"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs

 Everyone in this world had heard a fairy tale of granting three wishes. Almost everyone has imagined that if they got their three wishes granted what they will wish for. Fairy tales are amazing with happy endings, but what if this typical story gets horrifying. Your wish would be granted but at the cost you would never agree or would willing to pay. 

“The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs is also a typical “three wishes granted” story. It is supernatural short story, which was first published in England in the collection “The Lady of the Barge” in 1902. The story revolves around four characters Mr. & Mrs. White, their son Herbert and Sergeant – Major Morris, he is friend of Mr. White who served British army in India. While serving in India Morris has got this mummified monkey’s paw in which the old fakir has put spell that the owner will get three wish granted but at horrifying consequences as a punishment for tampering with fate. 

Sergeant Morris has got his three wishes granted and know how this paw works through that in the fire, while Mr. White does not believe Morris and save the paw from fire. Jokingly and not believing in the power of paw Mr. White wish for 200 pounds. Herbert then left for his work and in the evening the man comes with the bad news of Herbert’s death. He has been caught in the machinery and the company wants to give them 200 pounds to compensate their loss. Both Mr. and Mrs. White fell in to grief as they only had their son as family. After few days of Herbert’s death Mrs. White with huge grief of loss of their son tell Mr. White to wish for their son back alive. Mr. White do so as his wife was forcing him after an hour or so later there was knock at the door. Mrs. White knew it was her son. She ran down stairs and hurryingly trying to open the door. Mr. White on the other hand knows the result of using monkey’s paw now and had seen his son’s mutilated body. He fears his son alive in his corpse, fumbling on the ground to find the paw he again wish for something and knocking stops. When Mrs. White opens the door there was no one. 

In this story author talks about terrifying results of wish. Mr. White and his family was happy and wealthy enough. They didn’t need those money urgently. It was their greed. That greed and wishing more than your fate is what brought that drastic loss of their only son. The story warns everybody who tries to get more than their fate, or are greedy. The outcome of your greed can be frightful which may be you will regret your whole life. So be careful what you wish for.

Thank you.