“The Monkey’s Paw” Writing Assignment
I was seventeen years old and had finally made the trip to India from the United
States. My father had paid for this trip as he knew it meant a lot to me. I had
first heard of the monkey’s paw from an old East Indian man I met in one of our
local libraries. He had been told of the paw where he was raised and was glad to
tell me of the story. The paw had first been made by an old Holy man
in a very small village near the coast of the Indian Ocean. This paw
could grant three different people, three different wishes. That day in the
library had been three years ago and I have been obsessed with the legend ever
since.
I had just stepped off the plane and walked into the smallest airport I had ever
seen when I met my guide. He was a shorter Indian man who had a scarf loosely
draped around his neck.
“Mr. Henry it is nice to finally meet you. I’m Rajesh and I will be your guide for
the next few days,” said my guide.
He was a little shorter than I was so he was about five foot nine with a stocky
build. He led me to his truck and I deposited my bags in the back seat.
“ We must first drive three hours East before driving two hour into the jungle. No
one has ever wanted the paw due to the misfortune that comes with the wishes. I
have heard that the only reason it
was ever created was to bring misery to the life of the greedy,” stated
Rajesh.
“ I’m sure that those stories are just to scare children and thieves,” I replied
back.
“ Everyone has their own opinion,” answered Rajesh as he shook his
head.
So after around a total of five hours on the Indian back roads we finally arrived
at the small village of Kurab where the monkey’s paw was supposedly located.
Grabbing my backpack I hopped out of the truck and began to follow Rajesh up the
stairs to Kurab’s monastery. A bald monk wearing orange
robes greeted us at the top and we explained our reason of arrival. He nodded
his head and led us inside to a man that appeared to be at least ninety years
old. His beard nearly touched the floor as he sat in a very dark room with no
windows. The walls flickered with the light of adorned candles dripping with
wax. I sat down following Rajesh’s lead as we waited for the old man to
speak.
“ I have been expecting someone to come requesting the paw,”he said very slowly
with a deep accent.
“ I have been very interested in the paw and am hoping I could possibly trade for
it,” I said back calmly.
I took my backpack off, unzipped it and pulled a ruby out.
Thankfully, my father is very wealthy and had purchased it just for this
occasion. The old man’s immediately eyes lit up when he saw the precious gem and
I knew that all of the research on the monastery was about to pay off.
“ Take the paw but beware its power can lead to your demise. To wish take the paw
in your right hand and speak your wish aloud, ” he said handing me the paw as I
handed him the ruby.
I carefully placed the paw in my backpack and we headed back to the truck. I
jumped in excited at the possibilities. I took it out when we got to the truck
to examine it in the light. It was a mangled thing that looked like it had been
a dog’s chew toy for about ten years.
“Are you sure you want that thing?”
asked Rajesh in a worried tone.
“ Yes I do. I didn’t come all the way to India to go home empty handed,” I
answered back.
He dropped me off at my hotel which I already had reservations for and I dropped
the paw back in my backpack. Rajesh gave me one last worried look as I paid him
for his services and then he drove off into the city of Mangalore. I ran up to
my room eager to wish. I closed the door softly behind me stopping first to lock
it and took the paw out of my backpack.
After some thought I raised the paw up
and said “ I wish for a beautiful car.”
The paw moved suddenly slightly startling me. I waited but nothing happened so I
decided to sleep on it and then my car might come in the morning. I awoke to
someone loudly rapping at my door.
I hopped out of bed and answered
the door with a smile on my face. There was a taller white man who spoke
with an Italian accent waiting on the other side of the
door.
“ Good morning sir, I represent Ferrari incorporated. I am very proud to deliver
our newest car and would like to let you know that your fifty four million just covered the cost. I would also like
to remind you of our no refund policy,” said the man
politely.
I graciously accepted the keys wondering where the fifty four million had come
from. The man turned around and left down through the hallway. I was about to go
check out my new ride when the phone rang loudly. It was my
father.
“ Would you have an explanation as to why my bank account is empty?” Father asked
restraining anger in his voice.
“ I made a wish father, with the paw . I wished for a car but it free because I
used the paw,” I said trying to keep him on my
side.
“ I know you bought a car because I just got the receipt in the mail. I have
cancelled your plane ride home so just stay in India and don’t bother coming
home!” yelled my father through the phone. The line went
dead.
I grabbed the paw from my bedside
table suddenly knowing how to fix the mess. I wished that father had all of his
money back just like before. I laid around all day on my bed waiting for
something to happen when it did. I went to sleep and woke up to the phone
ringing again and I answered it
hesitantly.
“Hello,” I said nervously.
“ John did you wish for my money back? Because we just one fifty four million in
the lottery, the exact same amount as we lost!” said my father elated.
