Kolya Krassotkin, a widow’s only child, is a mature and independent thirteen-year-old with a reputation for being exceptionally daring and imprudent. He is also the boy whom earlier Ilusha stabbed with a penknife; but, good-naturedly, Kolya has never held a grudge. He has been training a dog, Perezvon, to do complicated tricks.
On the day before Dmitri’s trial, young Kolya is staying with two children of his mother’s tenant. He feels uneasy because he has an urgent errand to attend to and leaves as soon as the servant returns. His errand turns out to be a visit to Ilusha. Kolya knows that Alyosha has arranged for other boys to visit the dying Ilusha every day, but until today Kolya has never visited the boy.
He arrives at Ilusha’s with a friend, Smurov, and asks him to call Alyosha outside; he has a great curiosity to meet Alyosha. The two meet and immediately become good friends, especially because Alyosha treats Kolya as an equal. Kolya explains to his new friend about Ilusha’s background and tells him that once they were fast friends, but when Kolya heard that Ilusha fed a dog a piece of bread with a pin in it, he tried to punish the boy. The punishment backfired, however, and Kolya was stabbed with the penknife. Since this happened, however, Ilusha has come to feel very bad about the dog, Zhutchka.
Alyosha takes Kolya inside, and Ilusha is overjoyed to see his old friend again. Kolya, however, begins to tease Ilusha about the dog; then, before anyone can stop him, he calls in the dog he has been training. It turns out to be Zhutchka. Everyone is delighted, and the dying Ilusha sheds tears of happiness. Kolya explains that, until now, he has stayed away so that he could train the dog for Ilusha.
A doctor from Moscow, whom Katerina has sent for, arrives to examine Ilusha, and the visitors reluctantly leave the room. As they wait outside, Kolya explains his views of life to Alyosha. Alyosha listens carefully, understanding the boy’s real motives. He wants to impress Alyosha with his hodgepodge of other people’s philosophies. Alyosha is sympathetic to him, though, and is especially drawn to the young boy when he confesses his weaknesses.
As the doctor leaves, it is quite apparent that Ilusha has not long to live. Even Ilusha is aware that he is dying. He tries to comfort his father, and Kolya is deeply affected by this scene between father and son. He promises Alyosha that he will come often to visit the dying boy.
