[Scene: A cozy Russian apartment in Moscow. The samovar is bubbling. It’s a snowy afternoon. Masha and Dima are sitting by the window, drinking tea and chatting.]
Masha: (suddenly gasps and knocks on the wooden windowsill, then pretends to spit over her left shoulder three times)
“Tfu-tfu-tfu! I almost said something that could bring bad luck!”
Dima: (raises an eyebrow, sips tea)
“Masha, you do realize you just fake-spit on your own cat. Poor Boris.”
Masha:
“It’s better to offend the cat than risk attracting the evil eye! You can’t just tempt fate like that, Dima.”
Dima: (grinning)
“Masha, fate isn’t standing outside your window waiting for you to say something jinx-worthy. It’s not Voldemort.”
Masha: (laughs)
“Oh come on, you know I’ve seen things. Every time I don’t knock on wood, something goes wrong. I told Sveta that her baby would definitely be born on time—forgot to knock—and boom! Two weeks overdue and she had to get a C-section.”
Dima:
“That’s not a curse, that’s obstetrics. You think your knocking affects the rotation of the Earth and fetal development?”
Masha:
“Well, you say coincidence. I say cause and effect. There’s centuries of tradition backing me up.”
Dima: (leans in, mock-serious)
“And centuries ago, people also thought bathing caused illness and leeches could cure pneumonia. Want me to bring you some leeches next time you sneeze?”
Masha:
“Don’t be ridiculous. This is different. My grandma always said, if you talk about something bad that might happen, you must spit and knock—otherwise it’s like inviting trouble in for tea.”
Dima:
“Your grandma also believed that if your ears are ringing, someone’s gossiping about you.”
Masha: (matter-of-factly)
“Because they are. Every time my ears ring, I check my VK messages and—boom—someone’s tagged me in some ridiculous meme. Usually about cats.”
Dima:
“That’s just the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon—once you notice something, you start seeing it more often. It’s not mystical. It’s how our brains work.”
Masha:
“Okay, Mr. Science, tell me this: what’s the harm in knocking on wood and spitting a little? Maybe it doesn’t change the future, but it gives me peace of mind.”
Dima: (softens a bit)
“Fair point. Rituals can be comforting. But I just worry it keeps people from facing life with clarity. Like, if we blame luck or spirits, we don’t look at real causes. Why did the tire go flat? Not because you said ‘what could go wrong,’ but because you ignored the warning light.”
Masha:
“So you’re saying the real enemy is my laziness.”
Dima:
“Exactly. Let’s blame that, not invisible forces.”
Masha: (smiles, mock-offended)
“Well, maybe I’ll knock on wood just in case your logic jinxes me. Tfu-tfu-tfu!”
Dima: (laughs and knocks on the table too)
“Fine, but only because Boris is watching and I don’t want to be cursed by him.”
[Both burst into laughter. The snow continues to fall outside as they refill their tea.]
Science Vs Superstition 
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