Mr. Prohartchin is an impoverished old man who lives like a beggar. His only possessions are an old mattress without a bedsheet, a teapot he refuses to share with other tenants, and a box with a German lock. Out of pity, his landlady allows him to pay only a fraction of his rent, unlike the other tenants. He lives so frugally that he opts for the cheapest lunch and often skips dinner altogether. His social interactions are miserable, leading to frequent quarrels with the other tenants.

This is a multi-layered short story that explores themes of greed, pride, conceit, social anxiety, and poverty.