1 00:00:01,500 --> 00:00:04,899 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:23,799 Speaker 2: Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh and there's 3 00:00:23,980 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 2: Chuck and Jerry's here too. And this is stuff you 4 00:00:28,340 --> 00:00:31,930 Speaker 2: should know. 5 00:00:32,250 --> 00:00:36,290 Speaker 1: That's right. One of our, I'm speaking for me, but 6 00:00:36,330 --> 00:00:37,650 Speaker 1: I think I can speak for us. One of our 7 00:00:37,670 --> 00:00:41,670 Speaker 1: favorite traditions is our annual Halloween spooky story reading. 8 00:00:42,530 --> 00:00:42,810 Speaker 2: Speak. 9 00:00:43,190 --> 00:00:45,190 Speaker 1: Our ad-free spooky story reading. 10 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:47,110 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's in our contract. 11 00:00:47,270 --> 00:00:49,510 Speaker 1: And we got a couple of good ones this year. 12 00:00:49,610 --> 00:00:51,970 Speaker 1: One's a little longer, one's a little shorter. I'm ambivalent 13 00:00:52,030 --> 00:00:53,230 Speaker 1: about which we do first. 14 00:00:55,430 --> 00:00:56,490 Speaker 3: I think, I. 15 00:00:56,510 --> 00:01:00,010 Speaker 2: Feel like, I don't know, man. I've been leaning toward 16 00:01:00,810 --> 00:01:02,030 Speaker 2: yours second. 17 00:01:02,300 --> 00:01:03,180 Speaker 1: Okay, let's do it then. 18 00:01:03,860 --> 00:01:04,020 Speaker 4: Okay. 19 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: Because you picked a stone cold classic, buddy, with the 20 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:07,300 Speaker 1: monkey's paw. 21 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:08,380 Speaker 2: That's right. 22 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 4: By W.W. Jacobs. 23 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: Can't believe we haven't done this. And by my... Like, 24 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:14,500 Speaker 1: you know, we like to just play this fast and 25 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:21,670 Speaker 1: loose everyone with the casting. There's mom, dad, son, military guy. 26 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,069 Speaker 1: And then there's one other minor character at the end, right? 27 00:01:26,130 --> 00:01:29,970 Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. I hadn't considered him. Yeah, we'll figure that out. 28 00:01:29,990 --> 00:01:31,550 Speaker 2: But yeah, it's pretty, pretty Spartan. 29 00:01:32,050 --> 00:01:38,069 Speaker 1: Yeah. So I figure since the military guy, maybe whoever 30 00:01:38,090 --> 00:01:40,490 Speaker 1: plays the military guy should play the person at the end. 31 00:01:41,390 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 3: Okay. 32 00:01:42,370 --> 00:01:47,470 Speaker 1: And then we have mom, dad, and son. 33 00:01:48,810 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 2: I was thinking you should definitely be the military guy. Who, me? 34 00:01:52,620 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 2: I already have a mild conception of what you're going 35 00:01:54,700 --> 00:01:56,540 Speaker 2: to do, and it's better than anything I could do 36 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:56,780 Speaker 2: with it. 37 00:01:56,780 --> 00:01:59,260 Speaker 1: All right, so I'll be him and the person at 38 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:01,690 Speaker 1: the end. I can't remember the character, but I read it. 39 00:02:02,580 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: And then do you want to be mom, dad, son? 40 00:02:06,180 --> 00:02:10,770 Speaker 2: I'll be dad and son. Oh, you want to be dad? 41 00:02:10,810 --> 00:02:11,190 Speaker 2: That's fine. 42 00:02:11,210 --> 00:02:12,570 Speaker 1: No, I wanted you to be mom. 43 00:02:13,690 --> 00:02:15,730 Speaker 2: All right. I'll try to be mom. 44 00:02:16,030 --> 00:02:17,220 Speaker 1: You do the ladies so well. 45 00:02:17,970 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 2: I disagree. I think you do it better. But okay, 46 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,180 Speaker 2: I'll be mom and son, and then your dad, the 47 00:02:24,220 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 2: military man, and the guy at the end. 48 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:27,780 Speaker 1: Okay. All right. Sounds good. 49 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 2: And it's confusing at first, but Herbert is the name 50 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:32,820 Speaker 2: of the son. 51 00:02:32,900 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: That's right. 52 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:35,620 Speaker 2: So when you hear Herbert, they're talking about the son. 53 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:37,460 Speaker 1: Who's a grown man, by the way. 54 00:02:38,669 --> 00:02:41,150 Speaker 2: Yeah, he never moved out. He's a planetismal. 55 00:02:41,250 --> 00:02:41,430 Speaker 4: Yeah. 56 00:02:42,250 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: Is that what that's called? 57 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,019 Speaker 2: Remember I coined it from the asteroid article, the ones 58 00:02:48,060 --> 00:02:49,740 Speaker 2: that never really become a full planet? 59 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:51,660 Speaker 1: That's right, that's right. I was like, where did I 60 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:53,900 Speaker 1: hear that? It was two weeks ago or whatever. 61 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,500 Speaker 2: So who's going to read first? 62 00:02:58,220 --> 00:03:02,210 Speaker 1: Right, because we also do the reading. Well, I think, well, 63 00:03:02,230 --> 00:03:03,989 Speaker 1: I don't know. I'll start it out and then you 64 00:03:04,010 --> 00:03:08,649 Speaker 1: just chime in there with Mrs. White whenever possible. She 65 00:03:08,669 --> 00:03:09,380 Speaker 1: comes around. 66 00:03:10,090 --> 00:03:10,620 Speaker 2: And the sun. 67 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: And the sun. And I'm Mr. White. 68 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:14,300 Speaker 4: Yes. 69 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 2: Okay. 70 00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:14,940 Speaker 4: All right. 71 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:15,700 Speaker 1: I think I got it. 72 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 2: All right. I got to do my doggy clap hand thing. Oh, 73 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:25,410 Speaker 2: I'm nervous. 74 00:03:25,820 --> 00:03:27,870 Speaker 1: And these are British people too, right? 75 00:03:27,910 --> 00:03:28,150 Speaker 4: Again. 76 00:03:28,910 --> 00:03:30,049 Speaker 2: Yeah, unfortunately. 77 00:03:30,070 --> 00:03:31,770 Speaker 1: No, that makes it even better, I think. 78 00:03:32,570 --> 00:03:34,930 Speaker 2: Nothing against the Brits. It's just hard for me to 79 00:03:34,990 --> 00:03:36,110 Speaker 2: do the British. 80 00:03:36,590 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: I just know that people... are in pins and needles 81 00:03:39,220 --> 00:03:41,660 Speaker 1: waiting for what Josh Clark has in mind for everyone. 82 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:42,100 Speaker 3: I know. 83 00:03:42,180 --> 00:03:44,140 Speaker 2: And it makes me nervous. I'm never going to top 84 00:03:44,180 --> 00:03:45,700 Speaker 2: the guy from a couple of years ago. 85 00:03:45,940 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: Well, maybe so. Cause that was sort of an all-time 86 00:03:49,620 --> 00:03:50,260 Speaker 1: great character. 87 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,100 Speaker 2: All right. Well, I'm just going to do what I can. Everybody. 88 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: Schmeagle, right? 89 00:03:54,260 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: Schmeagle. 90 00:03:54,820 --> 00:03:55,060 Speaker 1: Yeah. 91 00:03:55,690 --> 00:03:55,910 Speaker 4: Yeah. 92 00:03:56,590 --> 00:03:59,310 Speaker 2: Thanks for that. Okay. So you start. 93 00:03:59,610 --> 00:04:01,790 Speaker 1: All right, here we go, everybody. And a big thanks 94 00:04:01,830 --> 00:04:04,870 Speaker 1: to Ben ahead of time. Cause Ben is, Ben is 95 00:04:04,910 --> 00:04:07,030 Speaker 1: doing our sound design, our spooky sound design. 96 00:04:07,740 --> 00:04:09,620 Speaker 2: Jerry's doing our recording. Thanks. Cheers. 97 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,170 Speaker 1: That's right. So here we go, everybody, with The Monkey's 98 00:04:13,230 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: Paw by W.W. Jacobs. Without, the night was cold and wet. 99 00:04:26,700 --> 00:04:29,420 Speaker 1: But in the small parlor of Laburnum Villa, the blinds 100 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,300 Speaker 1: were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son 101 00:04:32,339 --> 00:04:35,289 Speaker 1: were at chess. the former who possessed ideas about the 102 00:04:35,310 --> 00:04:38,969 Speaker 1: game involving radical changes putting his king into such sharp 103 00:04:39,029 --> 00:04:41,890 Speaker 1: and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the 104 00:04:41,940 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire. Hark at 105 00:04:47,020 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: the wind, said Mr. White, who having seen a fatal 106 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,659 Speaker 1: mistake after it was too late, was amiably desirous of 107 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:55,089 Speaker 1: preventing his son from seeing it. 108 00:04:56,900 --> 00:04:57,620 Speaker 2: I'm listening. 109 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:02,049 Speaker 1: Wait, I'm listening, said the latter, grimly surveying the board 110 00:05:02,110 --> 00:05:06,339 Speaker 1: as he stretched out his hand. checked i should hardly 111 00:05:06,380 --> 00:05:08,860 Speaker 1: think that he'd come tonight said his father with his 112 00:05:08,900 --> 00:05:14,580 Speaker 1: hand poised over the board mate replied his son that's 113 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,219 Speaker 1: the worst of living so far out bawled mr white 114 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,700 Speaker 1: with sudden and unlooked for violence of all the beastly 115 00:05:20,790 --> 00:05:23,390 Speaker 1: slushy out-of-the-way places to live in this is the worst 116 00:05:23,830 --> 00:05:26,450 Speaker 1: pathways a bog and the roads a torrent i don't 117 00:05:26,490 --> 00:05:29,070 Speaker 1: know what people are thinking about i suppose because only 118 00:05:29,110 --> 00:05:31,350 Speaker 1: two houses in the road are let they think it 119 00:05:31,390 --> 00:05:32,130 Speaker 1: doesn't matter. 120 00:05:36,460 --> 00:05:37,860 Speaker 3: Never mind, dear. 121 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: Said his wife soothingly. 122 00:05:40,260 --> 00:05:43,070 Speaker 3: Perhaps you'll win the next one. 123 00:05:44,430 --> 00:05:47,690 Speaker 1: That's great, by the way. Mr. White looked up sharply 124 00:05:47,750 --> 00:05:50,490 Speaker 1: just in time to intercept a knowing glance between mother 125 00:05:50,529 --> 00:05:52,710 Speaker 1: and son. The words died away on his lips and 126 00:05:52,730 --> 00:05:55,310 Speaker 1: he hid a guilty grin in his thin gray beard. 127 00:05:56,029 --> 00:05:59,270 Speaker 1: There he is, said Herbert White as the gate banged 128 00:05:59,470 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: too loudly and heavy footsteps came toward the door. The 129 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,780 Speaker 1: old man rose with hospitable haste and, opening the door, 130 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: was heard condoling with the new arrival. The new arrival 131 00:06:08,980 --> 00:06:10,850 Speaker 1: also condoled with himself. 132 00:06:11,450 --> 00:06:11,770 Speaker 2: Yikes. 