The narrator begins with an anecdote about encountering a resilient Tartar thistle while walking home through fields during the harvest. Attempting to pick the thistle for a bouquet, the narrator struggles with its prickliness and toughness, regretting the vain destruction and disposal of a once beautiful flower. The discarded thistle prompts reflections on human cruelty and the annihilation of living beings and plants for human survival. Despite harm from humans and their plows, the thistle's resilience and refusal to yield remind the narrator of an old story from the Caucasus.

In late 1851, the disguised Hadji Murat and his follower, Eldar, seek refuge in a Chechen village from Imam Shamil's forces. Murat, a respected and feared Avar rebel commander, is seeking refuge after a falling out with the Chechen leader and former ally, Imam Shamil. An old acquaintance, Sado, shelters them despite the risks posed by Shamil's capture order for Murat. At Sado's home, they discuss the danger from Shamil. They plan to contact Russian Prince Vorontsov with the help of a guide, Bata, whom they trust. Later, Murad discreetly entrusts Sado with a message for his son in Chekhi, emphasizing its importance.