The Thousand and One Bottles
- We learn here that the stranger came to Iping on February 29th. (So maybe this is 1896, since that was a leap year. Although, we should note that the first chapter says he arrived early in February [1.1]. So let's all agree that it's hard to keep track of time.)
- The next day, the stranger's luggage is brought from the station by a man named Fearenside, who has a dog, which makes Fearenside our favorite character so far.
- The stranger has lots of luggage, including boxes of glass bottles cushioned by straw. Naturally.
- He would probably love to yell at people to be careful with his boxes, but Fearenside's dog attacks him and rips his glove and pants.
- The stranger runs back to his room to change his clothes.
- Mr. Hall, nice guy that he is, checks on the stranger to make sure he wasn't hurt. But when he enters the room without knocking (will they ever learn?), he sees something strange. Unfortunately for the reader, Hall gets pushed out of the room before he can figure out what he saw.
- The villagers are now hanging around the luggage, gossiping and saying what they would do if a dog bit them. These people clearly don't have TVs.
- When the unhurt stranger gets the boxes, he starts unpacking all of his bottles and gets to work immediately.
- Mrs. Hall brings him dinner, but – surprise, surprise! – enters without knocking. So, of course, two things happen: (1) she catches a glimpse of something strange (he has very hollow eye sockets, but then he puts on his glasses); and (2) he complains about being interrupted.
- Mrs. Hall fusses over the mess that he's making, but the stranger just tells her to bill him.
- Down at a local bar, Fearenside and Henfrey gossip about the stranger. Fearenside says the stranger has black legs – he apparently saw the leg when his dog ripped his pants. Since the stranger has a pink nose, says Fearenside, maybe he's colored like a piebald horse.