Project Gutenberg
2004-04-01
Public domain in the USA.
46
Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark)
1863
1943
Jacobs, William Wymark
Davis, Stanley
The Vigil
Night Watches, Part 8.
Reading ease score: 85.6 (6th grade). Easy to read.
Produced by David Widger
"The Vigil" by W. W. Jacobs is a comedic short story written in the early 20th century. Set in a domestic environment, it explores themes of courage, familial expectations, and the humorous misunderstandings that arise from them. The narrative centers around the rivalry between Mr. Farrer, a timid yet determined suitor, and the authoritative ex-sergeant-major Ward, who disapproves of Farrer’s courting of his daughter and challenges him to prove his bravery. The story unfolds as Mr. Farrer attempts to win the approval of Miss Ward’s overbearing father by daring to spend a night in a supposedly haunted cottage. The sergeant-major, hoping to expose Farrer’s cowardice, secretly follows him with a more frightening agenda, dressed in his wife's nightgown to frighten the young man. However, events take a comedic turn as Farrer, unbeknownst to the sergeant-major, encounters a series of strange occurrences that lead to escalating anxieties and misunderstandings. The climax reveals their amusing roles, ultimately highlighting the absurdity of their rivalry for the respect of one another, while also poking fun at the nature of bravado and the lengths one might go to for love. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
en
Short stories
Humorous stories
PR
Text
Browsing: Humour
Browsing: Literature
Browsing: Fiction
46952
46487
2024-10-05T16:26:58.292038
2023-10-06T04:19:13.069731
text/html
text/html
43537
2020-12-14T18:46:12
text/html; charset=us-ascii
248560
2020-12-14T18:46:12
text/html; charset=us-ascii
application/zip
261589
2024-10-05T16:26:59.977051
application/epub+zip
260436
2024-10-05T16:26:58.613027
application/epub+zip
82915
2024-10-05T16:26:58.435030
application/epub+zip
294349
2024-10-05T16:27:01.166032
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
287409
2024-10-05T16:26:59.805044
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
110325
2022-09-06T19:03:31.930679
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
38384
38377
2024-10-05T16:26:58.169062
2023-10-06T04:19:12.967756
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
text/plain
39766
2020-12-14T18:46:12
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
15187
2020-12-14T18:46:12
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
application/zip
19938
2024-10-05T16:27:01.293015
application/rdf+xml
18812
2024-10-05T16:26:58.510027
image/jpeg
3154
2024-10-05T16:26:58.473030
image/jpeg
249085
2024-10-05T16:26:58.305044
application/octet-stream
application/zip
Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at
https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog
en.wikipedia