The Lady of the Barge and Other Stories by W. W. Jacobs, Classics, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Sea Stories. This item is unavailable.The Lady of the Barge and Other Stories by W. W. Jacobs, Classics, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Sea Stories

From "The Monkey's Paw": "What was that you started telling me the other day about a monkey's paw or something, Morris?" "Nothing," said the soldier, hastily. "Leastways nothing worth hearing." "Monkey's paw?" said Mrs. White, curiously. "Well, it's just a bit of what you might call magic, perhaps," said the sergeant-major, offhandedly. His three listeners leaned forward eagerly. The visitor absent-mindedly put his empty glass to his lips and then set it down again. His host filled it for him. "To look at," said the sergeant-major, fumbling in his pocket, "it's just an ordinary little paw, dried to a mummy." He took something out of his pocket and proffered it. Mrs. White drew back with a grimace, but her son, taking it, examined it curiously. "And what is there special about it?" inquired Mr. White as he took it from his son, and having examined it, placed it upon the table. "It had a spell put on it by an old fakir," 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 so to their sorrow. He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it."

This volume includes the notorious classic tale, "The Monkey's Paw," as well as "The Lady of the Barge," "Bill's Paper Chase," "The Well," "Cupboard Love," "In the Library," "Captain Rogers," "A Tiger's Skin," "A Mixed Proposal," "An Adulteration Act," "A Golden Venture," and "Three at Table."

William Wymark "W. W." Jacobs (1863 - 1943) was an English author of short stories and novels. Although much of his work was humorous, he is most famous for his horror story "The Monkey's Paw". Jacobs was born in Wapping, London; his father was a wharf manager at the South Devon wharf at Lower East Smithfield. He was educated at a private school in London and later at Birkbeck College (then called Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution, now part of the University of London).