The Contest by Arthur Conan Doyle. Short summary

5 seconds

Emperor Nero participates in a singing contest. He sings terribly, but the bribed audience applauds him. A real talent enters the stage, unafraid of the emperor’s wrath. Nero decides he is the god Pan.

1 minute

Nero goes to Greece for a singing competition. With him are a thousand trained young men who express their admiration for his singing in various ways.

In Greece lives a handsome and gifted hermit musician.

One day he accidentally sees a competition in an amphitheater. His friend, the singer Mel, is performing there. But the audience is not well received.

Next comes a fat short guy who sings terribly. But the crowd explodes with delight. The young man is indignant at his talentlessness. Nero invites him to a competition. The young man performs, but he is booed. The runt sings, and everyone is delighted.

Melo hides his friend in the mountains so that the Romans do not kill the shepherd for his impudence.

Nero orders them to seek out the impertinent youth. But the legionnaire tells him that the rumour is that it was the god Pan himself. Nero orders him to tell all of Rome how he competed with the Greek god.