NEW INSPIRING STORIES: SUMMARIZED

The Raven and the Swan: Summary

A raven saw a swan and desired to secure for himself the same plumage. Supposing the swan’s splendid white color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the raven left the altars in the neighborhood where he picked up his living, and took up residence in the lakes and pools. But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he could not change their color, while through want of food he perished.

The Fox and the Crow: Summary

            A crow, having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it in her beak. A fox, seeing this, longed to possess the meat himself, and by a wily trick succeeded. “How handsome the crow is,” he exclaimed, “and in the beauty of her shape and in the fairness of upon her complexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to her beauty, she would deservedly be considered the Queen of Birds!” This he said deceitfully; but the crow, anxious to refute the reflection cast upon her voice, set up a loud caw and dropped the flesh. The fox quickly picked it up, and thus addresses the crow: “My good crow, your voice is right enough, but your wit is wanting.”

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe: Summary

The narrator is a man who lives in the home of an older gentleman. He begins the story by explaining several things about himself. He tells the reader that he is not mad but nervous. He has very keen senses; he can see and hear things that others cannot. He loves the old man. To prove that he is sane, he states that he will tell his story very calmly.

The narrator has a problem with the old man’s eye. He describes it as pale blue with a film over it. The sight of the eye makes the narrator so uncomfortable that he must destroy it and the man. He takes care of the old man and treats him respectfully. However, at midnight for the past seven days, he has been opening the door to the old man’s room and watching him ever so carefully. He has been devising a plan to get rid of the eye forever. On the eighth night, the narrator enters the room which is a black as black can be. For an hour, he does not move. He realizes that the old man has been awake all this time and is sitting up in his bed. Then the narrator opens a small crack in the lantern which shines a single ray on the eye. With a loud scream, the narrator leaps into the room. The old man shrieks, and the narrator is upon him. He throws the old man to the floor and places the heavy bed upon him.

It takes some time before the old man stops breathing. The narrator places his hand on the old man’s heart and realizes that it has stopped beating. Now he must get rid of the body. He removes some planks from the floor of the bedroom and places the body there. He carefully replaces the boards, so that no one would suspect any foul play. All of a sudden, he hears knocking at the door. It is 4 a.m. Who could it be? The narrator opens the door and sees that it is the police. A neighbor has heard a shriek and has called them. The narrator invites them into the bedroom and even goes so far as to place chairs directly over the spot where the body is concealed.

The police sit down and make themselves comfortable. After some time, the narrator wishes that they would leave. He feels himself getting pale, his head is aching, and he hears a ringing in his ears. He becomes anxious, begins speaking in a heightened voice, and paces back and forth. The noise in his ears becomes louder and louder; he thinks he hears the beating of a heart. The narrator can’t take it any more. He screams to the police that he has done the deed and tells them to tear up the planks.

The Three Sisters’ Wishes: Summary

Once upon a time, there was a young sultan, who was fond of putting on disguise and seeking adventures in all parts of the city. Passing down a lonely street, the sultan heard women’s voices in loud discussion: and peeping through a crack in the door, he saw three sisters explaining what sort of men they wished to marry.

“I ask nothing better,” cried the eldest, “than to have the sultan’s baker for a husband.” She thought of being able to eat all the delicious bread that was meant for the sultan alone.

Feeling challenged, the second sister said, “I should be quite content with the sultan’s head cook. I could feast upon delicious stews and have the sultan’s bread into the bargain.” She was excited, for she thought she proved her taste was better than that of her older sister.

It was now the youngest sister’s turn. She was by far the most beautiful of the three; and had more sense than the other two. “As for me,” she said, “I should take an even higher flight; and if we are to wish for husbands, nothing less that the sultan himself will do for me.”

The sultan was so amused by the conversation he had overheard, that he decided to fulfill their wishes. He commanded his officers to bring the ladies into his presence right away.

“You,” the sultan said, turning to the youngest, “who desired to have me for a husband shall be satisfied this very day. And you,” he added, addressing himself to the other two,”shall be married at the same moment to my baker and to my chief cook.”

