His "The Metaphysician" still remains one of the greatest favorites among Russian fables for cultivated readers of all classes.
Briefly told, the contents of "The Metaphysician" are as follows: A father, who had heard that children were sent beyond sea to be educated, and that those so reared were more respected than those brought up at home, determined, being wealthy, to send his son thither.

The son, despite his studies, from being stupid when he went, returned more stupid than before, having fallen into the clutches of educational quacks, of whom there is no lack.

Aforetime, he had babbled stupidities simply, but now he began to expound such things in learned wise; aforetime, only the stupid had failed to understand him, now he was beyond the comprehension of the wise.

The whole house, and town, and world were bored to death with his chatter.

He was possessed with a mania for searching out the cause of everything.