Eerie Story of Monkey’s Paw

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 834, 30 November 1929, Page 24

Eerie Story of Monkey’s Paw

True Tale finm which Jacobs Wrote Play PAW NOW IN AUCKLAND The original monkey's paw, round which W. W. Jacobs wrote his eerie one-act play, is in Auckland. There is nothing supernatural about its appearance as it rests in its bed of tissue paper, but the story of the strange powers the paw is said to possess is almost terrifying. The paw is that of a sacred Indian monkey. It was invested with nine wishes by the mullah, or teacher, of an Indian village. Six of those wishes have been granted, leaving behind them a trail of death and misery. There r.ro still three wishes bound up in this piece of grey fur and brittle bone —but no one is willing, after the story, to test its wicked powers. Mis Ina Bosworth (Mrs. A. W. MeNeish), of City Road, produced the monkey’s paw from its tissue paper this morning and told the astonishing story of its death-dealing influence. Her husband, Mr. A. W. McNeish, who is at present in Hamilton, brought the paw back with him from India after the war. The story opens in India one morning some years before the war. Major Blake and another young officer, Lieutenant King-Clifford, left Ghilgit, in the Northern Provinces, on a hunting expedition, taking with them their native bearers and beaters. They were warned before leaving about shooting sacred animals and as each village has its own, the list is a comprehensive one. On the way back from the expedition Clifford saw a monkey in a tree and on the impulse of the moment shot it dead. There was a terrific uproar among the natives in the party. They dropped everything in superstitious horror and raced for a village nearby, where they informed the other natives and the head mullah of the death of a sacred monkey. The mullah was horrified and told Clifford of the wrath of the gods which would follow the deed. Clifford rather impetuously wanted to go on, but the major, who knew the natives far better than his brother officer, said that such action was impossible. In order to appease the wrath of the gods the mullah told Clifford that he would have to go through the religious rites of his particular sect and accept their religion. This the young officer offered to do. KEPT IN TEMPLE The natives then stripped Clifford naked, and took him Into their temple, where they kept him for 48 hours without food, while they prayed and performed the initiation ceremonies. Eventually, they were satisfied. Before Clifford departed to join his regiment the mullah gave him one of the paws of the dead monkey, telling him at the same time that three people could each have three wishes with the paw. These wishes were to be treated with the greatest of holy respect. The mullah told Clifford, who was little more than a boy, that If he wore in any serious trouble the paw would always help him, providing it wore used as directed. Later in the regimental mess, Clifford told ,his story, but it was scoffed at by his brother officers. Personally, he feared the power of the paw, but after dinner one night he was persuaded to hold the paw in his hand and utter a wish. This he did —he wished to go back to England. Next morning on parade Clifford was informed by cable from England that his father was dead. Back in England he took over his father’s estate. Later, he married and to his young wife he told the strange story of the monkey's paw. Carelessly she grasped the paw and declared that she wished to visit India. Some time later Mrs. Clifford contracted a strange malady and the doctor ordered her toJtake a sea voyage to India. She died before the vessel reached Bombay. WISHED HE WERE DEAD Broken-hearted, the young husband went to visit his old friend Major Blake. He contracted fever and became delirious. One evening the major found his friend sitting up in bed with the paw in his hand, wishing that he were dead. Clifford died that night. Major Blake then took possession of the gruesome paw r . Prom then on the story follows the play which has been written by Mr. Jacobs round the three other wishes. While staying with some friends Major Blake told them of the paw and its strange powers. They talked a while of superstitions and then the major’s friend declared his intention of using the paw and declaring his greatest wish. This was for £2OO. Soon afterward the man received news of his son’s death in a factory. He received his £2OO from his son’s life insurance policy. The distracted mother took the paw and wished that her son were alive again and the story tells that his squelching footsteps were i eard at the door. Panic-stricken, the father grasped the paw, wishing that his son would not return. And there the ghastly influence of the paw was allowed to rest. Major Blake kept it in his possession for some years, but one evening, after telling Mr. McNeish the story, he tossed it into the fire, saying that it had caused enough unhappiness. Mr. McNeish rescued it from the embers. Now it rests in his home in Auckland —a pretty, inoffensive thing in tissue paper. Will those remaining three wishese ever be granted—will anyone ever dare the -wrath of India’s gods? W. W. Jacobs heard the story from Major Blake, who is still living, and wrote his gruesome thriller from it. “The Monkey’s Paw” will be one of the three plays presented by the Auckland Little Theatre Society at the Concert Chamber on December 4,5, 6, and 7. By a curious coincidence Miss Bosworth, who is a well-known violinist, will asisst with the incidental music during the production.

Margaret Cullin-Landis, who will make her first appearance in New Zealand with Leo Carrillo in “Lombardi, Ltd.”, as the shapely model upon whom Tito Lombardi drapes his gorgeous frocks, was born “way down south in Tennessee.” She is a sister of Cullen Landis, the popular moving picture star.