the village council can break the mother's stubbornness. Vasya decides to commit a crime. He mixes the shards of a broken cup into the cow's swill, and, horrified by his action, runs away from the house. A peasant picks him up in the field. Vasya is in a fever. The cow is not destined to die - the mother accidentally discovers the poison. The son's action opens the mother's eyes. She sees that she was wrong and allows Vasya to go to school. The book is intended for middle ages.