DLTK's Holiday Crafts for Kids
The Monkey’s Paw

Once upon a time, in a small, cozy house at the edge of town, there lived a family called the Whites. There was Mr. White, his wife Mrs. White, and their son Herbert. One dark and stormy evening, their friend Sergeant-Major Morris came to visit. He brought with him a curious and mysterious object—a monkey’s paw.

The monkey’s paw, he explained, was enchanted and had the power to grant three wishes. However, it came with a warning: those who used it faced dire consequences. Despite the warning, the Whites were intrigued.

After Sergeant-Major Morris left, Mr. White decided to make a wish. “I wish for two hundred pounds,” he said, thinking of paying off their house. As the words left his lips, the paw twitched in his hand, but nothing else seemed to happen.

The next morning, Herbert went to work as usual, laughing about the silly wish. But later that day, a man came to their door with terrible news. Herbert had been in an accident at work. He didn’t survive, and as compensation, the company offered the Whites two hundred pounds.

The family was heartbroken. The money was no comfort for the loss of their beloved son. In their grief, Mrs. White had an idea. She urged Mr. White to use the second wish to bring Herbert back. Reluctantly, he held the paw and made the wish.

Later that night, they heard a faint knocking at the door. Mrs. White, filled with hope, rushed to open it. But Mr. White, fearing the consequences of their wish, grabbed the paw and made a final wish.

The knocking stopped, and when Mrs. White opened the door, there was no one there. The night was silent and still, and the monkey’s paw lay lifeless on the floor, its magic spent.

The Whites were left in peace, but they had learned a harsh lesson about meddling with fate. They realized that sometimes it’s better to leave things as they are, no matter how tempting it may be to change them.