But a bad pun is no consolation to a Russian, and, for the sake of something to occupy my thoughts, I took it into my head to write down the story about Bela, which I had heard from Maksim Maksimych-never imagining that it would be the first link in a long chain of novels:
Baina hitz-joko zozo bat ez da kontsolamendu errusiar batentzat eta, denbora ematearren, Belaren istorioa idaztea otu zitzaidan, Maxim Maximitxen ahotik entzun nuen bezalaxe, irudikatu ere egin gabe kontakizun-katea luze baten lehen maila izango zela;