: To fulfill the wish of a sick grandson, grandfather Nefed goes to a winter storm far from home and freezes along the road.

Winter rainy day. Grandfather of grandfather Nefed seriously ill. The boy raves, often cries and asks for red bast shoes. A mother sobs over his bed, but she cannot help her son in any way.

Neither mother nor Nefed know what a sick boy is asking for red bast shoes. Thinking, Nefed decides:

So, we need to get it. So the soul desires. Must be mined.

He wants to paint his bast shoes fuchsin. To do this, go far from home to Novoselki. Despite the blizzard, Nefed warmly dresses and sets off. They are waiting for him, but before nightfall he is not. Homework decide that he spent the night there. As soon as it dawned, the peasants were knocking on the door - they brought in the stiffened Nefed, found at night in the field. Behind Nefed's bosom were brand new baby bast shoes and a vial of fuchsin.