The Crocodile by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Short summary

5 seconds

An official is eaten by a crocodile. The man feels comfortable and anticipates his future fame as oracle and master of the fate of mankind.

1 minute

The official Ivan Matveich with his wife and a friend go to the menagerie to watch the crocodile. Ivan Matveich teases the reptile, and it swallows the official. All present are horrified. But it turns out that Ivan Matveich is alive and feels very comfortable.

A friend tries to save the official, but he does not want to get out of the crocodile. He intends to live in the womb of the reptile for a thousand years and for all that time to show mankind the right path. He has prepared a place for his wife by his side.

Ivan Matveyevich asks his friend to bring him some newspapers — he thinks everyone is in a hurry to write about such a remarkable event.

The friend goes to Ivan Matveich’s wife. But she is not going to lie next to her husband in the crocodile’s womb, the woman is flirting and waiting for an admirer to visit.

The mate is about to bring the official newspapers. But there they either stigmatize him or describe outright untruths.