The Nose

  • I

  • Narrator

    On the 25th March, 18โ€” , a very strange occurrence took place in St Petersburg.

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  • On the Ascension Avenue there lived a barber of the name of Ivan Jakovlevitch.

  • He had lost his family name, and on his sign-board, on which was depicted the head of a gentleman with one cheek soaped, the only inscription to be read was, โ€œBlood-letting done here.โ€

  • Narrator

    On this particular morning he awoke pretty early.

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  • Becoming aware of the smell of fresh-baked bread, he sat up a little in bed, and saw his wife, who had a special partiality for coffee, in the act of taking some fresh-baked bread out of the oven.

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    Ivan Jakovlevitch

    โ€œTo-day, Prasskovna Ossipovna,โ€

  • Narrator

    he said,

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    Ivan Jakovlevitch

    โ€œI do not want any coffee; I should like a fresh loaf with onions.โ€

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    Prasskovna Ossipovna To Herself

    โ€œThe blockhead may eat bread only as far as I am concerned,โ€

  • Narrator

    said his wife to herself;

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    Prasskovna Ossipovna To Herself

    โ€œthen I shall have a chance of getting some coffee.โ€

  • Narrator

    And she threw a loaf on the table.

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  • For the sake of propriety, Ivan Jakovlevitch drew a coat over his shirt, sat down at the table, shook out some salt for himself, prepared two onions, assumed a serious expression, and began to cut the bread.

  • After he had cut the loaf in two halves, he looked, and to his great astonishment saw something whitish sticking in it.

  • Narrator

    He carefully poked round it with his knife, and felt it with his finger.

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    Ivan Jakovlevitch

    โ€œQuite firmly fixed!โ€

  • Narrator

    he murmured in his beard.

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    Ivan Jakovlevitch

    โ€œWhat can it be?โ€

  • Narrator

    He put in his finger, and drew outโ€” a nose!

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