Short Fiction · Chapter
Too Wise explained
A man in Houston, who prides himself on being shrewd and detecting frauds, dismisses a shady-looking man offering a diamond ring for a dollar, believing it to be a con.
What happens
A man in Houston, who prides himself on being shrewd and detecting frauds, dismisses a shady-looking man offering a diamond ring for a dollar, believing it to be a con. He later discovers his wife lost her real solitaire diamond ring that day, and the offer was genuine.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The man's overconfidence in detecting deception leads him to mistake a genuine lost ring for a con, highlighting the irony of misjudging appearances.
Humor and Irony
The ironic twist—the man who thought he was too wise to be fooled ends up being the biggest fool of all—provides the story's humorous punch.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator tells the story of the Houston man and his wife.
Key passages
“Here is a man in Houston who keeps quite abreast of the times. He reads the papers, has traveled extensively and is an excellent judge of human nature. He has a natural gift for detecting humbugs and fakirs, and it would be a smooth artist indeed who could impose upon him in any way.”
A Houston man considers himself very modern and perceptive, believing no con artist could fool him.
Establishes the man's self-image as a shrewd judge of character.
“The Houston man smiled as he looked at the flashy ring the man held toward him. 'A very good game, my man,' he said, 'but the police are hot after you fellows. You had better select your rhinestone customers with better judgment. Good night.'”
Smugly, the man dismisses the offer as a cheap trick, warning the stranger to find easier targets.
Shows his condescending certainty that he has seen through the supposed scam.
“When the man got home he found his wife in tears. 'Oh, John,' she said. 'I went shopping this afternoon and lost my solitaire diamond ring. Oh, what shall I—' John turned without a word and rushed back down the street, but the shady-looking man was not to be found.”
At home, his wife confesses she lost her real diamond ring; he rushes back but the stranger is gone.
The ironic revelation that the ring was genuine and the opportunity lost.