At the Prague Castle, in the Golden Lane, Franz Kafka (1883-1924) wrote these short stories, which were published in his lifetime under the title A?Country Doctor. In all of these stories, Kafka conjures up a partly irrational, partly unpredictable, and always frightening world that is difficult to escape. In one case, a malfunctioning doctor's bell triggers a?series of misfortunes; in another case, strange nomads appear against whom even the Emperor is powerless. Talking jackals or the indefinable Odradek lead the reader into the surreal. Is there a way out of this terror? The keeper of the Law provides an answer - "It's possible, but not now."