The next day they arrive at the ranch. George is afraid of what they will think of Lennie so he tells him that he will do all the talking. He lies saying that they are cousins and that Lennie got kicked in the head by a horse as a child. They are hired and they meet Candy, and old handyman with one hand and an ancient dog. They also meet the boss's mean son, Curley. He just got married and is very possessive of his flirty wife. Curly is jealous and suspicious. Lennie thinks she is pretty but George warns her to stay away from her.
Then they meet Slim, the mule driver. Another worker, Carlson, suggests that they give one of Slim's puppies to Candy and shoot his old dog. George admits to Slim the next day that he and Lennie are not cousins, but friends since childhood, and Lennie often gets him into trouble. At their last job, he touched a woman's dress and was accused of rape. Slim agrees to give Candy a puppy. Carlson bugs Candy about getting rid of his dog. They tell him that death would be a relief to