 The story was published for the first time by "Peterburgskaya Gazeta", in its 1 July 1885, No.177 issue, subtitled "A Scene" (Сценка) and signed A. Chekhonte (А. Чехонте).It was included in the "Motley Stories" (Пестрые рассказы) collection, published in 1886 in St Petersburg, and was included by Chekhov into Volume 2 of his Collected Works, published by Adolf Marks in 1899.During Chekhov's lifetime, the story was translated into Polish and Serbo-Croatian languages.