Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb, Mary had a little lamb and killed her husband with a blow… WAIT? Hold on a second, are you telling me that sweet little Mary is a vicious murder? Well, I’m here to tell you YES! In Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter, a seemingly innocent and pregnant Mary Maloney murders her husband with a leg of lamb. If you are looking for a good murder thrill, you should definitely read this story. 

A Children’s Author or Chilling Author? 

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Roald Dahl is a British author well known for some of his most famous works such as Matilda and James and the Giant Peach. Although his most famous works are intended for children, most of them have dark twist- the children in his stories are often taking harsh revenge on adults. This dark vengeance is exhibited in Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter as well, where a pregnant woman takes vengeance on her husband’s desire to abandon her by striking him to death with a leg of lamb.

The vengeance and violence that takes place in Dahl’s story can be traced to his dark past in the Royal Air Force. According to biography.com, Roald Dahl suffered serious skull, spine and hip injuries during his service. Perhaps the gruesome description of Mr. Maloney’s head trauma, inflicted by the leg of lamb, is a reflection of the injuries Dahl sustained while serving in the Royal Air Force. If you have finished your Game of Thrones Season and are in need of some more blood and action, this is the story for you.

Bloody Mary

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Mary may appear to be a harmless woman in the beginning but don’t let this deter you from reading this story. This story is FAR from boring. What seams to be a warm pregnancy glow soon transforms into a raging inferno in Mary when her husband decides to leave her. Her husband breaks the last straw when he refuses to eat her cooking so she unleashes her inner demons and whacks him in the head with his dinner. 

Oh poor Mary. What will happen to her baby? No worries, mama will take care of her little lamb. Shortly after her husband’s death, she primps herself up in her bedroom and walks to the grocery store in good spirits, forming her sweet,little alibi. When she returns, she lets the tears fall and calls the police. 

When police arrive, no one suspects Mary Maloney Of being the murderer. Her sweet, preggo reputation makes her an unlikely candidate. Her alibi of visiting the store to cook a hearty meal for her husband is also very strong indeed. There is no way a loving wife could joyfully visit a grocery shop after murdering her husband. Thus, Mary Maloney is ruled out of the equation of murder. WAIT, it doesn’t end there folks. Mary Maloney even cooks the leg of lamb and serves it to the policemen, ultimately destroying her evidence.

Mary was no sweet preggo after all. In fact, she is slyer than a cat. So remember just as Mary remembers, you can be as bad as you want so long as you don’t get caught. Want to read more about the perfect murder? Click this link to access the text. 

Show Those Smile Bones

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How did Mary get away with her murder? Simple, she just smiled and you can do it too. Smiling is a symbol of happiness and peace. It’s easy to smile when all is well. When Mary Maloney visited the supermarket, she made sure she put on her biggest, happiest smile. This smile shielded all sad, fearful emotions her husband’s murder may have conjured within her. This excellent smile makes it hard for the clerk and the police to believe Mary had killed her husband. Really, who smiles about killing their one and only? That’s completely psycho. 

This brings me to my next point. Although Mary is completely psycho, she is also happens to be an evil genius. A great deception saved her life and her baby’s. If you really want to experience and learn more about the power of deception, I highly recommend reading this story.

STOP COUNTING SHEEP AND GO READ THE STORY ALREADY!

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Lamb to the Slaughter is an amazing work. The idea of a pregnant woman committing the perfect murder is frightening and will leave you on the edge of your seat. You won’t go patting a pregnant lady’s belly without thinking twice once you read this story. Read this story and don’t let yourself be fooled by smile and respect all mothers!

You open a lamp and a genie pops out and offers to grant you three wishes. YES!! YOU WON THE JACKPOT!!! Now make your wish: I wish to be a millionaire. You must feel like the luckiest human alive. No harm done wishing for some money right?  Well, money cannot just grow on the trees in your backyard so there ought to be a more realistic way to get it. 

What if you wake up the following morning to find out one of your dearest family members had an accident and because of that, the life insurance company is now offering you a million dollars? Would you feel so lucky then? 