133 00:06:12,870 --> 00:06:17,630 Speaker 1: So that Mrs. White said, Tut, tut. And coughed gently 134 00:06:17,850 --> 00:06:21,589 Speaker 1: as her husband entered the room. Followed by a tall 135 00:06:21,630 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: burly man, beady of eye, and Rubicon de visage. Sergeant 136 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:33,029 Speaker 1: Major Morris, he said, introducing him. The sergeant major shook hands, 137 00:06:33,110 --> 00:06:36,270 Speaker 1: and taking the proffered seat by the fire, watched contentedly 138 00:06:36,390 --> 00:06:39,740 Speaker 1: while his host got out whiskey and tumblers and stood 139 00:06:39,770 --> 00:06:42,979 Speaker 1: a small copper kettle on the fire. At the third glass, 140 00:06:43,020 --> 00:06:45,339 Speaker 1: his eyes got brighter, and he began to talk, the 141 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,339 Speaker 1: little family circle regarding with eager interest this visitor from 142 00:06:48,380 --> 00:06:51,219 Speaker 1: distant parts, as he squared his broad shoulders in the 143 00:06:51,260 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: chair and spoke of wild scenes and doughty deeds, of 144 00:06:54,940 --> 00:06:56,820 Speaker 1: war and plagues and strange peoples. 145 00:06:58,650 --> 00:06:59,790 Speaker 4: Twenty-one years of it. 146 00:07:00,330 --> 00:07:03,110 Speaker 1: Said Mr. White, nodding at his wife and son. When 147 00:07:03,170 --> 00:07:05,070 Speaker 1: he went away, he was a slip of a youth 148 00:07:05,130 --> 00:07:06,750 Speaker 1: in the warehouse. Now look at him. 149 00:07:08,020 --> 00:07:09,780 Speaker 2: He don't look to have taken much. 150 00:07:09,620 --> 00:07:13,180 Speaker 1: Harm, said Mrs. White politely. I'd like to go to 151 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:15,780 Speaker 1: India myself, said the old man, just to look around 152 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,270 Speaker 1: a bit, you know. Better where you are, said the 153 00:07:19,310 --> 00:07:22,150 Speaker 1: sergeant major, shaking his head. He put down the empty 154 00:07:22,190 --> 00:07:28,030 Speaker 1: glass and sighing softly, shook it again. I should like 155 00:07:28,070 --> 00:07:31,110 Speaker 1: to see those old temples and fakirs and jugglers, said 156 00:07:31,150 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: the old man. What was that you started telling me 157 00:07:33,980 --> 00:07:37,980 Speaker 1: the other day about a monkey's paw or something, Morris? Nothing, 158 00:07:38,340 --> 00:07:39,420 Speaker 1: said the soldier hastily. 159 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 4: Leastways nothing worth hearing. 160 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: Monkey's paw, said Mrs. White curiously, very curiously. 161 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,060 Speaker 4: Well, it's just a bit of what you might call. 162 00:07:53,460 --> 00:07:59,310 Speaker 1: Magic, perhaps, said the sergeant major offhandedly. His three listeners... Listeners? Yeah. 163 00:08:00,370 --> 00:08:01,550 Speaker 2: We have three listeners, too. 164 00:08:01,890 --> 00:08:07,010 Speaker 1: That's good. His three listeners leaned forward eagerly. The visitor 165 00:08:07,140 --> 00:08:09,980 Speaker 1: absentmindedly put his empty glass to his lips and then 166 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 1: set it down again. His host filled it for him. 167 00:08:13,180 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 2: That's class four, I want to point out. 168 00:08:14,980 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. To look at, said the sergeant major, 169 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: fumbling in his pocket. 170 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,660 Speaker 4: It's just an ordinary little paw, dried to a mummy. 171 00:08:23,610 --> 00:08:26,350 Speaker 1: He took something out of his pocket and proffered it. Mrs. 172 00:08:26,390 --> 00:08:28,460 Speaker 1: White drew back with a grimace, but her son, taking it, 173 00:08:29,170 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: examined it curiously. And what is there special about it? 174 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:35,700 Speaker 1: inquired Mr. White as he took it from his son, 175 00:08:36,140 --> 00:08:38,579 Speaker 1: and having examined it, placed it upon the table. 176 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 4: It had a spell put on it by an old fakir, 177 00:08:42,700 --> 00:08:45,859 Speaker 4: said the sergeant major, a very holy man. He wanted 178 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,110 Speaker 4: to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those 179 00:08:49,130 --> 00:08:52,110 Speaker 4: who interfered with it did so to their sorrow. He 180 00:08:52,130 --> 00:08:55,329 Speaker 4: put a spell on it, so... that three separate men 181 00:08:55,850 --> 00:08:58,300 Speaker 4: could each have three wishes from it. 182 00:09:00,030 --> 00:09:03,050 Speaker 1: His manner was so impressive that his hearers were conscious 183 00:09:03,130 --> 00:09:05,510 Speaker 1: that their light laughter jarred somewhat. 184 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 2: Well, why don't you have three, sir? 185 00:09:12,100 --> 00:09:15,620 Speaker 1: Said Herbert White cleverly. The soldier regarded him in a 186 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,950 Speaker 1: way that middle ages want to regard presumptuous youth. I have, 187 00:09:20,500 --> 00:09:21,350 Speaker 1: he said quietly. 188 00:09:21,370 --> 00:09:22,470 Speaker 3: I have. 189 00:09:23,290 --> 00:09:26,010 Speaker 1: He said quietly, and his blotchy face whitened. 190 00:09:27,070 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 3: And did you really have the three wishes granted? 191 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:30,620 Speaker 1: Asked Mrs. 192 00:09:30,700 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 4: White. 193 00:09:31,420 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: I did, said the sergeant major, and his glass tapped 194 00:09:34,100 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: against his strong teeth. 195 00:09:36,700 --> 00:09:36,860 Speaker 4: Yeah. 196 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:39,449 Speaker 2: And has anybody else wished? 197 00:09:39,850 --> 00:09:44,050 Speaker 1: Persisted the old lady. The first man had three wishes, yes, 198 00:09:44,450 --> 00:09:47,090 Speaker 1: was the reply. I don't know what the first two were, 199 00:09:47,170 --> 00:09:51,170 Speaker 1: but the third was for death. That's how I got 200 00:09:51,270 --> 00:09:54,730 Speaker 1: the paw. His tones were so grave that a hush 201 00:09:54,850 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: fell upon the group. Shh, shh, shh. 202 00:09:57,140 --> 00:09:57,719 Speaker 2: Everybody shut up. 203 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,460 Speaker 1: If you had three wishes, it's no good to you 204 00:10:03,500 --> 00:10:06,179 Speaker 1: now then, Morris, said the old man at last. Why 205 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,860 Speaker 1: do you keep it for? The soldier shook his head. Fancy, 206 00:10:09,940 --> 00:10:13,750 Speaker 1: I suppose, he said slowly. I did have some idea 207 00:10:13,770 --> 00:10:16,550 Speaker 1: of selling it, but I don't think I will. It 208 00:10:16,570 --> 00:10:17,890 Speaker 1: has caused enough mischief already. 209 00:10:17,929 --> 00:10:19,410 Speaker 4: Besides, people won't buy it. 210 00:10:19,900 --> 00:10:21,780 Speaker 1: They think it's a fairy tale, some of them, and 211 00:10:21,820 --> 00:10:24,370 Speaker 1: those who do think anything of it want to try 212 00:10:24,410 --> 00:10:27,510 Speaker 1: it first and pay me afterward. If you could have 213 00:10:27,550 --> 00:10:30,670 Speaker 1: another three wishes, said the old man, eyeing him keenly, 214 00:10:31,190 --> 00:10:34,929 Speaker 1: would you have them? I don't know, said the other. 215 00:10:35,330 --> 00:10:36,250 Speaker 4: I don't know. 216 00:10:36,270 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: You want to switch over? 217 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:40,140 Speaker 2: Yeah, that was good, Chuck. 218 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: All right. 219 00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:44,020 Speaker 2: Very nice. And you did the Sergeant Major just exactly 220 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 2: as I was hoping you would. 221 00:10:44,940 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: A little Colonel Mustard to him. 222 00:10:46,420 --> 00:10:50,460 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. Okay, continuing on. You ready? 223 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:51,140 Speaker 1: Let's do it. 224 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,490 Speaker 2: He took the paw, and dangling it between his forefinger 225 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:59,689 Speaker 2: and thumb, suddenly threw it upon the fire. White, with 226 00:10:59,750 --> 00:11:02,530 Speaker 2: a slight cry, stooped down and snatched it off. 227 00:11:03,270 --> 00:11:03,810 Speaker 4: Better let it. 228 00:11:03,809 --> 00:11:06,230 Speaker 2: Burn, said the soldier solemnly. 229 00:11:07,630 --> 00:11:10,620 Speaker 1: If you don't want it, Morris, said the other, give 230 00:11:10,650 --> 00:11:11,100 Speaker 1: it to me. 231 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:15,830 Speaker 2: I won't. Said his friend doggedly. 232 00:11:16,150 --> 00:11:18,230 Speaker 4: I threw it on the fire. If you keep it, 233 00:11:18,290 --> 00:11:20,689 Speaker 4: don't blame me for what happens. Pitch it on the 234 00:11:20,730 --> 00:11:22,350 Speaker 4: fire again like a sensible man. 235 00:11:23,110 --> 00:11:26,350 Speaker 2: The other shook his head and examined his new possession closely. 236 00:11:26,890 --> 00:11:28,050 Speaker 3: How do you do it? 237 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:29,790 Speaker 2: He inquired. 238 00:11:30,500 --> 00:11:32,020 Speaker 1: I think my voice is changing. I'm going to stick 239 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:32,460 Speaker 1: with this one. 240 00:11:33,220 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 2: Okay. 241 00:11:34,660 --> 00:11:37,319 Speaker 4: Hold it up in your right hand and wish aloud. 242 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 2: Said the sergeant major. 243 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 4: But I warn you of the consequences. 244 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:46,350 Speaker 2: Sounds like the Arabian Nights, said Mrs. White as she 245 00:11:46,429 --> 00:11:49,450 Speaker 2: rose and began to set the supper. Don't you think 246 00:11:49,490 --> 00:11:52,290 Speaker 2: you might wish for four pairs of hands for me? 247 00:11:52,309 --> 00:11:57,530 Speaker 1: Oh, what a sassy lady. 248 00:11:58,190 --> 00:12:02,790 Speaker 2: Yeah. Her husband drew the talisman from pocket, and then 249 00:12:02,850 --> 00:12:06,170 Speaker 2: all three burst into laughter as the sergeant major, with 250 00:12:06,220 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 2: a look of alarm on his face, caught him by 251 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:08,599 Speaker 2: the arms. 252 00:12:11,780 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 4: If you must wish, he said gruffly, wish for something sensible. 253 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,820 Speaker 2: Mr. White dropped it back in his pocket, placing chairs, 254 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,270 Speaker 2: motioned his friend to the table. In the business of supper, 255 00:12:24,610 --> 00:12:28,110 Speaker 2: the talisman was partly forgotten, and afterward the three sat 256 00:12:28,170 --> 00:12:31,710 Speaker 2: listening in an enthralled fashion to a second installment of 257 00:12:31,750 --> 00:12:36,550 Speaker 2: the soldier's adventures in India... If the tale about the 258 00:12:36,610 --> 00:12:39,390 Speaker 2: monkey's paw is not more truthful than those he's been 259 00:12:39,500 --> 00:12:42,740 Speaker 2: telling us, said Herbert, as the door closed behind their guest, 260 00:12:43,100 --> 00:12:44,900 Speaker 2: just in time for him to catch the last train, 261 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:46,810 Speaker 2: we shan't make much out of it. 262 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,179 Speaker 3: Did you give him anything for father? 263 00:12:50,570 --> 00:12:54,230 Speaker 2: Inquired Mrs. White, regarding her husband-slash-father closely. 