The Monkey´s Paw Summary
The story starts when the Whites are enjoying themselves on a stormy evening. Mr. White and
his son Herbert are playing chess, and Mrs. White is knitting quietly by the fire.
Next, a visitor arrived: Sergeant-Major Morris, who has been fighting in India for quite some time.
He starts telling them about his adventures, and Mr. White following up a previous conversation of
the monkey`s paw that was given to Morris. Morris seems uncomfortable talking about it. He tells
them that it is cursed and it has the power to grant three wishes. Oddly, he tries to burn it, though;
Mr. White does not allow such thing and buys it.
After Morris leaves, Herbert suggests that their first wish can be 200 pounds to pay for the house
mortgage. Mr. White does so joking about it. However, he feels the paw moving on his hand. Next
morning, after breakfast, Herbert goes to work as usual. In the afternoon, a well-dressed man gives
them terrible news. Herbert had a terrible accident at his work, and they give both Mr. and Mrs.
White the exact £200 as insurance money. They could not believe what is going on.
Days have gone by and the White were sad for his only son`s loss. One night while sleeping, Mrs.
White gets an idea and demands her husband to wish for her son to come back to life. Mr. White
hesitates at first because he had seen Herbert`s body mutilated due to the accident, and he had
been buried for ten days. However, he gives in and makes the horrible second wish.
Nothing happens and they go back to sleep. Soon, Mrs. White hears a soft repeating knock on
the door. She is sure it is her son. Mr. White does not know what to believe, but deep inside he also
thinks it is Herbert. And he is reluctant to let “his son” to get in the house. He reaches for the paw
for the third time to make his final and last wish. The knocking stops. Mrs. White opens the door
and there is nobody there, just the view of a deserted road.