For the first time the story was published in 1883. In the center of the story - 13-year-old student Vanya Ottepelov. Worrying before the exam in Greek, he did, as he thought, his best not to get the two grade. But nothing has helped him - he failed the exam. For Vanya this was not the only exam he failed. He really does not fit in that school. But his mother chose that school because it represents the ideals and the future she expects to attain one day. Vanya's aunt criticized her and believed that the main blame lies with her sister, not with her nephew. The belief that all education will help to make way in the world, in fact, has often led to the fact that children were forced to mindlessly learning Latin and Greek, regardless of their abilities and inclinations. A spanking was considered to be the universal training help...A SmartTouch Media production.