264 00:12:54,250 --> 00:12:58,110 Speaker 1: Yeah, they call each other mother and father. I think 265 00:12:58,130 --> 00:12:59,130 Speaker 1: that used to be a thing, right? 266 00:13:00,050 --> 00:13:02,790 Speaker 2: It's that kind of situation. And it's funny, this is 1902, 267 00:13:02,790 --> 00:13:07,860 Speaker 2: I think. So Mr. and Mrs. White, these very old, 268 00:13:08,059 --> 00:13:10,479 Speaker 2: old people are probably like in their late 50s. 269 00:13:11,140 --> 00:13:11,340 Speaker 1: Right. 270 00:13:11,540 --> 00:13:11,719 Speaker 4: Yeah. 271 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 1: Totally. 272 00:13:12,220 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 4: You know? 273 00:13:13,110 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 2: Yeah. 274 00:13:13,330 --> 00:13:13,780 Speaker 1: He's my age. 275 00:13:15,290 --> 00:13:15,610 Speaker 3: All right. 276 00:13:15,630 --> 00:13:16,090 Speaker 1: I think this is me. 277 00:13:16,590 --> 00:13:19,510 Speaker 2: A trifle, said he, coloring slightly. 278 00:13:20,470 --> 00:13:22,750 Speaker 1: He didn't want it, but I made him take it 279 00:13:22,850 --> 00:13:24,610 Speaker 1: and he pressed me again to throw it away. 280 00:13:26,550 --> 00:13:30,290 Speaker 2: Likely, said Herbert with pretended horror. Why, we're going to 281 00:13:30,340 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 2: be rich. I've lost Herbert. 282 00:13:32,260 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: I don't think so. 283 00:13:34,100 --> 00:13:36,200 Speaker 2: Well, let me get back in there. Why, we're going 284 00:13:36,220 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 2: to be rich and famous and happy. Got him back. 285 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:41,699 Speaker 2: Wish to be an emperor, father, to begin with. Then 286 00:13:41,740 --> 00:13:45,890 Speaker 2: you can't be hen-pect. He darted round the table, pursued 287 00:13:45,929 --> 00:13:49,290 Speaker 2: by the maligned Mrs. White, armed with an anti-macassar. 288 00:13:49,650 --> 00:13:51,330 Speaker 1: What is that? I'm sure you looked that up. 289 00:13:51,850 --> 00:13:54,670 Speaker 2: I did. Thank you for knowing me. It is one 290 00:13:54,710 --> 00:13:58,929 Speaker 2: of those pieces of cloth with a doily or something 291 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 2: on it that you put over the headrest of a chair. 292 00:14:03,010 --> 00:14:06,770 Speaker 2: To keep people's nasty, greasy hair from messing up your chair. 293 00:14:07,010 --> 00:14:07,210 Speaker 4: Yeah. 294 00:14:07,309 --> 00:14:08,929 Speaker 1: You don't want that soul glow on the back of 295 00:14:08,950 --> 00:14:09,670 Speaker 1: your recliner. 296 00:14:10,309 --> 00:14:12,250 Speaker 2: Right. That was, I thought of that too, man. That 297 00:14:12,290 --> 00:14:16,440 Speaker 2: was such a great little Easter egg in there. 298 00:14:16,580 --> 00:14:16,820 Speaker 4: Yeah. 299 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,060 Speaker 2: So I guess she's chasing, his mom is chasing him 300 00:14:20,140 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 2: with this anti-McCasser, like she's going to snap his butt 301 00:14:24,060 --> 00:14:25,100 Speaker 2: like it's a dish towel. 302 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:25,540 Speaker 4: Oh. 303 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:27,660 Speaker 2: That's how I took it. Or else she's going to 304 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,250 Speaker 2: strangle him with it, one of the two. But she's 305 00:14:30,330 --> 00:14:34,270 Speaker 2: mad because he just said that. Essentially, she hempecks his father. 306 00:14:34,410 --> 00:14:36,470 Speaker 1: I gotcha. She is sassy, we've established, so I'm sure 307 00:14:36,530 --> 00:14:37,470 Speaker 1: it's a butt pop. 308 00:14:37,910 --> 00:14:40,790 Speaker 2: She's hilarious. Yeah. Okay, you ready? 309 00:14:40,930 --> 00:14:41,090 Speaker 4: Yeah. 310 00:14:42,130 --> 00:14:44,250 Speaker 2: Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed 311 00:14:44,290 --> 00:14:45,110 Speaker 2: it dubiously. 312 00:14:45,830 --> 00:14:48,110 Speaker 4: I don't know what to wish for, and that's a fact. 313 00:14:48,630 --> 00:14:49,510 Speaker 2: He said slowly. 314 00:14:50,290 --> 00:14:55,290 Speaker 1: It seems to me I've got all I want. 315 00:14:56,710 --> 00:14:59,070 Speaker 2: If you only cleared the house, you'd be quite happy, 316 00:14:59,130 --> 00:15:03,170 Speaker 2: wouldn't you? Said Herbert with his hand on his shoulder. Well, 317 00:15:03,390 --> 00:15:06,660 Speaker 2: wish for 200 pounds then. That'll just do it. 318 00:15:06,990 --> 00:15:08,730 Speaker 1: Okay. If I cleared the house, he means pay off 319 00:15:08,750 --> 00:15:09,370 Speaker 1: the mortgage, right? 320 00:15:09,930 --> 00:15:15,230 Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. And this is 1902. So 200 pounds. Man. Equals 321 00:15:15,290 --> 00:15:20,310 Speaker 2: about 22,000 pounds today or about 29,000 US dollars. 322 00:15:20,470 --> 00:15:20,790 Speaker 4: Oh, wow. 323 00:15:21,130 --> 00:15:21,690 Speaker 1: Is that for real? 324 00:15:21,710 --> 00:15:22,150 Speaker 4: You did that? 325 00:15:22,630 --> 00:15:24,130 Speaker 1: Mm-hmm. Above and beyond. 326 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:27,890 Speaker 2: Thank you. Special thanks to the Bank of England. 327 00:15:27,910 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 1: That's right. For everything. 328 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:34,510 Speaker 2: And, yeah, and I can't remember where I converted pounds 329 00:15:34,590 --> 00:15:37,410 Speaker 2: into USD for today, but, you know, whatever. 330 00:15:37,610 --> 00:15:39,390 Speaker 1: Yeah. 331 00:15:39,610 --> 00:15:41,370 Speaker 2: Should I still keep going? You want me to finish 332 00:15:41,390 --> 00:15:42,490 Speaker 2: this off to part two? 333 00:15:42,510 --> 00:15:43,850 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, through part two. Let's do it. 334 00:15:43,910 --> 00:15:49,250 Speaker 2: Okay. His father, smiling shamefacedly at his own credulity, held 335 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 2: up the talisman, as his son, with a solemn face, 336 00:15:52,660 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 2: somewhat marred by a wink at his mother, ding, sat 337 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 2: down at the piano and struck a few impressive chords. Ding. 338 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:03,060 Speaker 4: I wish for two hundred pounds. 339 00:16:04,030 --> 00:16:07,570 Speaker 2: The old man said distinctly. A fine crash from the 340 00:16:07,610 --> 00:16:11,330 Speaker 2: piano greeted the words, interrupted by a shuddering cry from 341 00:16:11,350 --> 00:16:12,030 Speaker 2: the old man. 342 00:16:14,590 --> 00:16:14,770 Speaker 1: Oh! 343 00:16:15,870 --> 00:16:19,620 Speaker 2: Right, his wife and son ran toward him. It moved, 344 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 2: he cried with a glance of disgust at the object 345 00:16:23,020 --> 00:16:24,140 Speaker 2: as it lay on the floor. 346 00:16:24,660 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: As I wished, it twisted in my hand like a snake. 347 00:16:28,540 --> 00:16:31,570 Speaker 2: Well, I don't see the money, said his son as 348 00:16:31,610 --> 00:16:33,310 Speaker 2: he picked it up and placed it on the table, 349 00:16:33,550 --> 00:16:35,450 Speaker 2: and I bet I never shall. 350 00:16:36,750 --> 00:16:38,990 Speaker 3: It must have been your fancy father. 351 00:16:39,370 --> 00:16:43,370 Speaker 2: Said wife, regarding him anxiously. He shook his head. 352 00:16:44,410 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 1: Never mind, though, there's no harm done, but it gave 353 00:16:46,890 --> 00:16:47,980 Speaker 1: me a shock all the same. 354 00:16:49,300 --> 00:16:51,420 Speaker 2: They sat down by the fire again while the two 355 00:16:51,460 --> 00:16:55,380 Speaker 2: men finished their pipes. Outside, the wind was higher than ever. 356 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 2: and the old man started nervously at the sound of 357 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:02,830 Speaker 2: a door banging upstairs. A silence, unusual and depressing, settled 358 00:17:02,890 --> 00:17:06,130 Speaker 2: upon all three, which lasted until the old couple rose 359 00:17:06,190 --> 00:17:11,609 Speaker 2: to retire for the night. I expect you'll find the 360 00:17:11,650 --> 00:17:13,710 Speaker 2: cash tied up in a big bag in the middle 361 00:17:13,730 --> 00:17:16,780 Speaker 2: of your bed, said Herbert as he bade them goodnight. 362 00:17:17,460 --> 00:17:20,700 Speaker 2: And something horrible squatting up on top of the wardrobe 363 00:17:20,740 --> 00:17:24,419 Speaker 2: watching you as you pocket your ill-gotten gains. 364 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:26,659 Speaker 1: I wonder if the old man is wondering how he 365 00:17:26,700 --> 00:17:28,139 Speaker 1: ended up with a Cockney family. 366 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:31,679 Speaker 2: I don't know. It's the only British accent I can 367 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,780 Speaker 2: do reliably. That's good. And I'm even hanging it on 368 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:36,619 Speaker 2: by my fingernails right now with that. 369 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:37,210 Speaker 1: Perfect. I love it. 370 00:17:38,340 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 2: He sat alone. This would be Herbert. He sat alone 371 00:17:40,820 --> 00:17:43,380 Speaker 2: in the darkness, gazing at the dying fire and seeing 372 00:17:43,700 --> 00:17:46,899 Speaker 2: faces in it. The last face was so horrible and 373 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 2: so simian that he gazed at it in amazement. It 374 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:57,230 Speaker 2: got so vivid that with a little uneasy laugh, he 375 00:17:57,310 --> 00:17:59,810 Speaker 2: felt on the table for a glass containing a little 376 00:17:59,850 --> 00:18:02,690 Speaker 2: water to throw over it. He grasped the monkey's paw. 377 00:18:03,010 --> 00:18:05,369 Speaker 2: With a little shiver, he wiped his hand on his 378 00:18:05,470 --> 00:18:07,230 Speaker 2: coat and he went up to bed. 379 00:18:12,630 --> 00:18:15,070 Speaker 1: All right. That's part one. So they have made this 380 00:18:15,109 --> 00:18:18,449 Speaker 1: wish for the 200 pounds, even though a dire warning 381 00:18:18,530 --> 00:18:19,370 Speaker 1: from Colonel Mustard. 382 00:18:19,950 --> 00:18:20,170 Speaker 4: Yeah. 383 00:18:20,550 --> 00:18:21,810 Speaker 1: That something bad would come of that. 384 00:18:22,869 --> 00:18:24,390 Speaker 2: I guess we should take an ad break, huh? 385 00:18:24,869 --> 00:18:26,709 Speaker 1: No, buddy. Not on this one. 386 00:18:27,290 --> 00:18:30,050 Speaker 2: Okay. I was just setting you up for that. 387 00:18:30,390 --> 00:18:33,430 Speaker 1: Perfect. I'll pick it up here. Monkey's Paw, part two. 388 00:18:38,350 --> 00:18:40,510 Speaker 1: In the brightness of the wintry sun next morning as 389 00:18:40,570 --> 00:18:43,090 Speaker 1: it streamed over the breakfast table, he laughed at his fears. 390 00:18:43,590 --> 00:18:45,890 Speaker 1: There was an air of prosaic wholesomeness about the room 391 00:18:45,950 --> 00:18:48,250 Speaker 1: which it had lacked on the previous night, and the 392 00:18:48,270 --> 00:18:51,129 Speaker 1: dirty shriveled little paw was pitched on the sideboard with 393 00:18:51,170 --> 00:18:54,370 Speaker 1: a carelessness which betokened no great belief in its virtues. 394 00:18:55,410 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 2: I suppose all old soldiers are the. 395 00:18:57,580 --> 00:18:58,740 Speaker 1: Same, said Mrs. 396 00:18:58,780 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 4: White. 397 00:18:59,500 --> 00:19:02,900 Speaker 2: The idea of all listening to such nonsense, how could 398 00:19:03,020 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 2: wishes be granted these days? 399 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,400 Speaker 3: And if they could, how could two hundred pounds hurt you, father? 