Vanka’s grandfather was a night watchman on the estate of a rich family. He was a small, lean old man about 65. But he was lively and agile. He had a smiling face but his eyes were bleary with drink. During daytime he slept in the dark kitchen or spent time joking with the cook and the kitchen maids. In the night he wore a sheepskin coat and walked around the estate making sounds with his rattle.

With him there used to be two dogs. One was old Kashtanka. The other was Eel. His rattle would be tied to his belt. He liked to laugh and playfully pinch maids and cooks. He would show his snuff box and ask the women to take a nip. The women would take some snuff and put into their nostrils. They would sneeze.

Grandad would be shouting and laughing with joy, saying, “Good for frozen noses.” He even gave snuff to the dogs. He was a fun loving old man. He sent Vanka to a shoemaker in Moscow as an apprentice.

this action can be interpreted in two ways. May be he wanted the orphaned boy to learn a trade to make a living for himself when he grew up. Bu some may think that he was running away from the responsibility of looking after his orphaned grandson. Whatever is the case, grandfather is a fun-loving fellow that makes us laugh with his antics.