Old garden, in the willow garden. In the back of the house, three windows of the lower floor are lit. Father is sitting at the stove. Mother leaned on the table and looks into the void. Two young girls in white embroider. Leaning his head on his mother’s left hand, the child is napping. The Old Man and the Stranger cautiously enter the garden.
They look to see if all the household members are in place, and they talk, deciding how best to inform them of the death of their third sister. The old man believes that you need to go together: the misfortune reported by more than one person is not so difficult. He searches for words to tell about the incident: “When they found her, she was swimming along the river, and her hands were folded ...” The stranger corrects him - the girl's arms were extended along her body. It was the Stranger who noticed and pulled out the drowned woman. The old man recalls how he met a drowned girl in the morning at the church, “she smiled like those who don’t want to talk, who are afraid not to be guessed, smile ...” Each person has many reasons not to live, says the Old Man. You will not look into the soul, as into a room. The stranger and the old man are watching the peaceful, ordinary life of the family. To a family who thinks she is safe: there are bars on the windows, and the doors are bolted. A stranger tries to go tell about what happened, fearing that someone will tell the terrible news without preparing their relatives. The old man’s granddaughter, Maria, enters. She reports that the peasants go and carry a drowned woman on a stretcher from the branches. The old man tells Mary to look out the window: "Do you even understand a little what life is ..."
Inside the house, the sisters go to the windows and peer into the darkness. Then they kiss the mother. The eldest strokes the child, but he does not wake up. Girls come to father. These simple, mean movements fascinate those who observe from the garden of the Old Man, his granddaughter and the Stranger. Now Maria is asking her grandfather not to inform the relatives of the deceased girl about the misfortune. The old man is ready to agree with her and not tell them anything until the morning, but late - the crowd with the body has already approached the house. Another old granddaughter appears - Marta. Realizing that the grandfather had not said anything yet, she was ready to go to the house herself with bad news. The old man tells her to stay and not look out the window so as not to see "what a human face becomes when death passes before her eyes."
Prayers are heard. Part of the crowd enters the garden. There are muffled footsteps and a quiet voice. The old man goes into the house. Martha and Maria are sitting on a bench with their backs to the windows. The stranger looks out the window and comments on what is happening. Here everyone is listening - probably the Old Man knocked on the door. Father is going to open. Everyone gets up, only the child, with his head bowed to one side, sleeps in a chair. The old man hesitates. But finally, scary words were spoken. Mother, father and both girls rush to the door, but the father does not immediately manage to open it. The old man is trying to hold on to his mother. The crowd in the garden disperses. Only the Stranger continues to stand under the window. Finally, the doors of the house open wide, everyone comes out at the same time. In the light of stars and the moon, one can see a drowned woman being carried on a stretcher. And in the middle of an empty room, in a chair, the child is still sleeping with a sweet dream. Silence. "The baby did not wake up!" - says the Stranger and leaves.