400 00:19:09,420 --> 00:19:12,510 Speaker 2: Mike dropped on his head from the sky. 401 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:17,120 Speaker 1: Said a frivolous Herbert. Morris said the things happened so naturally, 402 00:19:17,380 --> 00:19:20,379 Speaker 1: said his father, that you might, if you so wished, 403 00:19:20,500 --> 00:19:21,899 Speaker 1: attribute it to coincidence. 404 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 2: Well, don't break into the money before I come. 405 00:19:25,180 --> 00:19:27,460 Speaker 1: Back, said Herbert as he rose from the table. 406 00:19:28,190 --> 00:19:31,810 Speaker 2: I'm afraid it'll turn you into a mean, avaricious man 407 00:19:31,869 --> 00:19:33,970 Speaker 2: and we shall have to disown you. 408 00:19:34,530 --> 00:19:47,609 Speaker 1: His mother laughed. And following him to the door, watched 409 00:19:47,670 --> 00:19:49,970 Speaker 1: him down the road and returning to the breakfast table. 410 00:19:50,140 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 1: was very happy at the expense of her husband's credulity. 411 00:19:53,540 --> 00:19:55,580 Speaker 1: All of which did not prevent her from scurrying to 412 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:58,920 Speaker 1: the door at the postman's knock, nor prevent her from 413 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:03,550 Speaker 1: referring somewhat shortly to retired sergeant majors of bibulous habits 414 00:20:04,030 --> 00:20:06,310 Speaker 1: when she found that the post brought a tailor's bill. 415 00:20:06,910 --> 00:20:07,050 Speaker 4: Hmm. 416 00:20:08,290 --> 00:20:11,990 Speaker 2: Herbert will have some more of his funny remarks, I expect, 417 00:20:12,070 --> 00:20:13,190 Speaker 2: when he comes. 418 00:20:12,970 --> 00:20:16,169 Speaker 1: Home, she said as they sat at dinner. I dare say, 419 00:20:16,450 --> 00:20:19,370 Speaker 1: said Mr. White, pouring himself out some beer. But for 420 00:20:19,450 --> 00:20:21,790 Speaker 1: all that, the thing moved in my hand. That I'll 421 00:20:21,810 --> 00:20:27,090 Speaker 1: swear to. You thought it did, said the old lady soothingly. 422 00:20:29,750 --> 00:20:31,990 Speaker 1: I say it did, replied the other. There was no 423 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 1: thought about it. 424 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:33,260 Speaker 4: I had just. 425 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 1: What's the matter? His wife made no reply. She was 426 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 1: watching the mysterious movements of a man outside who, peering 427 00:20:41,300 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: in an undecided fashion at the house, appeared to be 428 00:20:43,380 --> 00:20:45,680 Speaker 1: trying to make up his mind to enter. In mental 429 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,679 Speaker 1: connection with the 200 pounds, she noticed that the stranger 430 00:20:48,740 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: was well-dressed and wore a silk hat of glossy newness. 431 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 1: Three times he paused at the gate and then walked 432 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:57,220 Speaker 1: on again. The fourth time he stood with his hand 433 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:00,140 Speaker 1: upon it and then, with sudden resolution, flung it open 434 00:21:00,590 --> 00:21:03,090 Speaker 1: and walked up the path. Mrs. White at the same 435 00:21:03,130 --> 00:21:06,189 Speaker 1: moment placed her hands behind her and hurriedly unfastening the 436 00:21:06,230 --> 00:21:09,220 Speaker 1: strings of her apron put that useful article of apparel 437 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 1: beneath the cushion of her chair. 438 00:21:11,420 --> 00:21:12,020 Speaker 2: Kind of weird. 439 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:13,180 Speaker 1: She hid that apron. 440 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:14,119 Speaker 2: I guess. 441 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 1: She brought the stranger, who seemed ill at ease, into 442 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 1: the room. He gazed at her furtively and listened in 443 00:21:20,780 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 1: a preoccupied fashion as the old lady apologized for the 444 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:26,659 Speaker 1: appearance of the room and her husband's coat, a garment 445 00:21:26,700 --> 00:21:29,780 Speaker 1: which he usually reserved for the garden. Then she waited 446 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 1: as patiently as her sex would permit Sorry. for him 447 00:21:33,700 --> 00:21:37,120 Speaker 1: to broach his business, but he was at first strangely 448 00:21:37,180 --> 00:21:40,070 Speaker 1: silent All right, this guy's me, right? 449 00:21:40,290 --> 00:21:40,970 Speaker 2: Yeah, you're you. 450 00:21:42,530 --> 00:21:44,770 Speaker 1: Let me see. Who is this guy? Who is this guy? 451 00:21:45,510 --> 00:21:47,450 Speaker 2: He's a foppish, dandy gentleman. 452 00:21:48,910 --> 00:21:51,409 Speaker 1: I was asked to call, he said at last, and 453 00:21:51,540 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: stooped and picked a piece of cotton from his trousers. 454 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,879 Speaker 1: I come from Ma and Megan's. The old lady started. 455 00:21:57,900 --> 00:22:00,380 Speaker 3: Is anything the matter? 456 00:22:01,540 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 1: She asked breathlessly. 457 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:06,669 Speaker 3: Has anything happened to Herbert? What is it? What is it? 458 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:10,360 Speaker 1: Her husband interposed. There, there, mother, he said hastily. Sit 459 00:22:10,420 --> 00:22:13,580 Speaker 1: down and don't jump to conclusions. You've not brought bad news, 460 00:22:13,660 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 1: I'm sure, sir. And he eyed the other wistfully. I'm sorry, 461 00:22:19,060 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: began the visitor. 462 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:21,200 Speaker 3: Is he hurt? 463 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 1: Demanded the mother wildly. The visitor bowed in assent. Badly hurt, 464 00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 1: he said quietly. But he is not in any pain. 465 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:34,180 Speaker 2: Oh, thank God! 466 00:22:34,970 --> 00:22:36,869 Speaker 1: Said the old woman, clasping her hands. 467 00:22:37,410 --> 00:22:39,750 Speaker 3: Thank God for that! Thank. 468 00:22:40,070 --> 00:22:42,550 Speaker 1: She broke off suddenly as the sinister meaning of the 469 00:22:42,609 --> 00:22:46,450 Speaker 1: assurance dawned upon her, and she the awful confirmation of 470 00:22:46,490 --> 00:22:49,390 Speaker 1: her fears in the other's averted face. She caught her breath, 471 00:22:51,140 --> 00:22:55,260 Speaker 1: and turning to her slower-witted husband, laid her trembling old 472 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:59,020 Speaker 1: hand upon his. There was a long silence. He was 473 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:04,369 Speaker 1: caught in the machinery. said the visitor at length in 474 00:23:04,410 --> 00:23:05,050 Speaker 1: a low voice. 475 00:23:06,650 --> 00:23:07,670 Speaker 4: Caught in the machinery? 476 00:23:08,170 --> 00:23:10,010 Speaker 1: Repeated Mr. White in a dazed fashion. 477 00:23:10,950 --> 00:23:11,250 Speaker 3: Yes. 478 00:23:12,670 --> 00:23:15,270 Speaker 1: He sat, staring blankly out at the window and taking 479 00:23:15,310 --> 00:23:17,989 Speaker 1: his wife's hand between his own, pressed it as he 480 00:23:18,030 --> 00:23:20,670 Speaker 1: had want to do in their old courting days nearly 481 00:23:20,710 --> 00:23:25,389 Speaker 1: forty years before. He was the only one left to us, 482 00:23:25,859 --> 00:23:28,580 Speaker 1: he said, turning gently to the visitor. It is hard. 483 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:34,129 Speaker 1: The other coughed. And rising, walked slowly to the window. 484 00:23:34,770 --> 00:23:37,370 Speaker 1: The firm wished me to convey their sincere sympathy with 485 00:23:37,390 --> 00:23:40,130 Speaker 1: you and your great loss, he said without looking around. 486 00:23:40,530 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: I beg that you will understand I am only their 487 00:23:42,820 --> 00:23:46,439 Speaker 1: servant and merely obeying orders. It's like, don't shoot the messenger. 488 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:47,460 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. 489 00:23:48,540 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 1: There was no reply. The old woman's face was white, 490 00:23:51,220 --> 00:23:54,419 Speaker 1: her eyes staring and her breaths inaudible. On the husband's 491 00:23:54,460 --> 00:23:56,780 Speaker 1: face was a look such as his friend, the sergeant, 492 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:02,020 Speaker 1: might have carried into his first action. I was to 493 00:24:02,060 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 1: say that Ma and Megan's disclaim all responsibility, continued the other. 494 00:24:06,220 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 1: They admit no liability at all, but in consideration of 495 00:24:08,780 --> 00:24:12,540 Speaker 1: your son's services, they wish to present you with a 496 00:24:12,619 --> 00:24:14,540 Speaker 1: certain sum as compensation. 497 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 2: Mr. 498 00:24:15,780 --> 00:24:17,860 Speaker 1: White dropped his wife's hand and, rising to his feet, 499 00:24:18,300 --> 00:24:21,439 Speaker 1: gazed with a look of horror at his visitor. His 500 00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:27,980 Speaker 1: dry lips shaped the words, How much? Two hundred pounds, 501 00:24:28,220 --> 00:24:35,190 Speaker 1: was the answer. Unconscious of his wife's shriek, Oh, heck! 502 00:24:35,869 --> 00:24:39,390 Speaker 1: The old man smiled faintly, put out his hands like 503 00:24:39,430 --> 00:24:42,820 Speaker 1: a sightless man, and dropped a senseless heap to the floor. 504 00:24:46,619 --> 00:24:46,780 Speaker 2: Oh. 505 00:24:47,460 --> 00:24:48,940 Speaker 4: Wow. All right. Yeah. 506 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: There it is. 507 00:24:49,340 --> 00:24:52,260 Speaker 2: I had to catch my own breath because I've been 508 00:24:52,300 --> 00:24:54,160 Speaker 2: trying to breathe inaudibly this whole time. 509 00:24:55,060 --> 00:24:55,440 Speaker 4: You okay? 510 00:24:56,140 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm good now. Now that I'm free of that. 511 00:24:58,510 --> 00:24:59,770 Speaker 1: You need an O2 canister? 512 00:25:01,170 --> 00:25:02,050 Speaker 2: I need a CPAP. 513 00:25:02,410 --> 00:25:02,850 Speaker 4: Yeah, okay. 514 00:25:03,650 --> 00:25:04,230 Speaker 2: All right, you ready? 515 00:25:04,609 --> 00:25:08,550 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is, you know, what the fate has been revealed. 516 00:25:08,930 --> 00:25:12,530 Speaker 1: Sun is mangled to the tune of 200 pounds in compensation. 517 00:25:13,250 --> 00:25:16,750 Speaker 2: Yeah, caught in the machinery definitely equals mangled, right? Yeah, 518 00:25:16,770 --> 00:25:19,780 Speaker 2: I think so. So this is the third and final 519 00:25:19,910 --> 00:25:27,459 Speaker 2: act of The Monkey's Paw, starting right now. The Monkey's 520 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:32,030 Speaker 2: Paw In the huge new cemetery, some two miles distant, 521 00:25:32,250 --> 00:25:35,210 Speaker 2: the old people buried their dead and came back to 522 00:25:35,260 --> 00:25:38,580 Speaker 2: a house steeped in shadow and silence. It was all 523 00:25:38,660 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 2: over so quickly that at first they could hardly realize 524 00:25:41,300 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 2: it and remained in a state of expectation, as though 525 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,379 Speaker 2: of something else to happen, something else which was to 526 00:25:47,460 --> 00:25:50,580 Speaker 2: lighten this load, too heavy for old hearts to bear. 527 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:55,120 Speaker 2: But the days passed, and expectation gave place to resignation, 528 00:25:55,660 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 2: the hopeless resignation of the old, sometimes miscalled apathy. Sometimes 529 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,220 Speaker 2: they hardly exchanged a word, for now they had nothing 530 00:26:03,260 --> 00:26:06,139 Speaker 2: to talk about, and their days were long to weariness. 