> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://theparnassian.com/en/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# The play of young mares in Leo Tolstoy’s “Kholstomer” recalls the behaviour of coquettes
- URL: https://theparnassian.com/en/strigunki-godovalye-kobylki-pritvoriaiutsia-uzh-bolshimi-i-stepennymi-i-redko-podprygivaiut-i-skhodiatsia-s-veselymi-kompaniiami/
- Published: 2022-02-09T10:18:09.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-02T19:07:47.000Z
- Author: Alexandr Radayev
- Tags: Books, Observations, Nature, Humour

“The yearlings, the young fillies, already pretend to be grown-up and staid, and seldom skip about or join the merry companies. They graze decorously, arching their swan-like, close-cropped necks, and, as though they too had tails, flick their little brooms. Like the grown horses, some lie down, roll, or scratch one another. The merriest company is made up of the two- and three-year-olds and the unmarried mares. They go about almost all together, a merry girlish throng apart. Among them one hears trampling, squealing, neighing, kicking. They come together, lay their heads across one another’s shoulders, sniff at each other, frisk, and sometimes, snorting and raising their tails like trumpets, run proudly and coquettishly past their companions, half at a trot, half at a scamper. The foremost beauty and ringleader of all this youthful company was a mischievous little brown filly. Whatever she devised, the others did; wherever she went, the whole throng of beauties went after her. The mischief-maker was in a particularly playful mood that morning. A merry fit had come upon her, as it comes upon people. Already at the watering place, having played a joke on the old gelding, she had run along the water, pretended to be frightened of something, snorted, and dashed off into the field at full gallop, so that Vaska had to ride after her and the others who had attached themselves to her. Then, having eaten a little, she began to roll on the ground, then to tease the old mares by getting in front of them, then she cut off one suckling foal and began to run after it as if meaning to bite it. The mother took fright and stopped eating, the little suckling cried in a pitiful voice, but the mischief-maker did not so much as touch it; she only frightened it and provided a spectacle for her companions, who watched her pranks with sympathy. Then she took it into her head to turn the head of a roan horse on which, far beyond the river, across the rye stubble, a peasant was riding with his plough. She stopped, raised her head proudly, somewhat to one side, shook herself, and neighed in a sweet, tender, long-drawn voice. Playfulness, feeling, and a certain sadness were all expressed in that neigh. In it were desire, and the promise of love, and sadness for it.”

One has the feeling that in “Kholstomer” Leo Tolstoy is describing not horses frolicking in a meadow but confirmed coquettes who have turned out for a society event. Confess, dear mischief-makers, do you recognise yourselves? Who does not love to tease the old ladies!