Sholem Aleichem’s story “The Competitors” is a humorous and satirical tale about a woman and a man selling identical goods at a train station. Each competes to win the pity of passengers, pleading with them to buy from one rather than the other. Their rivalry, filled with comic exaggeration, takes an ironic twist when it is revealed that the man is in fact the woman’s second husband. Through wit and sharp observation, Aleichem portrays the absurdities of everyday life, human weaknesses, and the resilience of ordinary people.