The Monkey's Paw: Short Story

By W.W. Jacobs

When the White family comes into the possession of a monkey’s paw that magically grant wishes, they do what many people would do—they wish for money. But every wish has a consequence, and the White family finds they are completely unprepared for what comes next. The Monkey’s Paw is a classic horror tale that gives new meaning to the phrase “be careful what you wish for.”

The Monkey’s Paw has become a classic horror story and has been adapted numerous times, including into episodes of such popular television series as The X-Files, The Twilight Zone, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and Tales from the Crypt.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jan 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781443432313

W.W. Jacobs

William Wymark Jacobs was an English author of short stories and novels. Quite popular in his lifetime primarily for his amusing maritime tales of life along the London docks (many of them humorous as well as sardonic in tone). Today he is best known for a few short works of horror fiction.

Book preview

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THE MONKEY’S PAW

W. W. Jacobs

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CONTENTS

The Monkey’s Paw

About the Author

About the Series

Copyright

About the Publisher

The Monkey’s Paw

I

Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical changes, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire.

Hark at the wind, said Mr. White, who, having seen a fatal mistake after it was too late, was amiably desirous of preventing his son from seeing it.

I’m listening, said the latter, grimly surveying the board as he stretched out his hand. Check.

I should hardly think that he’d come tonight, said his father, with his hand poised over the board.

Mate, replied the son.

That’s the worst of living so far out, bawled Mr. White, with sudden and unlooked-for violence; "of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the-way places to live in, this is the worst. Pathway’s a bog, and the road’s a torrent. I don’t know what

Reviews for The Monkey's Paw

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Short story about 3 wishes and why you should be very careful what you wish for.

[ogrezed · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A cautionary tale about being careful about what we wish for. I've seen many adaptations of the story in pulp comics, movies, and television shows, but had never read the actual story they were all based on. Although a great short story, I think some of the adaptations did a better job of generating the horror of the final scenes. The short story pretty much leaves that to our own imagination. It's the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.

[firewild · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Quite predictable

[arkrayder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I’ve always liked reading The Monkey’s Paw. It’s not your typical horror story and leaves the main cause of the readers uneasiness to their imagination.

[altheaann · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The definitive tale of wishes gone wrong. Strong, but not as scary as I'd remembered it, somehow. (I didn't recall there being so much forethought about what state the son might be in when he returned.)

[kaethe_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the top ten short stories I've ever read. The effect lingers long after the reading.

[toppo_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One elderly couple and their son's story.They have not money but living happily.One day the husband's friend visit them, he said the story of Monkey's Paw brought back from India.Monkey's Paw is for us to fulfill three wishes.But at the same time,Monkey's Paw provide unhappy...I was drawn to this story.The story goes to the end without a stall, close the curtain, leaving a mystery.I like this story very much!

[morigorico · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There was one family.One day they got ' a monkey's paw ' from father's friend.' A monkey's paw' brought unhaoiness.And the family got unhapiness.This story is very horrible for me.I don't want to get ' a monkey's paw ',bbecause it was very dangerous.' A monkey paw ' scared me very much.

[k2su_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story is about Monkey's paw.According to this book,monkey's paw has magic.But,we can wish only 3wishes,and ,instead of the wish,we lose important thing.The cast whose name is Mr.brownwanted to alot of money,but he lost his son.This story is not true,but I thinked that this story was very interesting.