outside the night was cold and wet
but all was well in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa
the fire burned brightly and the blinds were drawn
the white-haired old lady was knitting by the fire
and father and son were busy playing chess
the father liked to play the game dangerously
he often put his king into unnecessary perils
and this time he had left the king too exposed
he had seen the mistake he made
but it was too late to change it
“Hark at the wind!” said Mr. White, amiably
he tried to distract his son from seeing the mistake
“I’m listening,” said the son
although he was grimly surveying the board
he put the king into check
“I can’t imagine he’ll come tonight,” said his father
and he went to put his hand to the board
“and check mate,” added the son
Mr. White was quite overcome with anger for a moment
“That’s the problem with living so far out!”
“it’s such a beastly place to live in”
“and it’s too far out of the way of things”
“The pathway to the house is a bog”
“and the road’s probably a torrent by now”
“I don’t know what the people were thinking!”
“perhaps because only two houses in the road are let”
“they must think that it doesn’t matter”
“Never mind, dear,” said his wife, soothingly
“perhaps you’ll win the next game”
mother and son shared a knowing glance
Mr. White looked up just in time to notice
The words died away on his lips
he hid a guilty grin in his thin grey beard
there was a loud bang at the gate
“There he is,” said Herbert White
and heavy footsteps came towards the door
The old man rose with hospitable haste
he opened the door for his friend
and he was heard condoling with the new arrival
eventually Mrs. White called the men in
she coughed gently as her husband entered the room
he was followed by a tall, burly man
he was beady of eye, and rubicund of visage
“Sergeant-Major Morris,” he said, introducing his friend
The sergeant-major shook hands
and he took the proffered seat by the fire
his host got out the whiskey and tumblers
and he put a small copper kettle on the fire

After his third whiskey his eyes got brighter
and gradually he began to talk more freely
the little family circled their visitor
he squared his broad shoulders in the chair
and he spoke of wild scenes and doughty deeds
he spoke of wars and plagues and strange peoples
“Twenty-one years of it,” said Mr. White
and he nodded to his wife and son
“he was just working in the warehouse then”
“When he went away he was just a youth”
“Now look at him, after all these years”
although Mrs. White politely flattered him;
“He doesn’t look like he has been too damaged”
“I’d like to go to India myself,” said the old man
“just to look around a bit, you know”
but the sergeant-major advised against it
“you’re better off where you are”
he shook his head at the memory
He put down the empty glass of whiskey
sighing softly, he shook his head again
but the old man continued to dream of it
“I would like to see those old temples”
“and I’d like to see the fakirs and jugglers”
“What is it you were telling me the other day?”
“wasn’t it something about a monkey’s paw, Morris?”
“Nothing,” said the soldier, hastily
“it’s nothing worth hearing about”
“a monkey’s paw?” said Mrs. White, curiously
the sergeant-major knew he had to explain a little
“Well, it’s just a bit of what you might call magic”
His three listeners leaned forward eagerly
The visitor put his empty glass to his lips
for a moment he had forgot where he was
and then he put the glass down again
His host kindly refilled the glass for him
he fumbled in his pocket for something
“To look at, it’s just an ordinary little paw”
“it has all but dried to a mummy”
and he took something out of his pocket
he offered it to anyone who wanted it
Mrs. White drew back with a grimace
but her son didn’t hesitate at the opportunity
and he took the monkey paw from the guest
he examined it with great curiosity
soon it was his dad’s turn to hold the monkey paw
having examined it, he placed it upon the table
“And what is so special about it?” he asked
“It had a spell put on it,” said the sergeant-major
“he was an old fakir; a very holy man”
“and he wanted to teach people a lesson”
“He wanted to show that fate ruled our lives”
“don’t interfere with fate,” he warned
“so he put a spell on the paw”
“three men could have the monkey paw”
“they could each have three wishes from it”
his audience found the story quite funny
but their laughter quickly felt inappropriate
the story teller certainly wasn’t laughing
Herbert tried to lighten the mood in the room
“Well, why don’t you have three wishes, sir?”
those with experience have a quiet about them
the soldier calmly regarded the youth
“I’ve had my wishes,” he said, quietly
and his blotchy face turned a grave white
“And did you really have the three wishes granted?”
“I had my wishes granted,” confirmed the sergeant-major
“And has anybody else wished?” asked the old lady
“The first man had his three wishes,” was the reply
“I don’t know what the first two wishes were”
“but the third wish was for death”
“That’s how I got the monkey’s paw”
His tones had gotten very grave
a dark hush fell upon the group
“you’ve had your three wishes,” pondered Mr. White
“it’s no good to you now, then, Morris”
“What do you keep it for?”
The soldier shook his head
“it’s a reminder, I suppose,” he said, slowly
“I did have some idea of selling it”
“but I don’t think I will sell it”
“It has caused enough mischief already”
“Besides, people won’t buy it”
“They think it’s a fairy tale”
“some are a little more curious than others”
“but they want to try it first before paying me”
the old man asked him with genuine curiosity
“would you want to have another three wishes?”
“I don’t know…” said the soldier, “I don’t know”

