Simon the shoemaker is out and about collecting debts from the peasants who owe him money. It's largely a fruitless task as he only receives a measly twenty kopecks for some boots that he's mended and a pair of felt boots given to him by a peasant to sole with leather.

Feeling downhearted, Simon makes his way along the frozen path, when all of a sudden he comes across something strange and whitish by a shrine at the bend of the road. At first, he isn't sure what it is; but as he gets closer, Simon can see that it's a man.

Simon is immediately struck with terror, for the man is sitting naked against the shrine, seemingly the victim of a robbery. Simon thinks that the man is dead, and not wishing to get into trouble or become a victim of robbery himself, he hastily begins walking away.

However, Simon doesn't get very far before his conscience gets the better of him:

“What are you doing, Simon?” said he to himself. “The man may be dying of want, and you slip past afraid. Have you grown so rich as to be afraid of robbers? Ah, Simon, shame on you!”

Like the Good Samaritan, Simon cannot abandon a man who's clearly in distress. So he goes back to the shrine and approaches the stranger. This time, he takes off his cloth coat and gives it to the man to keep him warm against the piercing cold.