Summary

Alone in his room, Crooks (the “nigger” stable hand) massages his misshapen back with liniment. Lennie comes in, and at first Crooks, wanting to preserve his privacy, angrily demands that he leave. Conversation reveals, however, that George and the other men have gone into town, and that Lennie saw the light in Crooks’ room and wanted to sit for a while in order to be less lonely. Crooks eventually allows him to stay and then starts to tease him about what would happen to him of George didn’t return from town. Lennie says that George would never do that. Crooks continues to taunt him, but stops when he sees Lennie beginning to get angry, and explains that he sometimes starts acting strangely because he’s alone so much.

Candy comes looking for Lennie but is reluctant to come into Crooks’ room. Crooks grudgingly lets him...