The New Year’s Tree
Mikhail Zoshchenko, translated by Ross Ufberg
“This year I turned forty, friends. Turns out, I’ve seen forty New Year’s Trees. That’s a lot! I guess the first three years of life I didn’t really know what a New Year’s Tree was. I guess Mama took me by the hand. And I guess, with my little black eyes I looked with disinterest at the decorated tree.”