Telemachus, Friend : Summary

The author was once returning from a hunting trip in New Mexico when he was told this story by the hotel proprietor named Telemachus Hicks when the author pointed to his mutilated ear and asked which animal had done that. In reply, Hicks said that the ear had not been mutilated by a beast and was a relic of true friendship. Then he went on to tell the story. He told the story thus.

Beginning with the story, Hicks said that the perfect friendship is exemplified by a friendship between a Connecticut (man (a person who hailed from Connecticut) and a monkey who shared the coconuts between them. So far as friendship between humans is concerned, it is transitory and can be ended without any notice. However, he had a true friend, named Paisley Fish. The two were together for seven years doing different jobs. He was confident that nothing in the world could break their friendship.

Once they were in the town of Los Pinos in the San Andres Mountains, when they came across a widow named Jessup. Both friends were attracted to her and each wanted to marry her. Hicks was the first to try to impress her when Paisley interrupted with his own talk, and Hicks did not feel it well. However, for them, friendship was valuable, so they decided that the one would marry her who was able to attract her. They will try to court her in each other's presence and will not do anything in secret. They decided to stay friends whether they won or lost.

Both friends kept their promise. If one of them reached her first, he would wait for the other to come before making advances. When Jessup advanced with any one of them in loneliness, he would ask her to wait until the friend was there. And thus, they both tried to court her while maintaining their friendship in earnest.

At one point, Jessup was so peaved of the true friendship between the two that she remarked to Hicks, "You are too good a friend to make a good husband." Still, she decided in the favour of Hicks and decided to marry him.

At the wedding ceremony, Hicks asked the priest to wait until Paisley had come, because he could not marry in the absence of his friend. And his friend, Paisley was trying to dress up himself; when he did not have suitable clothing for the wedding, he broke into a shop for a dress. He wanted to look his best so that the priest could confuse himself and marry Jessup to him instead.

At night, after the wedding ceremony, Jessup waited inside the room while Hicks sat outside. She asked him to come inside. He said that he was waiting for his friend to come. Immediately after this remark, Hicks felt that somebody had shot at his ear. In fact, it was a lick from Mrs. Hicks's broomhandle. This was how his ear was mutilated.

O. Henry is known for the twist in the story, and this twist comes in this story right at the end, and is quite surprising and joyful.