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Of Mice And Men

Summary Chapter Two
George and Lennie arrive at the farm about ten in the morning and hear that the boss was expecting them the preceding day. When George examines his bunk, he discovers a can of insect powder ans is angry because of th implications. He is told that the place is verly clean and that the can belonged to a man who had quit some days ago. He also hears that the boss is a “pretty nice fella”, and in a few minutes, the boss arrives. George has to eplain that the bus driver did not let them off at the right place and they had to walk too far to make it in one day.
When the boss asks for the working slips of the two men, George answers for Lennie and ultimately has to explain that Lennie is not “real bright” but assures the boss that Lennie is a good worker. When the boss becomes suspicious that George is taking advantage of Lennie, George explains that they are cousins and that he has ben looking after Lennie for a long time. The boss is finally pacified and leaves.
After George talks a bit more to Lennie about being careful, he finds that an old man has been listening outside. The old man, Candy, is crippled, tends to the small chores around the ranch, and is accompanied by an old lame sheepdog with “pale, blind old eyes”. While Candy is explaining that he wasn’t listening, Curley, the boss’ son comes in looking for his old man. He sees Lennie staring at him and begins to ask Lennie some questions. George answers for him even though Curley is talking directly to Lennie. Curley is antagonistic and orders Lennie to answer in the future when he is spoken to.
After Curley leaves, Candy explains that Curley was once a light-weight boxer and always likes tostart fights with people bigger than he is. George notices that Curlay looks like a “mean little guy”, and Candy explains that he is worse now than usual because he has just married a “tart” who is giving him trouble. When Lennie and George are alone, George once agein tells Lennie that if there is trouble that he must go back to the bush by the river and hide.
While they are talking, Curley’s wife appears, looking for her husband; she stands in the doorway long after she hears that Curley has gone. Lennie stares at her, and afterward when George repromands him for staring, Lennie wants to leave this place at once. “This ain’t no good place”, he says. “Le’s get outa here. It’s mean here”. But George tells him that they must stay and get a stake so they can buy a farm.
Slim, one of the farmhands, comes in for lunch, and after meeting George and Lennie, hopes that they will be on his working team. Carlson, another farmhand, comes in and hears that Slim’s dog had a litter of puppies the night before. They talk about giving old Candy one in place of the old blind mutt he has now. Slim explains that he had to drown four of the puppies because his bitch couldn’t feed them all. After they leave, Lennie wants George to ask for one of the puppies for him, and George promises to do so. Curley comes by again looking for his wife, and George tells him that she is out looking for him. George is afraid that he is going to tangle with Curley.

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