531 00:26:06,940 --> 00:26:09,300 Speaker 2: It was about a week after that that the old man, 532 00:26:09,500 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 2: waking suddenly in the night, stretched out his hand and 533 00:26:12,619 --> 00:26:16,439 Speaker 2: found himself alone. The room was in darkness, and the 534 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:22,129 Speaker 2: sound of subdued weeping came from the window. He raised 535 00:26:22,170 --> 00:26:26,410 Speaker 2: himself in bed and listened. Come back, he said tenderly. 536 00:26:26,430 --> 00:26:27,530 Speaker 3: You will be cold. 537 00:26:28,350 --> 00:26:31,629 Speaker 2: It is colder for my son, said the old woman 538 00:26:31,670 --> 00:26:36,090 Speaker 2: and wept afresh. The sound of her sobs died away 539 00:26:36,190 --> 00:26:38,820 Speaker 2: on his ears. The bed was warm and his eyes 540 00:26:38,859 --> 00:26:42,640 Speaker 2: heavy with sleep. He dozed fitfully and then slept until 541 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,340 Speaker 2: a sudden wild cry from his wife awoke him with 542 00:26:45,380 --> 00:26:45,720 Speaker 2: a start. 543 00:26:46,500 --> 00:26:47,719 Speaker 3: The paw! 544 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:48,939 Speaker 2: She cried wildly. 545 00:26:49,140 --> 00:26:51,140 Speaker 3: The monkey's paw! 546 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:53,090 Speaker 2: He started up in alarm. 547 00:26:53,130 --> 00:26:53,390 Speaker 3: Where? 548 00:26:53,510 --> 00:26:54,550 Speaker 4: Where is it? What's the matter? 549 00:26:56,050 --> 00:26:59,530 Speaker 2: She came stumbling across the room toward him. I want it, 550 00:26:59,930 --> 00:27:03,370 Speaker 2: she said quietly. Oh, I want it, she said quietly. 551 00:27:03,730 --> 00:27:07,100 Speaker 2: You've not destroyed it. It's in the parlor on the bracket, 552 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:08,660 Speaker 2: he replied marveling. 553 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 4: Why? 554 00:27:10,580 --> 00:27:14,639 Speaker 2: She cried and laughed together and bending over kissed his cheek. 555 00:27:15,420 --> 00:27:18,639 Speaker 2: I only just thought of it, she said hysterically. 556 00:27:18,770 --> 00:27:21,750 Speaker 3: Why didn't I think of it before? Why didn't you 557 00:27:21,869 --> 00:27:22,419 Speaker 3: think of it? 558 00:27:22,890 --> 00:27:23,950 Speaker 1: Think of what? 559 00:27:24,630 --> 00:27:28,950 Speaker 2: He questioned. The other two wishes, she replied rapidly. 560 00:27:29,130 --> 00:27:30,220 Speaker 3: We've only had one. 561 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 2: Was not that enough, he demanded fiercely. No, she cried triumphantly. 562 00:27:37,060 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 3: We'll have one more. Go down and get it quickly, 563 00:27:40,260 --> 00:27:42,379 Speaker 3: then wish our boy alive again. 564 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:45,880 Speaker 2: The man sat up in bed and flung the bedclothes 565 00:27:45,900 --> 00:27:50,100 Speaker 2: from his quaking limbs. Good God, you're mad, he cried aghast. 566 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 2: Get it, she panted. 567 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:57,139 Speaker 3: Get it quickly and wish. Oh, my boy, my boy. 568 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:02,210 Speaker 2: Her husband struck a match and lit the candle. Get 569 00:28:02,250 --> 00:28:04,389 Speaker 2: back to bed, he said unsteadily. 570 00:28:04,730 --> 00:28:06,169 Speaker 1: You don't know what you're saying. 571 00:28:06,950 --> 00:28:08,090 Speaker 3: We had the first. 572 00:28:07,850 --> 00:28:10,590 Speaker 2: Wish granted, said the old woman feverishly. 573 00:28:10,830 --> 00:28:11,870 Speaker 3: Why not the second? 574 00:28:12,330 --> 00:28:16,070 Speaker 2: A coincidence, stammered the old man. Go and get it 575 00:28:16,150 --> 00:28:18,950 Speaker 2: and wish, cried his wife, quivering with excitement. 576 00:28:18,970 --> 00:28:19,370 Speaker 3: No! 577 00:28:20,580 --> 00:28:23,899 Speaker 2: The old man turned and regarded her, and his voice shook. 578 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: He has been dead ten days, and besides, he, I 579 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:31,860 Speaker 1: could not tell you else, but I could only recognize 580 00:28:31,900 --> 00:28:34,620 Speaker 1: him by his clothing. If he was too terrible for 581 00:28:34,660 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 1: you to see. 582 00:28:35,220 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 4: Then, how now, brown cow? 583 00:28:41,220 --> 00:28:45,100 Speaker 2: Bring him back, cried the old woman, and dragged him 584 00:28:45,180 --> 00:28:45,780 Speaker 2: toward the door. 585 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:48,860 Speaker 3: Do you think I fear the child I have nursed? 586 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 2: He went down in the darkness, and he felt his 587 00:28:52,100 --> 00:28:55,219 Speaker 2: way to the parlor, and then to the mantelpiece. The 588 00:28:55,260 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 2: talisman was in its place, and a horrible fear that 589 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,900 Speaker 2: the unspoken wish might bring his mutilated son before him, 590 00:29:02,270 --> 00:29:05,490 Speaker 2: ere he could escape the room, seized upon him, and 591 00:29:05,510 --> 00:29:07,650 Speaker 2: he caught his breath as he found that he had 592 00:29:07,730 --> 00:29:11,890 Speaker 2: lost the direction of the door. His brow cold with sweat, 593 00:29:12,410 --> 00:29:15,110 Speaker 2: he felt his way around the table, and groped along 594 00:29:15,150 --> 00:29:17,650 Speaker 2: the wall until he found himself in the small passage 595 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 2: with the unwholesome thing in his hand. Even his wife's 596 00:29:23,300 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 2: face seemed changed as he entered the room. It was 597 00:29:26,700 --> 00:29:29,960 Speaker 2: white and expectant, and to his fears seemed to have 598 00:29:30,010 --> 00:29:33,690 Speaker 2: an unnatural look upon him. He was afraid of her. 599 00:29:34,610 --> 00:29:35,330 Speaker 3: Wish! 600 00:29:35,850 --> 00:29:37,210 Speaker 2: she cried in a strong voice. 601 00:29:37,230 --> 00:29:39,510 Speaker 4: It is foolish and wicked! 602 00:29:40,820 --> 00:29:48,010 Speaker 2: He faltered. Wish, repeated his wife. He raised his hand. 603 00:29:48,030 --> 00:29:51,750 Speaker 4: I wish my son alive again. 604 00:29:51,770 --> 00:29:56,390 Speaker 2: The talisman fell to the floor and he regarded it fearfully. 605 00:29:56,750 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 2: Then he sank. Trembling into a chair as the old 606 00:29:59,580 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 2: woman with burning eyes walked to the window and raised 607 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 2: the blind. He sat until he was chilled with the cold. Wait, 608 00:30:07,540 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 2: maybe you should take over here because I think this 609 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:11,140 Speaker 2: is a good spot for you to take us home. 610 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 2: What do you think? 611 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:16,050 Speaker 1: Okay, sure. And I got to say, they didn't think 612 00:30:16,110 --> 00:30:19,729 Speaker 1: this through because he even said out loud like he 613 00:30:19,770 --> 00:30:22,770 Speaker 1: would be mutilated when he comes back. And all he 614 00:30:22,810 --> 00:30:25,100 Speaker 1: had to do was say, I wish my son alive again. And. 615 00:30:27,900 --> 00:30:30,820 Speaker 1: The manner he was before caught in the machinery. 616 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, I thought that too. 617 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: Well, there wouldn't be a story here. 618 00:30:34,540 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 2: Right, true. 619 00:30:34,940 --> 00:30:38,900 Speaker 1: All right. All right, taking us home. He sat until 620 00:30:38,940 --> 00:30:41,330 Speaker 1: he was chilled with the cold, glancing occasionally at the 621 00:30:41,370 --> 00:30:43,810 Speaker 1: figure of the old woman peering through the window. The 622 00:30:43,850 --> 00:30:45,890 Speaker 1: candle end, which had burned below the rim of the 623 00:30:45,990 --> 00:30:49,510 Speaker 1: china candlestick, was throwing pulsating shadows on the ceiling and 624 00:30:49,550 --> 00:30:53,370 Speaker 1: walls until, with a flicker larger than the rest, it expired. 625 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:56,220 Speaker 1: The old man with an unspeakable sense of relief at 626 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:58,460 Speaker 1: the failure of the talisman crept back to his bed 627 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,160 Speaker 1: and a minute or two afterward the old woman came 628 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 1: silently and apathetically beside him. Neither spoke but lay silently 629 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: listening to the ticking of the clock. A stare creaked 630 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 1: and a squeaky mouse scurried noisily through the wall. The 631 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,660 Speaker 1: darkness was oppressive and after lying for some time screwing 632 00:31:14,700 --> 00:31:17,140 Speaker 1: up his courage he took the box of matches and 633 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,850 Speaker 1: striking one went downstairs for a candle. At the foot 634 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:22,550 Speaker 1: of the stairs the match went out and he paused 635 00:31:22,590 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 1: to strike another and At that same moment, a knock, 636 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,880 Speaker 1: so quiet and stealthy as to be scarcely audible, sounded 637 00:31:28,940 --> 00:31:31,560 Speaker 1: at the front door. The matches fell from his hand 638 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: and spilled in the passage. He stood motionless, his breath 639 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:38,170 Speaker 1: suspended until the knock was repeated. Then he turned and 640 00:31:38,230 --> 00:31:40,670 Speaker 1: fled swiftly back to his room and closed the door 641 00:31:40,710 --> 00:31:43,190 Speaker 1: behind him. A third knock sounded through the house. 642 00:31:44,290 --> 00:31:45,490 Speaker 3: What's that? 643 00:31:46,010 --> 00:31:49,020 Speaker 1: Cried the old woman, starting up. A rat, said the 644 00:31:49,060 --> 00:31:50,260 Speaker 1: old man in shaking tones. 645 00:31:50,940 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 2: A rat? 646 00:31:52,060 --> 00:31:53,459 Speaker 4: It passed me on the stairs. 647 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:56,660 Speaker 1: His wife sat up in bed listening. A loud knock 648 00:31:56,700 --> 00:31:57,740 Speaker 1: resounded through the house. 649 00:31:58,870 --> 00:31:59,910 Speaker 3: It's Herbert! 650 00:32:00,250 --> 00:32:00,930 Speaker 1: She screamed. 651 00:32:01,430 --> 00:32:03,090 Speaker 3: It's Herbert! 652 00:32:04,030 --> 00:32:06,270 Speaker 1: She ran to the door, but her husband was before 653 00:32:06,310 --> 00:32:08,530 Speaker 1: her and, catching her by the arm, held her tightly. 654 00:32:08,550 --> 00:32:10,660 Speaker 4: What are you going to do? 655 00:32:11,380 --> 00:32:12,240 Speaker 1: He whispered hoarsely. 656 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:14,820 Speaker 3: It's my boy! It's Herbert! 657 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:17,120 Speaker 1: She cried, struggling mechanically. 