In this chapter, the narrator tells the story of Henry's proposal. He explains that he was inspired to do so by a myth, and that he had to pull out the ring from a dead fish to make the ring work. He tells the audience that he will buy the ring for the rich, even though he will not be able to pay for it himself. He also tells them that the story takes place in the 1920s and 1930s, though it does not occur in that time period.