The Monkey's Paw

The story involves Mr. and Mrs. White and their adult son, Herbert. Sergeant-Major Morris, a friend of the Whites who has been part of the British Armed Forcesin India, leaves them with the monkey's paw, telling of its mysterious powers to grant three wishes and of its journey from an old fakir to his comrade, who usedhis third wish to wish for death.

Sergeant-Major Morris throws the monkeys paw into the fire and White quickly retrieves it. Morris warns White, but White,thinking about what he could use the paw for, ignored him.

Mr. White wishes for £200 to be used as the final payment on his house. Following that, Herbert iskilled by machinery at his company, but they do get compensation of £200.

Ten days after the funeral, Mrs. White, almost mad with grief, asks her husband to wishHerbert back to life with the paw. Reluctantly, he does so. After a delay, there is a knock at the door. Mrs. White fumbles at the locks in an attempt to open thedoor. Mr. White knows, however, that he cannot allow their son in, as his appearance will be too grotesque. Mr. White was required to identify the body, which hadbeen mutilated by the accident and then buried for more than a week. While Mrs. White tries to open the door, Mr. White makes his third wish, and the knockingstops. Mrs. White opens the door to find no one there.

The theme of the story is contained in this description of the paw: "'It had a spell put on it by an oldfakir,' said the sergeant-major, 'a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did it to their sorrow.'"