"Germans at Meat." Katherine Mansfield.

One-minute review: A group of travelers at mealtime. Some from Germany. At least one from England. The Germans have disgusting eating habits and vividly display vulgar personal habits. The eve of war and the Germans say patronizingly, “We [the Germans] don’t want England. Don’t be afraid.” The English narrator—a woman—shuts up and leaves.

Comment: Not much point to the story other than a sharp contrast between the vulgar Germans and the refined English.

75 Short Masterpieces: Stories from the World’s Literature. Ed. Roger B. Goodman. New York: Bantam Books. 1961. These summaries do not do justice to the vividness of the stories. RayS.