In 1883 Grigorovich the writer made an unexpected comeback with the "Gutta-Percha Boy" (Guttaperchevy Maltchik) which was unanimously hailed as the author's 'little masterpiece'. The story of a teenage circus virtuoso's death made its way into the Russian classic children's reading lists and was adapted for the big screen twice, in 1915 and 1957. Also in 1883 Grigorovich translated Prosper Mérimée's "Le Vase Etrusque" into Russian, his version of it regarded in retrospect as unsurpassed. In 1885 his satirical novel "Acrobats of Charity" (Akrobaty blagotvoritelnosti) came out and caused much debate. Its title became a popular token phrase (used, notably, by Lenin in one of his 1901 works) and the play "The Suede People" based on this short story was produced at the Moscow Art Theatre by Konstantin Stanislavsky.