At the Nikolaevskaya railway station railway two friends met: one fat, the other thin. The fat man had just dined at the station, and his oiled lips were shiny like ripe cherries. He smelled of sherry and orange blossom. The thin one had just got out of the car and was loaded with suitcases, bundles and cartons. He smelled of ham and coffee grounds. From behind him peeked out a thin woman with a long chin - his wife, and a tall schoolboy with a narrowed eye - his son.

- Porfiry! exclaimed the fat one, seeing the thin one. - Is that you? My dove! How many winters, how many years!

- Fathers! – the thin one was amazed. - Misha! Childhood friend! Where did you come from?

The friends kissed each other three times and fixed their eyes full of tears on each other. Both were pleasantly surprised.

- My dear! – began thin after kissing. - I didn't expect it! Here's a surprise! Well, take a good look at me! Just as handsome as ever! The same soul and dandy! Oh you, Lord! Well, what are you? Rich? Married? I'm already married, as you can see... This is my wife, Louise, nee Wanzenbach... a Lutheran... And this is my son, Nathanael, a third grade student. This, Nafanya, is my childhood friend! We studied together in high school!

Nathanael thought for a moment and took off his hat.

We studied together in high school! – continued thin. Do you remember how you were teased? You were teased by Herostratus because you burned a government book with a cigarette, and I was Ephialtes because I liked to tell tales. Ho-ho... They were children! Don't be afraid, Nafanya! Come closer to him ... And this is my wife, nee Wanzenbach ... a Lutheran.

Nathanael thought a little and hid behind his father.

- Well, how are you, friend? the fat man asked, looking enthusiastically at his friend. - Where do you serve? Reached the ranks?

- I serve, my dear! I have been a collegiate assessor for the second year and I have Stanislav. The salary is bad ... well, God bless him! My wife gives music lessons, I privately make cigarette cases from wood. Excellent cigarette cases! I sell for a ruble. If someone takes ten pieces or more, you understand, a concession. Let's get some fun. I served, you know, in the department, and now I have been transferred here as a clerk in the same department ... I will serve here. Well, how are you? Probably already stately? A?

“No, my dear, lift it higher,” said the fat one. - I have already risen to the secret ... I have two stars.

The thin one suddenly turned pale, petrified, but soon his face twisted in all directions with the broadest smile; it seemed as if sparks were falling from his face and eyes. He himself shrank, hunched, narrowed ... His suitcases, bundles and cartons shrank, grimaced ... The long chin of his wife became even longer; Nathanael stretched out in front and buttoned all the buttons of his uniform ...

- I, Your Excellency ... Very pleased, sir! A friend, one might say, of childhood, and suddenly turned out to be such grandees, sir! Hee hee s.

- Well, it's full! the fat man grimaced. What is this tone for? You and I are childhood friends - and what is this veneration for!

“Excuse me… What are you…” the thin one giggled, cringing even more. “Your Excellency’s gracious attention… it seems to be life-giving moisture… Here, Your Excellency, my son Nathanael… wife Louise, a Lutheran, in a way…”

The fat one wanted to object something, but the thin one's face was written with such reverence, sweetness and respectful acidity that the Privy Councilor vomited. He turned away from the thin one and gave him his hand in parting.

The thin one shook three fingers, bowed with his whole body and giggled like a Chinese: "Hee-hee-hee." The wife smiled. Nathanael shuffled his foot and dropped his cap. All three were pleasantly surprised.

The story of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov "Thick and thin" was written in 1883, in the early period of creativity. Publishing in magazines since the time of the gymnasium, Chekhov already at the beginning of his writing path declared himself as an author with a pronounced individual style, which is characterized by conciseness, utmost attention to detail, subtle humor, realism of characters.

Chekhov convincingly and vividly draws the living characters of people, focusing on the unattractive features of human nature. In an extremely simple plot - a meeting of two school friends - he describes two different characters, opposing them to each other. Porfiry ("thin") and Mikhail ("thick") met on the Nikolaev railway. The writer contrasts the characters, starting with a description of their actions. Mikhail appears as a respectable gentleman, smelling of expensive perfume, having just had a hearty dinner. Porfiry moves in a hurry along the forecourt, hung with travel boxes. Overjoyed at the unexpected meeting, the friends strike up a casual conversation. But the joy quickly disappears when the “thin” learns that his friend is much wealthier, higher in rank, has two stars. The ease of the story about his family is replaced by an obsequious “chuckle”, a respectful address “your excellency”, fussy fawning. Such a sharp change in behavior and mannerisms became unpleasant for Mikhail, who turned to the "thin" as an old comrade of youth and expected the same from him. The writer emphasizes that respect for oneself and loved ones does not depend on ranks and positions, but is based on personal qualities, friendly relations. A subtle psychologist, Chekhov in his works noticed and ridiculed the vices of human individuals, which lead to the spiritual illness of society.

Two friends met at the station of the Nikolaev railway: one fat, the other thin. The fat man had just dined at the station, and his oiled lips were shiny like ripe cherries. He smelled of sherry and orange blossom. The thin one had just got out of the car and was loaded with suitcases, bundles and cartons. He smelled of ham and coffee grounds. A thin woman with a long chin peeked out from behind him - his wife, and a tall schoolboy with a narrowed eye - his son.

