Fat and Thin (Chekhov)
Division into chapters is editorial.
The chance meeting at Nikolaevsky station
At the Nikolaevsky station, two childhood friends unexpectedly encountered each other. One was a fat man who had just finished dining, his greasy lips shining like cherries and smelling of sherry and fleur d'orange. The other was a thin man who had just disembarked from a train, carrying numerous bags and bundles.
The thin man smelled of ham and coffee grounds. Behind him stood his wife, a thin woman with a long chin, and his tall schoolboy son with one eye screwed up.
Two friends—one a fat man and the other a thin man—met at the Nikolaevsky station. The fat man had just dined in the station and his greasy lips shone like ripe cherries. He smelt of sherry and fleur d'orange.
Joyful reunion and family introductions
Upon recognizing each other, the two men expressed great joy. The fat man called out to his friend Porfiry, while the thin man exclaimed in amazement at seeing Misha, his childhood friend. They embraced and kissed each other three times, their eyes filling with tears of happiness at this unexpected reunion.
The friends kissed each other three times, and gazed at each other with eyes full of tears. Both were agreeably astounded. 'My dear boy!' began the thin man after the kissing. 'This is unexpected! This is a surprise!'
After their emotional greeting, the thin man proudly introduced his family to his childhood friend. He presented his wife Luise, mentioning that her maiden name was Vantsenbach and that she was of the Lutheran faith.
He then introduced his son Nafanail, a third-class schoolboy. The thin man encouraged his shy son to approach his old friend, repeating that they had been schoolboys together.
Nafanail thought for a moment and removed his cap in greeting. The thin man reminisced about their school days, reminding his friend how they were nicknamed 'Herostratus' and 'Ephialtes' respectively. Despite his father's encouragement to approach the fat man, Nafanail remained shy and took refuge behind his father.
The revelation of rank differences
The conversation turned to their current occupations and social standings. The fat man inquired about his friend's service and rank. The thin man proudly shared that he had been a collegiate assessor for two years and had received the Stanislav decoration. He explained that although his salary was modest, he and his family managed to get by with his wife giving music lessons and him carving wooden cigarette cases to sell.
'No dear boy, go higher than that,' said the fat man. 'I have risen to privy councillor already... I have two stars.'
The thin man described his career path, mentioning that he had served as a clerk and was now transferred to this location as a head clerk in the same department. He then asked about his friend's position, guessing that he must have reached the rank of civil councillor.
To the thin man's surprise, the fat man revealed that he had risen even higher in rank, having become a privy councillor with two stars. This revelation of the significant difference in their social standings had an immediate and dramatic effect on the thin man's behavior.
The thin mans transformation and the privy councillors disgust
Upon learning of his friend's high rank, the thin man underwent a remarkable transformation. He turned pale and rigid momentarily before his face contorted into an excessively broad smile. His entire demeanor changed as he began to squirm and double over in deference.
The thin man turned pale and rigid all at once, but soon his face twisted in all directions in the broadest smile; it seemed as though sparks were flashing from his face and eyes. He squirmed, he doubled together, crumpled up...
Even his belongings seemed to shrink and crumple along with him. His wife's chin appeared to grow longer, and Nafanail stood at attention, fastening all the buttons of his uniform. The thin man began addressing his childhood friend as "Your Excellency" with excessive obsequiousness, expressing delight at his friend's elevated status.
The fat man frowned at this change in tone, reminding the thin man that they were childhood friends and there was no need for such formality. However, the thin man continued his fawning behavior, referring to his wife as "a Lutheran in a certain sense" and maintaining his servile attitude. Disgusted by the thin man's excessive reverence and sugariness, the privy councillor turned away, offering only his hand in parting. The thin man pressed just three of the fat man's fingers, bowing deeply and sniggering like a Chinaman. His wife smiled, and Nafanail scraped his foot and dropped his cap, all three appearing overwhelmed yet pleased by the encounter with such an important personage.