658 00:32:17,140 --> 00:32:20,650 Speaker 3: I forgot it was two miles away! What are you 659 00:32:20,710 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 3: holding me for? Let go! I must open the door! 660 00:32:23,980 --> 00:32:26,200 Speaker 4: For God's sake, don't let it in! 661 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 1: Cried the old man, trembling. 662 00:32:27,980 --> 00:32:30,380 Speaker 3: You're afraid of your own son? 663 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:31,900 Speaker 1: She cried, struggling. 664 00:32:32,570 --> 00:32:36,370 Speaker 3: Let me go! I'm coming, Herbert! I'm coming! 665 00:32:36,830 --> 00:32:39,050 Speaker 1: There was another knock and another. The old woman, with 666 00:32:39,090 --> 00:32:41,650 Speaker 1: a sudden wrench, broke free and ran from the room. 667 00:32:42,270 --> 00:32:45,219 Speaker 1: Her husband followed to the landing and called after her 668 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 1: appealingly as she hurried downstairs. 669 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 4: Old lady! 670 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,520 Speaker 1: He heard the chain rattle back and the bottom bolt 671 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: drawn slowly and stiffly from the socket. Then the old 672 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,180 Speaker 1: woman's voice, strained and panting. 673 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:00,010 Speaker 3: The bolt! 674 00:33:00,470 --> 00:33:01,330 Speaker 1: She cried loudly. 675 00:33:01,810 --> 00:33:03,630 Speaker 3: Come down! I can't reach it! 676 00:33:04,230 --> 00:33:06,550 Speaker 1: But her husband was on his hands and knees, groping 677 00:33:06,630 --> 00:33:08,910 Speaker 1: wildly on the floor in search of the paw. He 678 00:33:08,930 --> 00:33:11,270 Speaker 1: could only find it before the thing outside got in. 679 00:33:11,890 --> 00:33:14,570 Speaker 1: A perfect fusillade of knocks reverberated through the house, and 680 00:33:14,590 --> 00:33:16,470 Speaker 1: he heard the scraping of a chair as his wife 681 00:33:16,870 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 1: put it down in the passage against the door. He 682 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:21,740 Speaker 1: heard the creaking of the bolt as it came slowly back. 683 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: And at that same moment, he found the monkey's paw 684 00:33:25,500 --> 00:33:30,180 Speaker 1: and frantically breathed his third and last wish. The knocking 685 00:33:30,220 --> 00:33:32,940 Speaker 1: ceased suddenly, although the echoes of it were still in 686 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:35,870 Speaker 1: the house. He heard the chair drawn back and the 687 00:33:35,910 --> 00:33:39,690 Speaker 1: door open. The cold wind rushed up the staircase and 688 00:33:39,730 --> 00:33:43,690 Speaker 1: a long, loud wail of disappointment and misery from his wife. 689 00:33:44,130 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 3: Son of a. 690 00:33:45,930 --> 00:33:48,810 Speaker 1: gave him courage to run down to her side and 691 00:33:48,850 --> 00:33:53,310 Speaker 1: then to the gate beyond, the streetlamp flickering opposite, shown 692 00:33:53,330 --> 00:34:00,580 Speaker 1: on a quiet and deserted road. So he wished for 693 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 1: the streetlamp to flicker? 694 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 2: Yep, he got his last wish. 695 00:34:05,540 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 1: Man, what a stone-cold classic. 696 00:34:07,540 --> 00:34:11,480 Speaker 2: I know, man. W.W. Jacobs did a great job with that, 697 00:34:12,060 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 2: the pacing at the end where it just suddenly became 698 00:34:14,620 --> 00:34:16,480 Speaker 2: frantic and frenetic and scary. 699 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:17,259 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah. 700 00:34:17,460 --> 00:34:19,960 Speaker 1: I like it. And I love it good. It sort 701 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,810 Speaker 1: of reminds me of the, what's the Christmas one? 702 00:34:24,870 --> 00:34:26,690 Speaker 2: Christmas Story? No. Christmas Carol. 703 00:34:26,969 --> 00:34:31,830 Speaker 1: The fated, you bought combs and sold the hair. 704 00:34:32,250 --> 00:34:33,930 Speaker 2: Oh, the gift of the Magi. 705 00:34:34,010 --> 00:34:36,210 Speaker 1: Yeah, kind of a gift of the Magi vibe, but 706 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:36,990 Speaker 1: in a spooky way. 707 00:34:37,290 --> 00:34:39,030 Speaker 2: It was written around the same time, too. I wonder 708 00:34:39,070 --> 00:34:40,880 Speaker 2: if it was influenced at all by O. Henry. 709 00:34:40,900 --> 00:34:44,660 Speaker 1: Oh, interesting. I wonder who was first to press. 710 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:45,799 Speaker 2: Who's zooming who? 711 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:47,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. 712 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:50,000 Speaker 2: You know, the thing that stands out about the monkey 713 00:34:50,020 --> 00:34:52,800 Speaker 2: pod of me today is the whole idea of AI 714 00:34:53,030 --> 00:34:56,489 Speaker 2: friendliness and alignment. Like being careful what you wish for, 715 00:34:56,570 --> 00:35:00,850 Speaker 2: how you train an AI to do things. Or else 716 00:35:00,910 --> 00:35:04,310 Speaker 2: it'll just turn on you in a horrible ironic twist 717 00:35:04,370 --> 00:35:05,819 Speaker 2: and wipe out your entire species. 718 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:07,479 Speaker 1: I.e. 719 00:35:07,540 --> 00:35:08,060 Speaker 2: Humanity. 720 00:35:08,300 --> 00:35:09,640 Speaker 1: And I love it. Still relevant. 721 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:10,319 Speaker 4: Yeah. 722 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:15,490 Speaker 2: Still relevant today. Okay. I think we should take our 723 00:35:15,660 --> 00:35:19,230 Speaker 2: ad break, huh? No. Oh, I almost got you again. 724 00:35:20,230 --> 00:35:22,250 Speaker 1: That's right. We turn now to story number two, a 725 00:35:22,450 --> 00:35:24,930 Speaker 1: bit shorter, which is kind of perfect. I think it 726 00:35:24,969 --> 00:35:27,169 Speaker 1: pairs well with that one. And it's called August Heat 727 00:35:27,950 --> 00:35:32,319 Speaker 1: by another British writer, W.F. Harvey. And there's only two 728 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:33,379 Speaker 1: characters in this, right? 729 00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:38,049 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, I think the guy's wife is in it, 730 00:35:38,050 --> 00:35:39,710 Speaker 2: but she has no lines. 731 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:42,610 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, this was the turn of the century. 732 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:46,500 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is a good one, too. This August heat 733 00:35:47,100 --> 00:35:52,460 Speaker 2: apparently changed the way that fiction, like horror fiction was, 734 00:35:52,500 --> 00:35:54,779 Speaker 2: because before it was all Victorian and stuffy, and there 735 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:58,660 Speaker 2: was somebody in a club in an overstuffed chair counting 736 00:35:58,700 --> 00:36:02,279 Speaker 2: a ghost story, and then it comes back to the club. 737 00:36:02,610 --> 00:36:06,450 Speaker 2: This just changed all that, like almost single-handedly. It started 738 00:36:06,590 --> 00:36:07,989 Speaker 2: weird fiction in a lot of ways. 739 00:36:08,310 --> 00:36:10,810 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think the ending to this, as you'll see, 740 00:36:11,190 --> 00:36:13,779 Speaker 1: it's sort of that, the thing that you would see 741 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,620 Speaker 1: in movies later on, like the vagaries of what possibly 742 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 1: would happen is kind of a nice thing. All right, 743 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:22,480 Speaker 1: so you want to roll with it? August Heat by W.F. 744 00:36:23,020 --> 00:36:23,340 Speaker 4: Harvey? 745 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:26,020 Speaker 2: Yeah. Do you want me to start, you're saying? 746 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:28,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, why don't you start it out? 747 00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:29,020 Speaker 4: Wait, who's going to play who? 748 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:30,819 Speaker 1: Do you want to play the artist or the. 749 00:36:33,150 --> 00:36:33,589 Speaker 1: The other guy. 750 00:36:34,090 --> 00:36:36,150 Speaker 2: I don't, I want to play the artist cause I 751 00:36:36,330 --> 00:36:40,330 Speaker 2: think you can play him a little straighter. I can. So, uh, 752 00:36:40,350 --> 00:36:41,730 Speaker 2: I'm going to leave the other guy to you. 753 00:36:42,090 --> 00:36:42,810 Speaker 4: All right. 754 00:36:42,830 --> 00:36:42,930 Speaker 1: Okay. 755 00:36:42,950 --> 00:36:43,250 Speaker 2: You ready? 756 00:36:43,530 --> 00:36:43,670 Speaker 4: Yep. 757 00:36:44,850 --> 00:36:52,690 Speaker 2: August heat by William Fryer, WF Harvey. I have had 758 00:36:52,730 --> 00:36:55,180 Speaker 2: what I believe to be the most remarkable day in 759 00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:57,779 Speaker 2: my life. And while the events are still fresh in 760 00:36:57,820 --> 00:37:00,300 Speaker 2: my mind, I wish to put them down on paper 761 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:03,610 Speaker 2: as clearly as possible. Let me say at the outset 762 00:37:03,910 --> 00:37:07,629 Speaker 2: that my name is James Clarence Withencroft. I'm 40 years old, 763 00:37:07,950 --> 00:37:12,230 Speaker 2: in perfect health, never having known a day's illness. By profession, 764 00:37:12,250 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 2: I am an artist. Not a very successful one, but 765 00:37:15,140 --> 00:37:17,359 Speaker 2: I earn enough money from my black and white work 766 00:37:17,420 --> 00:37:21,320 Speaker 2: to satisfy my necessary wants. And my only near relative, 767 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:24,620 Speaker 2: a sister, died five years ago, so that I am independent. 768 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:28,460 Speaker 2: I breakfasted this morning at nine, and after glancing through 769 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:31,509 Speaker 2: the morning paper, I lighted my pipe. and proceeded to 770 00:37:31,550 --> 00:37:33,710 Speaker 2: let my mind wander in the hope that I might 771 00:37:33,770 --> 00:37:37,960 Speaker 2: chance upon some subject for my pencil. The room, though 772 00:37:38,020 --> 00:37:41,500 Speaker 2: door and windows were open, was oppressively hot, and I 773 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 2: had just made up my mind that the coolest and 774 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:46,100 Speaker 2: most comfortable place in the neighborhood would be the deep 775 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:49,140 Speaker 2: end of the public swimming bath when the idea came. 776 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:53,060 Speaker 2: I began to draw. So intent was I on my 777 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:56,299 Speaker 2: work that I left my lunch untouched, only stopping work 778 00:37:56,340 --> 00:37:59,540 Speaker 2: when the clock of St. Jude struck four. The final 779 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:03,239 Speaker 2: result for a hurried sketch was, I felt sure, the 780 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:06,080 Speaker 2: best thing I had done. It showed a criminal in 781 00:38:06,100 --> 00:38:09,719 Speaker 2: the dock immediately after the judge had pronounced sentence. The 782 00:38:09,739 --> 00:38:13,040 Speaker 2: man was fat, enormously fat. The flesh hung in rolls 783 00:38:13,100 --> 00:38:16,320 Speaker 2: about his chin. It creased his huge, stumpy neck. He 784 00:38:16,340 --> 00:38:19,450 Speaker 2: was clean-shaven, perhaps I should say a few days before 785 00:38:19,510 --> 00:38:23,330 Speaker 2: he must have been clean-shaven, and almost bald. He stood 786 00:38:23,370 --> 00:38:26,509 Speaker 2: in the dock, his short, clumsy fingers clasping the rail, 787 00:38:26,830 --> 00:38:29,440 Speaker 2: looking straight in front of him. The feeling that his 788 00:38:29,500 --> 00:38:32,279 Speaker 2: expression conveyed was not so much one of horror as 789 00:38:32,340 --> 00:38:36,219 Speaker 2: of utter, absolute collapse. There seemed nothing in the man 790 00:38:36,300 --> 00:38:41,609 Speaker 2: strong enough to sustain that mountain of flesh. So he's 791 00:38:41,670 --> 00:38:43,690 Speaker 2: drawn a picture, essentially, of where we're at right now. 792 00:38:44,310 --> 00:38:47,230 Speaker 1: Yeah, and he's kind of fat shaming this guy. 793 00:38:48,050 --> 00:38:51,900 Speaker 2: Pretty much, yeah. Continuing on? 794 00:38:52,260 --> 00:38:52,460 Speaker 1: Sure. 795 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:57,219 Speaker 2: Do you want to? No, go ahead. Okay. I rolled 796 00:38:57,280 --> 00:38:59,960 Speaker 2: up the sketch and, without quite knowing why, placed it 797 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:03,660 Speaker 2: in my pocket. I almost just did a Herbert impression accident. 