Porfiry! exclaimed the fat one, seeing the thin one. - Is that you? My dove! How many winters, how many years!

Fathers! - the thin one was amazed. - Misha! Childhood friend! Where did you come from?

The friends kissed each other three times and fixed their eyes full of tears on each other. Both were pleasantly surprised.

My dear! - began thin after kissing. - I didn't expect it! Here's a surprise! Well, take a good look at me! Just as handsome as ever! The same soul and dandy! Oh you, Lord! Well, what are you? Rich? Married? I'm already married, as you can see... This is my wife, Louise, nee Wanzenbach... a Lutheran... And this is my son, Nathanael, a third grade student. This, Nafanya, is my childhood friend! We studied together in high school!

Nathanael thought for a moment and took off his hat.

We studied together in high school! - continued thin. Do you remember how you were teased? You were teased by Herostratus because you burned a government book with a cigarette, and I was Ephialtes because I liked to tell tales. Ho-ho... They were children! Don't be afraid, Nafanya! Come closer to him... And this is my wife, nee Wanzenbach... a Lutheran.

Nathanael thought a little and hid behind his father.

Well, how are you, friend? asked the fat man, looking enthusiastically at his friend. - Where do you work? Reached the ranks?

I serve, my dear! I have been a collegiate assessor for the second year and I have Stanislav. The salary is bad ... well, God bless him! My wife gives music lessons, I privately make cigarette cases from wood. Excellent cigarette cases! I sell for a ruble. If someone takes ten pieces or more, you understand, a concession. Let's get some fun. I served, you know, in the department, and now I have been transferred here as a clerk in the same department ... I will serve here. Well, how are you? Probably already stately? A?

No, my dear, raise it higher, - said the fat one. - I have already risen to the secret ... I have two stars.

The thin one suddenly turned pale, petrified, but soon his face twisted in all directions with the broadest smile; it seemed as if sparks were falling from his face and eyes. He himself shrank, hunched over, narrowed... His suitcases, bundles and cartons shrank, grimaced... His wife's long chin became even longer; Nathanael stretched out in front and buttoned all the buttons of his uniform ...

I, Your Excellency... Very pleased, sir! A friend, one might say, of childhood, and suddenly turned into such nobles, sir! Hee hee s.

Well, it's full! - grimaced fat. What is this tone for? You and I are childhood friends - and what is this veneration for!

Excuse me ... What are you ... - the thin one giggled, shrinking even more. - Your Excellency's gracious attention... it seems to be life-giving moisture... This is, Your Excellency, my son Nathanael... wife Louise, a Lutheran, in a way...

The fat one wanted to object something, but the thin one's face was written with such reverence, sweetness and respectful acidity that the Privy Councilor vomited. He turned away from the thin one and gave him his hand in parting.

The thin one shook three fingers, bowed with his whole body and giggled like a Chinese: "Hee-hee-hee." The wife smiled. Nathanael shuffled his foot and dropped his cap. All three were pleasantly surprised.

Story Thick and thin plot

Once, at the railway station in the city of Nikolaev, two people of different builds met: one was fat, and the other was thin. Tolstoy's name was Mikhail. He smelled pleasantly of expensive perfume and good wine, and his lips were like ripe cherries. The thin one was called Porfiry. He was loaded with various luggage, and he smelled of coffee grounds and ham. Accompanying him was a thin woman and a tall boy with a narrowed eye.

As it turned out, the men had known each other since childhood and not only studied together, but also became friends. They were not among the most exemplary students. For example, Michael somehow burned a cigarette textbook, because he was teased by Herostratus, and Porfiry often tattled on, so the nickname Ephialtes stuck to him. However, after graduating from the gymnasium, their life developed in such a way that the friends did not see each other for a long time and did not correspond.

Both of them rejoiced at the unexpected meeting. There were even tears in their eyes.

After three kisses, memories and questions began. The thin one introduced to the fat one his Lutheran wife Louise and his son Nathanael, a third-grade student. And then he boasted that he served in the rank of collegiate assessor and was transferred to Nikolaev to the position of clerk. He was awarded the Order of Stanislav, but he receives a small salary, so he does additional work, that is, he manufactures and sells wooden cigarette cases. When the turn of the fat man came to talk about himself, he modestly told that he had already risen to the rank of Privy Councilor and had two award stars.

Hearing this, the thin one was so dumbfounded that he changed outwardly. His face turned pale, petrified, and then broke into a wide smile. The body is shriveled and hunched over. The friendly tone changed to fawning. He began to giggle like a fool, addressing the fat man with "you" and using the words "your excellency." The speech of the subtle one became somehow illogical and incoherent. The appearance and behavior of his wife and son also testified to boundless reverence.

Tolstoy at first wanted to protest against such servility, but the look at the face of his former friend almost made him vomit. He hurriedly turned away and said goodbye, giving the thin man a hand. The same one shook him only three fingers and bent in a low bow with his whole body, giggling like a Chinese.