In the Russian forest, the machine-gunner sings Christmas carols, even though it is the beginning of February, he sings so as not to hear the fear. He shoots regularly to keep the weapon from freezing... But does he sing and shoot because he has to, or so that the silence doesn't bother him? Hasn't the silence been maddening yet? The snow muffles all sounds, and the deafening silence drives you crazy.

Another glorious story by Wolfgang Borchert, in which the author manages to convey to the listener the boredom that a person experiences in complete silence. Whether what happened to the machine-gunner is real or a vision, the author leaves to us, the listeners.