798 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:03,879 Speaker 4: I know. 799 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:05,529 Speaker 1: He's peeking in there at me. 800 00:39:06,390 --> 00:39:11,750 Speaker 2: He's in my mouth, like Tony. Then, with the rare 801 00:39:11,790 --> 00:39:14,129 Speaker 2: sense of happiness, which the knowledge of a good thing 802 00:39:14,170 --> 00:39:17,489 Speaker 2: well done gives, I left the house. I believe that 803 00:39:17,530 --> 00:39:19,779 Speaker 2: I set out with the idea of calling upon Trenton, 804 00:39:20,010 --> 00:39:22,580 Speaker 2: which I think is a town or neighborhood he's saying. Yeah. 805 00:39:23,030 --> 00:39:25,960 Speaker 2: for I remember walking along Leighton Street and turning to 806 00:39:25,980 --> 00:39:28,390 Speaker 2: the right along Gilchrist Road at the bottom of the 807 00:39:28,410 --> 00:39:29,969 Speaker 2: hill where the men were at work at the time. 808 00:39:30,050 --> 00:39:33,530 Speaker 2: the new tram lines. From there onwards, I have only 809 00:39:33,590 --> 00:39:36,719 Speaker 2: the vaguest recollection of where I went. The one thing 810 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:39,380 Speaker 2: of which I was fully conscious was the awful heat 811 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 2: that came up from the dusty asphalt pavement as an 812 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:46,640 Speaker 2: almost palpable wave. I longed for the thunder promised by 813 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 2: the great banks of copper-colored cloud. that hung low over 814 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:53,680 Speaker 2: the western sky. I must have walked five or six 815 00:39:53,739 --> 00:39:56,620 Speaker 2: miles when a small boy roused me from my reverie 816 00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:57,960 Speaker 2: by asking the time. 817 00:39:58,480 --> 00:39:59,310 Speaker 4: What time is it? 818 00:40:00,020 --> 00:40:04,600 Speaker 2: It was twenty minutes to seven. Very nice, Chuck. 819 00:40:05,100 --> 00:40:06,930 Speaker 1: Yeah, threw that in there. 820 00:40:06,989 --> 00:40:08,140 Speaker 2: I think it's your turn. 821 00:40:08,469 --> 00:40:08,660 Speaker 3: All right. 822 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:10,130 Speaker 2: This is a good transition spot. 823 00:40:12,150 --> 00:40:13,770 Speaker 1: When he left me, I began to take stock of 824 00:40:13,790 --> 00:40:16,350 Speaker 1: my bearings. I found myself standing before a gate that 825 00:40:16,370 --> 00:40:18,570 Speaker 1: led into a yard bordered by a strip of thirsty 826 00:40:18,690 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 1: earth for there were flowers, purple stock, and scarlet geranium. 827 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:26,109 Speaker 1: Above the entrance was a board with the inscription. From 828 00:40:26,150 --> 00:40:29,090 Speaker 1: the yard itself came a cheery whistle, the noise of 829 00:40:29,130 --> 00:40:32,290 Speaker 1: hammer blows, and the cold sound of steel melting stone. 830 00:40:32,930 --> 00:40:35,950 Speaker 1: A sudden impulse made me enter. A man was sitting 831 00:40:35,969 --> 00:40:38,350 Speaker 1: with his back towards me, busy at work on a 832 00:40:38,410 --> 00:40:41,969 Speaker 1: slab of curiously veined marble. He turned around as he 833 00:40:42,010 --> 00:40:44,380 Speaker 1: heard my steps, and I stopped short. It was the 834 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:47,880 Speaker 1: man I had been drawing, whose portrait lay in my pocket. 835 00:40:48,780 --> 00:40:52,520 Speaker 1: He sat there huge and elephant teen, the sweat pouring 836 00:40:52,580 --> 00:40:55,420 Speaker 1: from his scalp, which he wiped with a red silk handkerchief. 837 00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:58,480 Speaker 1: But though the face was the same, the expression was 838 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:02,339 Speaker 1: absolutely different. He greeted me smiling as if we were 839 00:41:02,420 --> 00:41:05,800 Speaker 1: old friends and shook my hand. I apologize for my intrusion. 840 00:41:06,580 --> 00:41:09,239 Speaker 2: Everything is hot and glary outside. 841 00:41:10,489 --> 00:41:10,930 Speaker 1: No British. 842 00:41:12,090 --> 00:41:13,630 Speaker 2: Uh, are these Brits? Do they have to be? 843 00:41:13,650 --> 00:41:14,770 Speaker 4: All right. 844 00:41:14,830 --> 00:41:15,260 Speaker 1: They don't have to. 845 00:41:15,270 --> 00:41:19,719 Speaker 2: Oh no, they are Brits. You're right. Uh, Everything is 846 00:41:19,780 --> 00:41:23,580 Speaker 2: hot and glary outside, I said. There seems to be 847 00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:25,040 Speaker 2: an oasis in the wilderness. 848 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:29,550 Speaker 4: I don't know about the oasis, he replied, but it 849 00:41:29,690 --> 00:41:31,170 Speaker 4: certainly is hot as hell. 850 00:41:31,830 --> 00:41:34,370 Speaker 1: Take a seat, sir. He pointed to the end of 851 00:41:34,410 --> 00:41:36,210 Speaker 1: the gravestone on which he was at work, and I 852 00:41:36,270 --> 00:41:36,830 Speaker 1: sat down. 853 00:41:37,390 --> 00:41:40,310 Speaker 2: That's a beautiful piece of stone you got hold. 854 00:41:40,130 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 1: Of, I said. He shook his head. In a way 855 00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:45,340 Speaker 1: it is, he answered. 856 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:48,399 Speaker 4: The surface here is as fine as anything you could wish, 857 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:51,440 Speaker 4: but There's a big flaw at the back, though I 858 00:41:51,500 --> 00:41:54,180 Speaker 4: don't expect you to ever notice it. I could never 859 00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:56,460 Speaker 4: make really a good job of a bit of marble 860 00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:59,280 Speaker 4: like that. It would be all right in the summer 861 00:41:59,300 --> 00:42:02,540 Speaker 4: like this. Wouldn't mind the blasted heat, but wait till 862 00:42:02,580 --> 00:42:05,989 Speaker 4: winter comes. There's nothing quite like frost to find out 863 00:42:06,090 --> 00:42:07,590 Speaker 4: the weak points in stone. 864 00:42:09,150 --> 00:42:11,290 Speaker 2: That's a great Donald Pleasance, I feel like. 865 00:42:11,550 --> 00:42:11,870 Speaker 1: Oh, wow. 866 00:42:13,110 --> 00:42:15,330 Speaker 2: Yeah, that is one to reach for, for sure. Nice work. 867 00:42:15,930 --> 00:42:17,790 Speaker 1: You are the Duke, aid number one. 868 00:42:18,580 --> 00:42:22,050 Speaker 2: What's that from? Escape from New York. Is it? Okay. 869 00:42:22,070 --> 00:42:22,910 Speaker 2: He was the president in. 870 00:42:22,870 --> 00:42:23,210 Speaker 3: That, right? 871 00:42:23,430 --> 00:42:23,790 Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah. 872 00:42:24,050 --> 00:42:24,230 Speaker 2: Yeah. 873 00:42:24,550 --> 00:42:27,609 Speaker 1: Which is weird that he was the British president. I 874 00:42:27,650 --> 00:42:28,790 Speaker 1: never really put that together. 875 00:42:28,810 --> 00:42:32,790 Speaker 2: Then what's it for? 876 00:42:33,330 --> 00:42:35,390 Speaker 1: I asked. The man burst out laughing. 877 00:42:36,670 --> 00:42:38,750 Speaker 4: You'd hardly believe me if I was to tell you 878 00:42:38,810 --> 00:42:42,650 Speaker 4: it's for an exhibition, but it's the truth. Artists have exhibitions. 879 00:42:42,890 --> 00:42:46,480 Speaker 4: So do grocers and butchers. We have them too. All 880 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:48,279 Speaker 4: the latest little things in headstones. 881 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:48,620 Speaker 2: You know. 882 00:42:49,780 --> 00:42:52,160 Speaker 1: He went on to talk of marbles, which sort best 883 00:42:52,239 --> 00:42:54,859 Speaker 1: withstood wind and rain and which were easiest to work with. 884 00:42:55,480 --> 00:42:57,759 Speaker 1: Then of his garden and a new sort of carnation 885 00:42:57,800 --> 00:43:00,070 Speaker 1: he had bought. At the end of every other minute, 886 00:43:00,140 --> 00:43:02,779 Speaker 1: he would drop his tools, wiping his shining head and 887 00:43:02,860 --> 00:43:05,450 Speaker 1: curse the heat. You want to take it over? 888 00:43:05,870 --> 00:43:09,990 Speaker 2: Sure. I said little, for I felt uneasy. 889 00:43:11,010 --> 00:43:11,370 Speaker 4: Little. 890 00:43:12,530 --> 00:43:12,710 Speaker 1: Right. 891 00:43:13,870 --> 00:43:18,370 Speaker 2: There was something unnatural, uncanny. in meeting this man. I 892 00:43:18,450 --> 00:43:20,529 Speaker 2: tried at first to persuade myself that I had seen 893 00:43:20,550 --> 00:43:23,469 Speaker 2: him before, that his face, unknown to me, had found 894 00:43:23,510 --> 00:43:26,989 Speaker 2: a place in some out-of-the-way corner of my memory. But 895 00:43:27,030 --> 00:43:29,009 Speaker 2: I knew that I was practicing little more than a 896 00:43:29,070 --> 00:43:34,569 Speaker 2: plausible piece of self-deception. Mr. Atkinson, his name, finished his work, 897 00:43:34,950 --> 00:43:37,320 Speaker 2: spat on the ground, and got up with a sigh 898 00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:37,819 Speaker 2: of relief. 899 00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:41,399 Speaker 4: There, what do you think of that? 900 00:43:41,739 --> 00:43:45,009 Speaker 2: He said with an air of evident pride. The inscription 901 00:43:45,110 --> 00:43:49,270 Speaker 2: which I read for the first time was this. Sacred 902 00:43:49,350 --> 00:43:57,130 Speaker 2: to the memory of James Clarence Withencroft. Born January 18th, 1860. 903 00:43:57,130 --> 00:44:02,989 Speaker 2: He passed away very suddenly on August 20th, 1909. In 904 00:44:03,030 --> 00:44:07,920 Speaker 2: the midst of life, we are in death. For some 905 00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:11,080 Speaker 2: time I sat in silence and a cold shudder ran 906 00:44:11,100 --> 00:44:14,000 Speaker 2: down my spine. I asked him where he'd seen the 907 00:44:14,060 --> 00:44:18,160 Speaker 2: name I didn't see it anywhere, replied Mr. Atkinson. 908 00:44:18,719 --> 00:44:21,259 Speaker 4: I wanted just some name. I put down the first 909 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:23,379 Speaker 4: that came into my head. Why do you want to know? 910 00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:27,880 Speaker 2: It's a strange coincidence, but it happens to be mine. 911 00:44:28,890 --> 00:44:30,650 Speaker 2: He gave a long, low whistle, Chuck. 912 00:44:33,630 --> 00:44:34,130 Speaker 4: And the dates? 913 00:44:35,250 --> 00:44:37,910 Speaker 2: I can only answer for one of them, and that's correct. 914 00:44:38,850 --> 00:44:42,380 Speaker 2: It's a rum go, he said, but he knew less 915 00:44:42,430 --> 00:44:45,189 Speaker 2: than I did. I told him of my morning's work. 916 00:44:45,630 --> 00:44:47,989 Speaker 2: I took the sketch from my pocket and showed it 917 00:44:48,050 --> 00:44:51,109 Speaker 2: to him. As he looked, the expression of his face 918 00:44:51,270 --> 00:44:53,870 Speaker 2: altered until it became more and more like that of 919 00:44:53,930 --> 00:44:54,930 Speaker 2: the man I had drawn. 