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No. 48 – A Slander
This is a classic, and well done. It’s the story of a man who, during his daughter’s wedding, ducks into the kitchen to check on the preparation of the meal, and smacks his lips over the fish. A guest comes in, hears him smacking his lips, and jokes that he must have been kissing the…
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No. 89 – The Bird Market
A sketch of the goings-on at a street market in Moscow.
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No. 153 – A Classical Student
A young man must bear the wrath of his angry mother when his studies go poorly.
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No. 154 – An Inquiry
A dispiriting visit to a government office, where nothing happens without a bribe.
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No. 137 – Fat and Thin
A pair of old school friends bump into each other and discover that their careers have followed quite different paths.
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No. 33 – At the Barber’s
The setting is a filthy barbershop rural village. It is tended by a filthy barber, Makar Kuzmitch. Into the shop comes Erast Ivanitch. As it happens, Erast is Makar’s godfather. He is also the father of a daughter. Makar is in love with the daughter, and she with him. For all these reasons, Makar is…
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No. 78 – The Trousseau
In a spooky house, a mother and daughter work feverishly to create a trousseau for a wedding that will never occur.
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No. 105 – The Death of a Government Clerk
A sycophantic clerk accidentally sneezes on his superior, and cannot apologise enough for the insult.
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No. 107 – A Tragic Actor
A father is distraught when his daughter runs off with an actor.
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No. 191 – Joy
A ninny is excited to be featured in a newspaper story. Unfortunately, it’s a story about him being injured while drunk out of his mind.

