Summary

The narrator begins the story with a description of Juan Dahlmann’s lineage. Johannes Dahlmann, Juan Dahlmann’s paternal grandfather, migrated from Germany to Argentina in 1871. Dahlmann’s paternal grandfather was named “Francisco Flores” (167), and he was an Argentinian soldier who was killed by being “run through with a lance” (167). Juan Dahlmann, the protagonist, was extremely patriotic, and he considered himself “profoundly Argentinian” (167). He treasured the inheritance from his Argentinian side, such as a sword, a painting, and a ranch.

For years, Dahlmann had wanted to live on the ranch. However, his job as a secretary for the municipal library had prevented him from doing so until recently. One day, Dahlmann received a copy of the story, “The Thousand and One Nights” (167), and eager to read it, he rushed up the stairs of his apartment complex. On the way up, he bashed his...