920 00:44:56,790 --> 00:44:59,930 Speaker 4: And it was only the day before yesterday, he said, 921 00:45:00,510 --> 00:45:03,810 Speaker 4: that I told Maria there were no such things as ghosts. 922 00:45:04,810 --> 00:45:07,190 Speaker 2: Neither of us had seen a ghost, but I knew 923 00:45:07,250 --> 00:45:11,339 Speaker 2: what he meant. You probably heard my name, I said. 924 00:45:12,450 --> 00:45:15,370 Speaker 4: And you must have seen me somewhere and have forgotten it. 925 00:45:16,010 --> 00:45:18,450 Speaker 4: Were you at Clacton-on-Sea last July? 926 00:45:18,469 --> 00:45:21,950 Speaker 2: I had never been to Clacton in my life. We 927 00:45:21,989 --> 00:45:24,969 Speaker 2: were silent for some time. We were both looking at 928 00:45:25,010 --> 00:45:28,000 Speaker 2: the same thing, the two dates on the gravestone, and 929 00:45:28,160 --> 00:45:28,879 Speaker 2: one was right. 930 00:45:30,180 --> 00:45:31,820 Speaker 4: Come inside and have some supper. 931 00:45:32,219 --> 00:45:37,379 Speaker 2: Said Mr. Atkinson. I feel like this is you taking 932 00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:40,299 Speaker 2: us home? Uh, okay. 933 00:45:40,739 --> 00:45:43,640 Speaker 1: Okay. Does everyone get what's going on? So he has 934 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:46,160 Speaker 1: drawn a random picture. It turns out to be this guy. 935 00:45:46,400 --> 00:45:46,600 Speaker 4: Sure. 936 00:45:46,900 --> 00:45:49,980 Speaker 1: That's carving headstones. And this guy has carved this dude's 937 00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:54,640 Speaker 1: name and birth date and today's date as the death date. 938 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:55,219 Speaker 4: Yeah. 939 00:45:55,739 --> 00:45:57,820 Speaker 2: And they don't know each other. They've never heard of 940 00:45:57,880 --> 00:46:00,739 Speaker 2: each other. They've never seen each other. It's just the 941 00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:04,600 Speaker 2: most astounding coincidence you can imagine. 942 00:46:05,140 --> 00:46:05,530 Speaker 1: That's right. 943 00:46:05,620 --> 00:46:05,839 Speaker 4: All right. 944 00:46:05,969 --> 00:46:08,469 Speaker 1: Here we go with the end of August Heat. His 945 00:46:08,510 --> 00:46:10,649 Speaker 1: wife was a cheerful little woman with the flaky red 946 00:46:10,670 --> 00:46:14,120 Speaker 1: cheeks of the country bread. Her husband introduced me as 947 00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:16,320 Speaker 1: a friend of his who was an artist. The result 948 00:46:16,360 --> 00:46:20,060 Speaker 1: was unfortunate for after the sardines and watercress had been removed, 949 00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:24,319 Speaker 1: she brought out a Dwar Bible, which I actually looked 950 00:46:24,340 --> 00:46:28,150 Speaker 1: that up. That's like a woodcut, hand-carved, illustrated Bible. 951 00:46:28,910 --> 00:46:30,850 Speaker 2: I've seen a few of them before. 952 00:46:33,250 --> 00:46:35,370 Speaker 1: And I had to sit and express my admiration for 953 00:46:35,410 --> 00:46:38,250 Speaker 1: nearly half an hour. This guy's not easily impressed. I 954 00:46:38,270 --> 00:46:39,790 Speaker 1: guess his mind is somewhere else. 955 00:46:40,030 --> 00:46:40,549 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think so. 956 00:46:42,500 --> 00:46:45,900 Speaker 1: I went outside and found Atkinson sitting on the gravestone, smoking. 957 00:46:46,560 --> 00:46:49,120 Speaker 1: We resumed the conversation at the point we had left off. 958 00:46:51,030 --> 00:46:53,130 Speaker 2: Uh, you must excuse my asking. 959 00:46:53,590 --> 00:46:53,910 Speaker 1: I said. 960 00:46:54,290 --> 00:46:56,770 Speaker 2: But do you know of anything you've done for which 961 00:46:56,810 --> 00:46:58,350 Speaker 2: you could be put on trial? 962 00:46:59,150 --> 00:46:59,770 Speaker 1: He shook his head. 963 00:46:59,790 --> 00:47:04,959 Speaker 4: I'm not bankrupt. The business is prosperous enough. Three years ago, 964 00:47:05,060 --> 00:47:07,360 Speaker 4: I gave turkeys to some of the guardians at Christmas. 965 00:47:07,940 --> 00:47:10,900 Speaker 4: But that's all I can think of. There were small ones, too. 966 00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:14,560 Speaker 1: He added as an afterthought. He got up, fetched a 967 00:47:14,580 --> 00:47:16,660 Speaker 1: can from the porch, and began to water the flowers. 968 00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:19,879 Speaker 4: Twice a day regular in the hot weather, he said, 969 00:47:20,440 --> 00:47:22,759 Speaker 4: and then the heat sometimes gets the better of the 970 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:26,200 Speaker 4: delicate ones. And ferns, good lord, they could never stand it. 971 00:47:26,770 --> 00:47:27,450 Speaker 4: Where do you live? 972 00:47:28,510 --> 00:47:30,750 Speaker 1: I told him my address. We take an hour's quick 973 00:47:30,790 --> 00:47:35,290 Speaker 1: walk to get back home. It's like this, he said. Well, 974 00:47:35,310 --> 00:47:37,970 Speaker 1: look at the matter straight. If you go back home tonight, 975 00:47:38,190 --> 00:47:40,950 Speaker 1: you take your chance of accidents. cart may run over 976 00:47:40,989 --> 00:47:43,770 Speaker 1: you and there's always banana skins and orange peel to 977 00:47:43,810 --> 00:47:47,580 Speaker 1: say nothing of fallen ladders he spoke of the improbable 978 00:47:47,640 --> 00:47:50,440 Speaker 1: with an intense seriousness that would have been laughable six 979 00:47:50,460 --> 00:47:54,400 Speaker 1: hours before but i did not laugh the best we 980 00:47:54,420 --> 00:47:57,299 Speaker 1: can do he continued is for you. 981 00:47:57,239 --> 00:47:59,830 Speaker 4: To stay here till 12 o'clock we'll go upstairs and 982 00:47:59,890 --> 00:48:03,210 Speaker 4: smoke it may be cooler inside to my surprise i 983 00:48:03,250 --> 00:48:06,710 Speaker 4: agreed we are sitting now in a long low room 984 00:48:06,750 --> 00:48:09,549 Speaker 4: beneath the eaves atkinson has sent his wife to bed 985 00:48:10,230 --> 00:48:12,430 Speaker 4: He himself is busy sharpening tools. 986 00:48:12,190 --> 00:48:14,970 Speaker 1: At a little oilstone, smoking one of my cigars the while. 987 00:48:15,670 --> 00:48:18,770 Speaker 1: The air seems charged with thunder. I am writing this 988 00:48:18,830 --> 00:48:21,489 Speaker 1: at a shaky table before the open window. The leg 989 00:48:21,530 --> 00:48:24,750 Speaker 1: is cracked, and Atkinson, who seems a handy man with 990 00:48:24,810 --> 00:48:27,390 Speaker 1: his tools, is going to mend it as soon as 991 00:48:27,430 --> 00:48:30,640 Speaker 1: he has finished putting an edge on his chisel. It 992 00:48:30,660 --> 00:48:33,460 Speaker 1: is after eleven now. I shall be gone in less 993 00:48:33,500 --> 00:48:36,779 Speaker 1: than an hour. But the heat is stifling. It is 994 00:48:36,840 --> 00:48:38,020 Speaker 1: enough to send a man mad. 995 00:48:51,420 --> 00:48:52,720 Speaker 2: There's a low whistle too. 996 00:48:52,920 --> 00:48:57,080 Speaker 1: Man i love the ambiguity like uh i'll be gone 997 00:48:57,140 --> 00:48:59,560 Speaker 1: in less than an hour this guy's putting an edge 998 00:48:59,620 --> 00:49:02,220 Speaker 1: on this chisel like the idea here's this guy like 999 00:49:02,260 --> 00:49:03,100 Speaker 1: kills him right. 1000 00:49:03,930 --> 00:49:06,790 Speaker 2: I i guess that's one way to interpret it it's 1001 00:49:06,850 --> 00:49:09,070 Speaker 2: also possible that the whole thing just turns out to 1002 00:49:09,110 --> 00:49:12,230 Speaker 2: be a total coincidence that the guy survives till midnight 1003 00:49:12,410 --> 00:49:14,890 Speaker 2: in which case that the the death date on the 1004 00:49:14,910 --> 00:49:17,589 Speaker 2: gravestone would be wrong which would undermine everything you. 1005 00:49:17,550 --> 00:49:19,810 Speaker 1: Know yeah i like it i like it a lot 1006 00:49:19,870 --> 00:49:24,239 Speaker 1: i wonder how much ambiguity had been used before in 1007 00:49:24,540 --> 00:49:25,239 Speaker 1: stuff like this. 1008 00:49:26,080 --> 00:49:29,540 Speaker 2: None, essentially. Oh, really? Yeah, I don't know that this 1009 00:49:29,580 --> 00:49:32,620 Speaker 2: guy was the ground zero for this stuff, but he 1010 00:49:32,660 --> 00:49:35,259 Speaker 2: was certainly one of the pioneers. And he was even 1011 00:49:35,300 --> 00:49:38,280 Speaker 2: a doctor, too. He wasn't even like a professional horror 1012 00:49:38,320 --> 00:49:38,759 Speaker 2: fiction writer. 1013 00:49:38,780 --> 00:49:40,640 Speaker 1: Oh, wow. Like a medical doctor? Yeah. 1014 00:49:40,880 --> 00:49:43,400 Speaker 2: He's got this and the Beast with Five Fingers is 1015 00:49:43,460 --> 00:49:44,980 Speaker 2: probably his most famous story. 1016 00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:47,860 Speaker 1: Yeah, I had that one picked out, but this one, shorter, 1017 00:49:47,880 --> 00:49:49,160 Speaker 1: I think paired better. 1018 00:49:49,440 --> 00:49:49,760 Speaker 4: Totally. 1019 00:49:49,900 --> 00:49:51,719 Speaker 2: No, I agree. This is a great pairing. This is 1020 00:49:51,760 --> 00:49:57,149 Speaker 2: like Chardonnay and peanut butter. This is great, Chuck. 1021 00:49:57,450 --> 00:49:59,989 Speaker 1: Yeah, I like this story. These are both winners, I think. 1022 00:50:00,310 --> 00:50:04,970 Speaker 2: You knocked it out of the park like a Cleveland Guardian. 1023 00:50:05,469 --> 00:50:05,689 Speaker 4: Yeah. 1024 00:50:05,870 --> 00:50:06,710 Speaker 2: A Milwaukee Brewer. 1025 00:50:07,830 --> 00:50:08,710 Speaker 1: You did great, too, man. 1026 00:50:08,850 --> 00:50:09,150 Speaker 2: Thanks, buddy. 1027 00:50:09,170 --> 00:50:13,410 Speaker 1: I always love hearing the Josh takes. So fun. 1028 00:50:13,730 --> 00:50:16,550 Speaker 2: I think, what is today? Is today Halloween? 1029 00:50:17,510 --> 00:50:19,090 Speaker 1: I think it is Halloween today. 1030 00:50:19,510 --> 00:50:20,710 Speaker 2: Is it really? That's amazing. 1031 00:50:20,730 --> 00:50:23,549 Speaker 1: I think we got lucky that Halloween, oh, no, no, no. 1032 00:50:23,570 --> 00:50:27,340 Speaker 1: Halloween's on a Saturday, so this is the 29th in 1033 00:50:27,580 --> 00:50:28,219 Speaker 1: podcast time. 1034 00:50:28,560 --> 00:50:31,560 Speaker 2: All of you yelling at your speakers or earbuds or whatever, 1035 00:50:31,580 --> 00:50:34,520 Speaker 2: can just calm down, everybody. Just wait a couple more 1036 00:50:34,580 --> 00:50:36,980 Speaker 2: days for your big pillowcase of candy, all right? 1037 00:50:37,380 --> 00:50:40,140 Speaker 1: Yeah, but hopefully people save these for Halloween. That's what 1038 00:50:40,160 --> 00:50:40,480 Speaker 1: I would do. 1039 00:50:41,080 --> 00:50:43,319 Speaker 4: Sure. Sure. Sure. 1040 00:50:45,080 --> 00:50:45,279 Speaker 1: Sure. 1041 00:50:45,780 --> 00:50:47,560 Speaker 2: You could have a whole party and just play this. 1042 00:50:47,840 --> 00:50:51,580 Speaker 2: And I guarantee you'd have at least a third of 1043 00:50:51,620 --> 00:50:53,680 Speaker 2: the people you started out with by the end of this. 1044 00:50:54,120 --> 00:50:54,380 Speaker 4: Yeah. 1045 00:50:54,820 --> 00:50:56,680 Speaker 1: People who are game and drunk. 1046 00:50:57,580 --> 00:51:00,400 Speaker 2: Exactly. Who are on their fourth glass of whiskey. 1047 00:51:00,640 --> 00:51:00,940 Speaker 1: That's right. 1048 00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:06,220 Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess that's it for our annual Halloween Spooktacular, everybody. 1049 00:51:06,260 --> 00:51:08,239 Speaker 2: We hope you loved it, and we hope you have 1050 00:51:08,280 --> 00:51:13,940 Speaker 2: a safe and happy Halloween, a.k.a. Samhain. And if you 1051 00:51:13,980 --> 00:51:16,310 Speaker 2: want to email us something about this, we would love 1052 00:51:16,330 --> 00:51:19,069 Speaker 2: to hear from you. You can send it off to 1053 00:51:19,250 --> 00:51:22,810 Speaker 2: stuffpodcasts at iheartradio.com. Thank you. 1054 00:51:35,910 --> 00:51:38,129 Speaker 1: Stuff You Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. 1055 00:51:38,650 --> 00:51:42,890 Speaker 4: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 1056 00:51:43,070 --> 00:51:44,830 Speaker 4: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.