When the sultan had finished speaking the three sisters were very scared of being punished because of what they had wished. The youngest flung herself at his feet, and faltered, “Oh, Sire, since you know my foolish words, believe, I pray you, that they were only said in joke. I am unworthy of the honor you give me-please forgive my boldness.” The sultan said, “Do not be afraid, for I have not the slightest intention of giving you pain.” The other sisters also tried to excuse themselves, but the sultan would hear none of it. “No, no,” he said, “my mind is made up. Your wishes shall be granted.”

A couple of days after the big wedding, the two older sisters became displeased that they fell into a jealous passion.

The Masque of the Red Death: Summary

In the land of Prince Prospero, a terrible sickness, known as the Red Death, was sweeping across his kingdom. Many people had been afflicted with the illness and had died. Prince Prospero had a taste for the bizarre and magnificent. His castle was very grand and most unusual. It contained seven apartments, arranged in a maze from east to west. Each apartment was a different color-blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet and black. The stained glass windows, as well as all the furnishings, matched the color of the room, except for the black room. In the black room, the windows were red, and on one wall was a giant ebony clock.

To escape the outside world, Prince Prospero invited one thousand friends to his castle. As soon as they arrived, his servants were told to bolt all the doors which led into and out of the castle. He wanted to make sure that in his world of the castle, no one would come in contact with the Red Death.

Six months later, he decided to throw a huge party for his friends. It was a masquerade party where masks and wild costumes were required. The prince provided entertainment, dancers, singers, and musicians for the guests’ pleasure.

The guests are having a grand time at the masquerade party. They make their way from room to room. There is one room in which they will not go. It is the black room with the giant ebony clock. As each hour passes, the clock strikes, and the guests become motionless. When the chimes cease, the party begins again.

At the stroke of twelve, many become aware of a masked figure which they have not noticed before. The figure is tall and bony, wearing burial clothing. Covering his face is a mask, speckled with red dots, that resembles a corpse. Prince Prospero is outraged upon seeing this intruder. As the intruder runs from room to room, the prince follows closely. None of his guests are part of the chase. They are too afraid of the masked figure.

Finally, the chase comes to an end in the black room. The prince, with drawn dagger, approaches the figure. Suddenly, he drops the dagger and falls dead. The guests seize the figure that seems to disappear into thin air. One by one they drop to their death, and the ebony clock will chime no more.

The Monkey’s Paw: Summary

Mr. White and his son Herbert are playing chess on a cold, dark, rainy night. Mrs. White is keeping busy, knitting in front of the fireplace. They are expecting a guest, Sergeant Major Morris. He has an interesting story to tell. While he was in India, an old beggar gave him a monkey’s paw. The paw had a spell put on it by a man who believed that fate ruled people’s lives. Three men could have three wishes from it. Sergeant Major Morris was the second man who had the paw. When asked whether his wishes had been granted, the sergeant’s face turned white. He believes that the paw is evil and throws it into the fire. Mr. White retrieves the paw and puts it into his pocket.

The sergeant leaves and Mr. White makes his first wish. It is for money. The paw moves in his hand, twisting like a snake, but no money appears. Father and son sit down by the fire. The wind blows furiously, and the sound of a banging door is heard. Then Mr. White retires to their bedroom while Herbert sits alone in the dark by the fire. As he gazes into the fire, he sees horrible faces staring back at him. Alarmed, he grabs hold of the paw and goes upstairs to bed.

 The next morning is a beautiful winter morning, with the sun streaming through the kitchen window. The Whites are having breakfast. Herbert leaves for work, and shortly thereafter, Mrs. White notices a strange man outside the house. The man appears nervous and undecided about whether to enter the house. Hesitantly, he enters but remains silent. He finally tells the Whites the nature of his business. He has come from Herbert’s work with some bad news. Herbert had a terrible accident! He was critically injured by the machinery. He gives the whites some money to pay for funeral services, the exact amount that Mr. White wished for on the previous night.

The Whites are speechless; their son is gone. After many days, Mrs. White has an idea. Why not make a second wish? Later that evening, she convinces her husband to wish their son alive. As they lie in bed in darkness, they hear strange sounds coming from downstairs. Mr. White cautiously creeps down the stairs. All of a sudden, they hear loud knocking at the door. Mrs. White races to the door while Mr. White searches frantically for the paw. He finds it and makes his third and final wish. The knocking ceases, the door opens, and all that is visible is a street light on a quiet, deserted road.