He took the paw from the table
and he dangled it between his forefinger and thumb
suddenly he threw it into the fire
the family cried out in surprise and shock
but most of all they cried out with regret
Mr White stooped down and snatched it out the fire
“Better let it burn,” said the soldier
“If you don’t want it, Morris, give it to me”
“I won’t give it to you,” said his friend, doggedly
“I meant to throw it on the fire”
“If you keep it, don’t blame me for what happens”
“Pitch it on the fire again like a sensible man”
but the old man shook his head
instead, he examined his new possession closely
“How do you do it?” he inquired
“you have to hold it up in your right hand”
“then you have to wish aloud,” said the sergeant-major
“but I warn you of the consequences”
“Sounds like the Arabian Nights,” said Mrs. White
and she rose and began to set the supper
“you could wish for four pairs of hands, for me”
Her husband held the talisman up
the sergeant-major caught him by the arm
and he had a look of alarm on his face
and then all three burst into laughter
but the guest was not as amused as his hosts
“If you must wish, wish for something sensible”
Mr. White dropped the paw into his pocket
supper had now almost been set up
Mr White placed the chairs around the table
and he motioned his friend to come and eat
supper became more interesting than the talisman
and the talisman was partly forgotten
anyway, there were more tales from India
and the guest entertained them with other stories

the evening had been very enjoyable
Morris left just in time to catch the last train
Herbert had been most entertained by the stories
“imagine if all the stories he told us are true”
“imagine if the monkey’s paw really was enchanted”
“we shall take it with a pinch of salt”
Mrs. White was curious about it too
“Did you give him anything for it, father?”
and she watched her husband closely
“A trifle,” said he, colouring slightly
“He didn’t want it, but I made him take it”
“And he pressed me again to throw it away”
“you must!” said Herbert, with pretended horror
“Why, we’re going to be rich, and famous and happy”
“you should make the wish to be an emperor, father”
and he had to run around the table to finish the joke
“then you won’t be pecked by the hens”
his mum was chasing him with a dishcloths
Mr. White took the paw from his pocket
he eyed the mummified monkey’s paw dubiously
“I don’t know what to wish for”
“and that’s a fact,” he said, slowly
“It seems to me I’ve got all I want”
“but you could pay off the house,” suggested Herbert
“imagine how happy you’d be then!”
“you make a good point,” his dad laughed
“Well, wish for two hundred pounds, then”
“that would be enough for the mortgage”
he had to blush at his own credulity
but he held up the talisman with his right hand
his son showed a solemn face to his father
but, to the side, he winked to his mother
and he sat down at the piano
and he struck a few serious sounding chords
the old man distinctly made his wish
“I wish for two hundred pounds”
A fine crescendo from the piano greeted the words
but then a shuddering cry came from the old man
His wife and son ran towards him
“It moved,” he cried, “the hand moved!”
he looked with disgust at the object on the floor
“As I made my wish it twisted in my hand”
“it moved in my hand like a snake”
“Well, I don’t see the money,” said his son
he picked the paw from the floor
and he placed the withered hand on the table
“and I bet I never shall see the money”
“It must have been your fancy, father,” said his wife
“imaginations do have a way of playing tricks”
but she continued to regard him anxiously
He collected his calm and shook his head
“Never mind, though, there’s no harm done”
“but it did give me quite a shock”

They sat down by the fire again
the two men smoked the rest of their pipes
outside, the wind was stronger than ever
the old man was on edge all night
a door upstairs shut itself with a bang
and he almost jumped out of his skin
an unusual and depressing silence settled upon the room
eventually Herbert retired for the night
but he couldn’t help teasing them a little more
“I expect you’ll find the cash tied up”
“it’ll all be in the middle of your bed”
“but there’ll be something horrible in your room”
“it will be squatting on top of the wardrobe”
“and it’ll watch you as you pocket your ill-gotten gains”
“good night mother, good night father”
Mrs. White soon went to bed too
The old man sat alone in the darkness
he spend some time gazing at the dying fire
in the fire he could see horrible faces
they had something strangely ape-like to them
and he couldn’t help gazing in amazement
but it all got a little too vivid
with an uneasy laugh he reached for the glass
he was going to throw some water on the fire
but his hand happened upon the monkey’s paw
a little shiver ran down his spine
he wiped his hand on his coat
and finally he also went up to bed