During his stay in Vienna, Kočić joined the Serbian academic society "Zora" (Dawn). It was here that he met Pavle Lagarić, another aspiring writer. Lagarić recognized Kočić’s literary talents and introduced him to realism, moving him away from the romanticism of Veselinović. Petar adapted to the new style with ease, publishing his first collection of short stories, "S planine i ispod planine" (From the Mountain and Below the Mountain) in 1902. Kočić first read the drafts of his stories to members of "Zora", took note of their comments and concerns, and made changes accordingly. Between 1902 and 1905, Kočić published three volumes of short stories, all under the same title, "S planine i ispod planine". Notable among these was "Jazavac pred sudom" (The Badger on Trial), in which a farmer attempts to sue a badger for eating his crops. Kočić subsequently adapted the story into a one-act play. It premiered at Belgrade's National Theatre on 26 November 1905.