“ Yes I did. Does this mean you’ll pay for a plane ride back?” I asked
happily.
“ Why yes it does but we’ll have to do that in the morning as we have to go and
pick up our winnings tonight in about an hour or two. I’ll talk to you tomorrow
which will be your evening” said father as he hung up the
phone.
I began making myself breakfast. Bacon, my favorite. The phone rang again so I
answered it expecting dad despite the differences in
time.
“ Hello, I am with the Chicago funeral home. You are Mr. Henry correct?” said the
man in a crackly voice.
“ Yes I am. Has something happened?” I asked nervously feeling my heart begin to
beat in my chest.
“ I am very sorry to report to you that both of your parents were killed in a car
accident last night. It was a head on collision with a semi. They were on their
way to collect their lottery winnings and were only fifteen minutes from their
destination. I am also very sorry to tell you that the lottery company has
decided to withdraw their winnings and choose another winner,” said the man in
his stupid crackly voice.
“ Okay, I can be back from India in two days. Thank you for calling,” I said
choking back emotion as I hung up the phone.
Their deaths had been all because of me and that stupid paw. I had no family left and
had to somehow get home. I wasn’t going to use that stupid paw again that was
for sure. I decided to head to the market to clear my mind or at least try to
anyway. I arrived there among the many booths and began to browse the many items
when someone tapped on my shoulder. It was a white man wearing a military style
uniform. He had very rosy cheeks and was probably six feet
tall.
“Can I help you?” I asked in a shaky voice.
“ You are the first person I have seen here who is not Indian,” he said in a
cheery tone.
“ John Henry, nice to meet you.” I said as cheery as I
could.
“ Sergeant Morris Thrush but you can just call me Morris,” he answered back
courteously.
“ Do you have somewhere that we can go to get away from all of these people? Too
loud and crowded for me,” he said to
me.
I led Morris back to my hotel and preceded to tell him about the monkey’s paw and
all of my problems. He explained about his military career and how he always
wanted to see India. I finally had someone that I could trust so I even told him
how to use the paw. Suddenly I thought of how to be with my parents and put a
new plan into action.
“ You know Morris, I can fix all of my problems right now,” I said almost
elated.
“ How would you do that?” he asked
curiously.
I grabbed the paw off of the table between us and raised it in the air.
“ I wish to immediately die,” I said in the calmest voice I could
muster.
Suddenly I felt a pain in my chest and then the world around me went
black.
I was seventeen years old and had finally made the trip to India from the United
States. My father had paid for this trip as he knew it meant a lot to me. I had
first heard of the monkey’s paw from an old East Indian man I met in one of our
local libraries. He had been told of the paw where he was raised and was glad to
tell me of the story. The paw had first been made by an old Holy man
in a very small village near the coast of the Indian Ocean. This paw
could grant three different people, three different wishes. That day in the
library had been three years ago and I have been obsessed with the legend ever
since.
I had just stepped off the plane and walked into the smallest airport I had ever
seen when I met my guide. He was a shorter Indian man who had a scarf loosely
draped around his neck.
“Mr. Henry it is nice to finally meet you. I’m Rajesh and I will be your guide for
the next few days,” said my guide.
He was a little shorter than I was so he was about five foot nine with a stocky
build. He led me to his truck and I deposited my bags in the back seat.
“ We must first drive three hours East before driving two hour into the jungle. No
one has ever wanted the paw due to the misfortune that comes with the wishes. I
have heard that the only reason it
was ever created was to bring misery to the life of the greedy,” stated
Rajesh.
“ I’m sure that those stories are just to scare children and thieves,” I replied
back.
“ Everyone has their own opinion,” answered Rajesh as he shook his
head.
So after around a total of five hours on the Indian back roads we finally arrived
at the small village of Kurab where the monkey’s paw was supposedly located.
Grabbing my backpack I hopped out of the truck and began to follow Rajesh up the
stairs to Kurab’s monastery. A bald monk wearing orange
robes greeted us at the top and we explained our reason of arrival. He nodded
his head and led us inside to a man that appeared to be at least ninety years
old. His beard nearly touched the floor as he sat in a very dark room with no
windows. The walls flickered with the light of adorned candles dripping with
wax. I sat down following Rajesh’s lead as we waited for the old man to
speak.
“ I have been expecting someone to come requesting the paw,”he said very slowly
with a deep accent.
“ I have been very interested in the paw and am hoping I could possibly trade for
it,” I said back calmly.
I took my backpack off, unzipped it and pulled a ruby out.
Thankfully, my father is very wealthy and had purchased it just for this
occasion. The old man’s immediately eyes lit up when he saw the precious gem and
I knew that all of the research on the monastery was about to pay off.
