The-Elephant-Man

TheElephantManChapter1TheCreatureintheShopMynameisDrFrederickTreves.IamadoctorattheLondonHospital.Onedayin1884,Isawapictureinthewindowofashopnearthehospital.Istoppedinfrontoftheshopandlookedatthepicture.AtfirstIfeltinterested,thenIfeltangry,thenafraid.Itwasahorrible,uglypicture.Therewasamaninthepicture,buthedidnotlooklikeyouandme.Hedidnotlooklikeaman.Helookedlikeanelephant.Ireadthewritingunderthepicture.Itsaid：ComeinandseetheElephantMan.2pence.Iopenedthedoorandwentin.Therewasamanintheshop.Hewasadirtymaninanoldcoatwithacigaretteinhismouth.'Whatdoyouwant？'heasked.'I'dliketoseetheelephantman,please,'Isaid.Themanlookedatmeangrily.'Well,youcan't,'hesaid.'Theshop'sclosingnow.Youcancomebacktomorrow.''I'msorry,'Isaid.'ButIwouldliketoseehimnow.Ihavenotimetomorrow—Ihavealotofworktodo.ButIcangiveyoumorethan2pence.'Themanlookedatmecarefully.Thenhetookthecigaretteoutofhismouthandsmiledwithhisyellowteeth.'Allright,sir,'hesaid.'Givemetwelvepencethen.'Igavehimthemoneyandheopenedadooratthebackoftheshop.Wewentintoalittleroom.Theroomwascoldanddark,andtherewasahorriblesmellinit.Acreaturesatonachairbehindatable.Isayacreature,becauseitwasnotamanorawoman,likeyouorme.Thecreaturedidnotmoveorlookatus.Itsatveryquietlyonthechairinthecold,dark,dirtyroom,andlookedatthetable.Thecreaturehadaclothoveritshead,becauseofthecold.Onthetableinfrontofit,therewasadeadflower.'Standup!'saidtheshopkeeper,loudly.Thecreaturestoodupslowly.Ittooktheoldclothoffitshead,andputitonthechair.Ilookedatthecreatureandfeltsad.Iamadoctor,soIknowalotaboutaccidentsandillpeople.Iseehorrible,uglythingseveryday.Butthiscreature,thisthing,wastheworstofall.Therewerenomenorwomeninthehospitallikehim.Heworesomeoldtrousers,butnoshirt,coat,orshoes,soIcouldseehisbodyverywell.Hisheadwasthemostinterestingthing.Itwasvery,verybig—likeanenormousbagwithalotofbooksinit.Theheaddidnothavemuchhair,andtherewasanotherbagofbrown,dirtyskinatthebackofit.Thisskincamedownbelowhisneck.Icouldnotseeoneofhiseyesverywell,becausealotofskincamedowninfrontofhisface,too.Anenormousredtoothcameoutofhismouth,underhisnose.Itlookedlikeanelephant'stooth.Themouthandnosewerelikeholesintheface.Thefacecouldnotsmileorlaughorlookangryorsad,becausetheskincouldnotmove.Itwasdead,likeanelephant'sface.Thereweremorebagsofdirtyskinonthefrontandbackofthecreature'sbody.Thesebagscamedowntohislegs.Therightarmwasenormous,andtherewerebagsofskinonit,too.Therighthandwaslikeaman'sfoot.Butthelefthandtheleftarmandthelefthandwerebeautiful!Theleftarmhadwonderfulskin,andthefingersofthelefthandwerelongandbeautiful.Itwaslikeayoungwoman'shand!'Walk,Merrick!'saidtheshopkeeperangrily.'Comeon,quickly,move!'Hehitthecreaturewithhishand.Slowly,thecreaturewalkedacrosstheroom.Buthecouldnotwalkwell.Hislegswereverybigandfat,andhehadabadback.Hecouldnotwalkfarwithoutastick.'Allright,thankyou,'Isaid.'Lethimsitdown.Idon'twanttoseeanymore.'Ifeltill,andthesmellintheroomwasverybad.'Yes,sir,'saidtheshopkeeper.'Sitdown,Merrick.'Wewentoutoftheroomandclosedthedoor.Theshopkeepersmiledatmewithhisyellowteeth.'Wonderful,sir,isn'tit？'hesaid.'ThebestElephantManinEngland!Hundredsofpeoplecometoseehim,youknow,hundreds!Itakehimalloverthecountry,Ido!''Yes,veryinteresting,'Isaid.'CanIsitdown？''Yes,sir,ofcourse.Here'sachair.'Helookedatme,smiling.'Wouldyoulikeaglassofwater,sir？''Yes,please,'Isaid.ThenIlookedatthethingsinthedirtyshop.Thereweretwoorthreebadapplesandsomeoldblackbananas：thatwasall.'Er,no…no,thankyou.I'mallright,'Isaid.'Didyou…didyoucallthecreatureMerrick？''That'sright,sir.JosephMerrick.ThebestElephantManinEngland!Itakehimalloverthecountry,youknow.Lotsofpeoplewanttoseehim.''Yes,Isee.Doyougetalotofmoney？''Well,sometimeswedo,sir,yes.Butit'sdifficult,yousee,sir,becauseofthepolice.Thepolicedon'tlikeus,yousee,sir.Sowecan'tstayinatownverylong.Weusuallymoveeveryweek.''Yes,Isee.Well,anyway,Mr…er？''Silcock,sir.SimonSilcock.''Yes,well,MrSilcock,I'madoctorattheLondonHospital.MynameisDrTreves.Ithinkthis…er…thismanJosephMerrickisveryinteresting,andIwouldliketoseehimatthehospital.Iwanttolookathimmorecarefully,yousee.'Yessir,Isee.Buthowcanhegettothehospital？It'sgoingtobedifficult.''Why,man？Thehospital'snotfarfromhere.''Well,yes,sir.Iknow.But,yousee,Merrickcan'twalkverywell.Heneedshelp.''Youcancomewithhim.Doyouwantmoremoney？Isthatit？''Well,yes,sir,Ido.But,yousee,peopleareafraidofhimtoo…Intheroad,littleboysAlwaysrunafterhimandhithim.Thenthepolicegetangrybecausepeopleareafraid.Sometimestheytakeustoprison.''Isee,'Isaid.'Well,howcanhecometothehospital,then？''Bringacab,sir,'saidSilcock.'Youcantakehimtothehospitalinacab.'Chapter2TheCardSonextday,atseveno'clock,Icametotheshopinacab.Therewerenotverymanypeopleintheroad,becauseitwasearlyinthemorning.InNovemberitisdarkatseveno'clockinthemorning,andIcouldnotseetheshopverywell.Iwaitedfiveminutes.Apostmanwalkedpast.Thenthedooroftheshopopened,andthecreature,Merrick,cameout.Icouldnotseehisfaceorhisbody.Hehadanenormousblackhatonhishead,likeabigbox.Agreyclothcamedownfromthehat,infrontofhisface.Therewasaholeintheclothinfrontofhiseyes.Hecouldseeou