W.W. Jacobs would likely say NO. In fact W.W. Jacobs opens his story, The Monkey’s Paw,  with the following message: Be careful of what you wish for, you may receive it. This story is a MUST READ! Not only will this rob you of your sleep but you will wish that you never wished before! 

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So what about the story? 

  Sit around children and I will get to the story. One cold rainy night, a soldier enters the warm, cozy house of Mr. and Mrs. White and their son, Herbert. The soldier tells his tragic story related to a wish-granting monkey’s paw. A spell was cast by Indian fakir on the paw so it would grant three wishes for three different people. As wonderful as it sounds, there is still a catch: those who make a wish will not go without a dire consequence. The soldier, having paid a painful price for his wish, tosses the monkey’s paw into the fire. Despite the soldier’s warning, Mr. White reaches for the paw and wishes for two-hundred pounds. What seemed like a blessing at first turns into a nightmare when their son pays the ultimate price for two-hundred pounds. Click the following link to read the full story of The Monkey’s Paw to find out what happens to Herbert.

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About WW Jacobs

William Wymark Jacobs was born in Wapping, London, England in 1863. According to americanliterature.com, William spent much of his childhood at the dreary South Devon Wharf, where his father worked as a dock hand and manager. Unfortunately, his mother died when he was very young and he grew up under financial hardship with his many brothers and sisters. He eventually left for a private school in London and became a clerk in the civil service.

 Later on in his career, William went on to write one of his most famous horror stories, The Monkey’s Paw.  This story shares many ties with Jacobs’s erie childhood. One of the most prevalent connections is that the story takes place in London, the hometown of Jacobs. London is famous for its cold, dreary weather. This dark setting of London casts a gloomy vibe throughout the story.The imagery of this obscure setting will send shivers down your spine. For those of you who like to stay up during a thunderstorm, this is the terrifying tale for you! MUAHAHAHA!

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Why a monkey’s paw?

 Great question! There are so many object Jacobs could have been used as a talisman. Why in the world would Jacobs choose to make the talisman a nasty monkey’s paw instead of a lamp or a sponge? Well, have you ever heard the saying that fate lies in your hands? That’s just what Jacobs is getting at. 

In the story, the paw is said to have been cursed by an old fakir in India who wanted to prove that fate ruled people’s lives and those who tried to change it would be sorry. Well, the fakir did a great job proving his point since all three people who made a wish suffered tremendously in the end, especially for the Whites.

The paw, being a hand essentially, symbolizes how one is capable of making their decision at their own hand. However, the consequences of that decision would be unspeakable. If you think about it, the idea of a monkey’s paw itself is quite disturbing. The despicable nature of the paw foreshadows the devastating consequences that will be faced by those who wish. It’s terrifying to think how a crummy, dried monkey’s paw could destroy a family. This thrilling story will leave feeling more superstitious than ever. 

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Psycho Mom

We all love our moms and every now and then you drive them nuts. But have you ever considered just how nuts they can get? In the beginning of the story, Mrs. White appears to be a very sweet and motherly old lady but things take a turn for the worst when she discovers her son had paid for the two hundred pounds with the ultimate price: his life. 

After learning of her son’s death, Mrs. White realizes that she could wish her son back to life with the paw. As soon as the idea hit her, she was crazily screaming, “THE PAW !…THE MONKEY’S PAW”. When her husband refused she yelled, “WISH…WISH”. 

The yelling,denoted by capitalized dialogue, reveals the change in the character of Mrs. White. She has gone from a calm old woman to a desperate psycho. Wishing for someone dead to come back to life is sick. But to go to the point of screaming and forcing her husband to wish for such uncovers how vulnerable and distressed she has become. If you are curious to see how crazy a mom can get, this is the short story for you. The transformation of Mrs. White to a monstrous psycho is nothing other than frightening. 

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Be Warned

If you like to wish, I highly recommend you read this short story. This dark,thrilling tale of The Monkey’s Paw, isn’t just the perfect good read for a stormy night but it will leave you more cautious than ever. You will want to be more careful of what you wish for after reading this story because after all, is a wish really worth your life or your sanity?