“ Take the paw but beware its power can lead to your demise. To wish take the paw
in your right hand and speak your wish aloud, ” he said handing me the paw as I
handed him the ruby.
I carefully placed the paw in my backpack and we headed back to the truck. I
jumped in excited at the possibilities. I took it out when we got to the truck
to examine it in the light. It was a mangled thing that looked like it had been
a dog’s chew toy for about ten years.
“Are you sure you want that thing?”
asked Rajesh in a worried tone.
“ Yes I do. I didn’t come all the way to India to go home empty handed,” I
answered back.
He dropped me off at my hotel which I already had reservations for and I dropped
the paw back in my backpack. Rajesh gave me one last worried look as I paid him
for his services and then he drove off into the city of Mangalore. I ran up to
my room eager to wish. I closed the door softly behind me stopping first to lock
it and took the paw out of my backpack.
After some thought I raised the paw up
and said “ I wish for a beautiful car.”
The paw moved suddenly slightly startling me. I waited but nothing happened so I
decided to sleep on it and then my car might come in the morning. I awoke to
someone loudly rapping at my door.
I hopped out of bed and answered
the door with a smile on my face. There was a taller white man who spoke
with an Italian accent waiting on the other side of the
door.
“ Good morning sir, I represent Ferrari incorporated. I am very proud to deliver
our newest car and would like to let you know that your fifty four million just covered the cost. I would also like
to remind you of our no refund policy,” said the man
politely.
I graciously accepted the keys wondering where the fifty four million had come
from. The man turned around and left down through the hallway. I was about to go
check out my new ride when the phone rang loudly. It was my
father.
“ Would you have an explanation as to why my bank account is empty?” Father asked
restraining anger in his voice.
“ I made a wish father, with the paw . I wished for a car but it free because I
used the paw,” I said trying to keep him on my
side.
“ I know you bought a car because I just got the receipt in the mail. I have
cancelled your plane ride home so just stay in India and don’t bother coming
home!” yelled my father through the phone. The line went
dead.
I grabbed the paw from my bedside
table suddenly knowing how to fix the mess. I wished that father had all of his
money back just like before. I laid around all day on my bed waiting for
something to happen when it did. I went to sleep and woke up to the phone
ringing again and I answered it
hesitantly.
“Hello,” I said nervously.
“ John did you wish for my money back? Because we just one fifty four million in
the lottery, the exact same amount as we lost!” said my father elated.
“ Yes I did. Does this mean you’ll pay for a plane ride back?” I asked
happily.
“ Why yes it does but we’ll have to do that in the morning as we have to go and
pick up our winnings tonight in about an hour or two. I’ll talk to you tomorrow
which will be your evening” said father as he hung up the
phone.
I began making myself breakfast. Bacon, my favorite. The phone rang again so I
answered it expecting dad despite the differences in
time.
“ Hello, I am with the Chicago funeral home. You are Mr. Henry correct?” said the
man in a crackly voice.
“ Yes I am. Has something happened?” I asked nervously feeling my heart begin to
beat in my chest.
“ I am very sorry to report to you that both of your parents were killed in a car
accident last night. It was a head on collision with a semi. They were on their
way to collect their lottery winnings and were only fifteen minutes from their
destination. I am also very sorry to tell you that the lottery company has
decided to withdraw their winnings and choose another winner,” said the man in
his stupid crackly voice.
“ Okay, I can be back from India in two days. Thank you for calling,” I said
choking back emotion as I hung up the phone.
Their deaths had been all because of me and that stupid paw. I had no family left and
had to somehow get home. I wasn’t going to use that stupid paw again that was
for sure. I decided to head to the market to clear my mind or at least try to
anyway. I arrived there among the many booths and began to browse the many items
when someone tapped on my shoulder. It was a white man wearing a military style
uniform. He had very rosy cheeks and was probably six feet
tall.
“Can I help you?” I asked in a shaky voice.
“ You are the first person I have seen here who is not Indian,” he said in a
cheery tone.
“ John Henry, nice to meet you.” I said as cheery as I
could.
“ Sergeant Morris Thrush but you can just call me Morris,” he answered back
courteously.
“ Do you have somewhere that we can go to get away from all of these people? Too
loud and crowded for me,” he said to
me.
I led Morris back to my hotel and preceded to tell him about the monkey’s paw and
all of my problems. He explained about his military career and how he always
wanted to see India. I finally had someone that I could trust so I even told him
how to use the paw. Suddenly I thought of how to be with my parents and put a
new plan into action.
“ You know Morris, I can fix all of my problems right now,” I said almost
elated.
“ How would you do that?” he asked
curiously.
I grabbed the paw off of the table between us and raised it in the air.
“ I wish to immediately die,” I said in the calmest voice I could
muster.
Suddenly I felt a pain in my chest and then the world around me went
black.