Of Mice and Men

Candy finds the body of Curley's wife and goes for George; both men immediately know what has happened. Candy overhears and convinces George and Lennie to let him in on the plan because he has money for a down payment. Taking Curley to a doctor, Slim gets Curley's promise to say his hand got caught in a machine so Lennie and George won't get fired.

Later that week, Lennie tells Crooks about the plans to buy a farm, and Crooks says he would like to join them and work for nothing. George joins the men searching for Lennie. They settle down and sleep for the night. But George explains that Lennie did not mean to hurt Curley and that he isn't in trouble. Eventually, George returns and tells her to get lost. He tells Lennie to look across the river and imagine their little farm. They also meet Candy, an old swamper with a sheep dog; Crooks, the black stable hand; the boss' son Curley, who is an amateur boxer and has a bad temper; Curley's wife, who has a reputation as a "tart"; Carlson, another ranch hand; and Slim, the chief mule skinner.

Later that week, Lennie tells Crooks about the plans to buy a farm, and Crooks says he would like to join them and work for nothing. " Lennie has heard this story so often he can repeat it by heart.