I Often Think of Piroschka

In the present day, Andreas sits on a train, reminiscing about a long-ago summer that shaped his life. The frame presents memory as a lens through which he revisits the events that followed. This opening note signals that the story he tells is a cherished recollection rather than a straightforward chronicle.

The main story begins with a young university student traveling along the Danube by riverboat toward a host family in a small Hungarian village. On board he meets Greta, a fellow German traveler, and the two form a quick, friendly bond. They anticipate spending several weeks in the countryside after the journey.

When the boat reaches Budapest, Andreas and Greta spend the evening together. They share a romantic dinner and a stroll, and Andreas finds himself falling for Greta. A fiddler’s intrusion briefly disrupts their moment before they part with a promise to keep in contact.

The next day, Andreas arrives at Hódmezővásárhely-Kutasipuszta and is warmly welcomed by his hosts, doctor Johann von Csíky and his wife Ilonka, along with many villagers including István, the station master. The atmosphere is cordial and inviting as he begins his stay. He starts to settle in and meet the locals.

While exploring the village, Andreas meets Piroschka, István’s daughter, a feisty girl who won’t answer in German. He initially assumes she doesn’t understand him and makes snarky remarks about her looks. He soon learns she is actually the village’s best German student and understands him perfectly.

Piroschka happily accompanies him to a festive village gathering, where she coaxes him to dance the Csárdás. They have a great time and begin to bridge the language gap through shared music and laughter. The encounter deepens their connection as they teach each other their languages.

Over the following weeks, they spend a lot of time together, teaching each other their languages and exploring the village. Andreas starts to develop strong feelings for Piroschka. Their growing closeness is built on the exchange of stories, songs, and small moments.

A postcard from Greta arrives inviting him to visit Siófok, creating a tension between his lingering affection for Piroschka and his attraction to Greta. He debates whether to reveal Greta’s message to Piroschka but fears it would hurt her. Ultimately he tries to keep the postcard secret from Piroschka.

Piroschka secretly follows Andreas onto the next train to Siófok and they end up at the hotel where Greta is staying. Greta and Piroschka realize she has accompanied him, creating a moment of awkward confusion. They decide that Piroschka will stay for the day while the two others figure things out.

That evening, Piroschka persuades Andreas to dance Csárdás again, and Greta notices how happy he seems with her. They spend the day together in Siófok, and Greta allows Piroschka to sleep in her room for the night. The scene marks a shift, with the love triangle narrowing toward Piroschka.

The next morning Greta tells Andreas that she knows he loves Piroschka, forcing him to confront his feelings. He rushes home in a state of heartbreak, while Piroschka, overwhelmed, does not want to see him. The revelation leaves him torn between two paths, and the distance between him and Piroschka seems temporary yet painful.

Back in the village, the last days are quiet and tinged with sadness until a final celebration briefly brings them together and they reconcile. But Piroschka must leave to take her drunk father home, and the sense of farewell hangs over them. The looming goodbye weighs on Andreas as his departure approaches.

On a night when the express train passes through the town, Piroschka manipulates the railway signals so the train stops. They spend the night together, and Andreas promises to come back next year.

The frame ends with Andreas explaining that he never returned the following year, but that he will always remember Piroschka as young and sweet. The memory remains as a cherished, bittersweet legacy of their brief time together.