This story was written in 1886. Vanka Zhukov was a Nine-year-old boy who was an orphan and he was a pupil of the shoemaker - Alyakhin. His grandfather was watchman in the mansion of some gentlefolk called Zhivarev. On the eve of Christmas Vanka decided to write a letter to his grandfather. In the letter he was pleading to take him back to the Zhivarev's mansion. He told his grandfather how his life was difficult in Moscow, how he was punished and hurted. He even wanted to escape from Moscow, but the weather was cold and he didn't have any shoes. The boy remembered his past life, his mother and Olga Ignatyeva who gave a job to his mother. Olga Ignayeva respected the boy and taught him to read and write. He also remembered that grandfather took him to a forest when he went for Christmas tree and how it was good days. After he sent that letter.
