The soldier put down his whisky. "No!" he cried. "Stay here!"

"Oh, Herbert!" his mother cried. She was afraid because she did not want to lose her son.

"A monkey's paw?" Mrs White said.

"Nothing!" Morris answered quickly. "Well… nothing important."

"But you saw a lot of strange and wonderful things in India. I want to see them too one day," Mr White said.

"It's better for you here!" the soldier said quickly.

Morris took his whisky in his hand, but suddenly he put it down again. Slowly he put his hand into the pocket of his coat and the White family watched him.

"I wanted to go to India too," her husband said, "but…"

"Yes," Herbert said. "I'd like to go there."

Old Mr White did not stop. "But your stories were interesting," he said to Tom Morris. "What did you begin to say about a monkey's paw?"

"Come on, Mr Morris! Tell us about it," Herbert said.

After some time Tom Morris stopped talking and Mr White said to his wife and son, "Tom was a soldier in India for twenty-one years. India is a wonderful country."

Morris said nothing. He took his hand out of his pocket. The White family watched carefully -- and in the soldier's hand they saw something little and dirty.

"Look at it," the soldier answered. "It's a little paw… a monkey's paw."

"What is it? What is it?" Mrs White cried.

"Well, what is it?" Mr White asked his friend.

Mrs White moved back, afraid, but her son, Herbert, took it and looked at it carefully.

Herbert laughed again, but the soldier said, "Don't laugh, boy. Remember, you're young. I'm old now and in India I saw many strange things." He stopped talking for a minute and then he said, "This monkey's paw can do strange and wonderful things. An old Indian gave the paw to one of my friends. My friend was a soldier too. This paw is magic because it can give three wishes to three people."

"Wonderful!" Herbert said.

"A monkey's paw!" Herbert said -- and he laughed. "Why do you carry a monkey's paw in your pocket, Mr Morris?" he asked the old soldier.

"Well, you see," Morris said, "this monkey's paw is magic!"

"Yes," Morris answered quietly. "And his third and last wish was to die!"

"But these three wishes don't bring happiness," the soldier said. "The old Indian wanted to teach us something -- it's never good to want to change things."

For a minute or two everybody was quiet, but then Herbert said, "And you, Mr Morris, did you have three wishes?"

Mr and Mrs White listened to the story and they felt afraid, but Herbert asked, "And did he die?"

"I don't know. He didn't want to tell me," the soldier answered.

"Yes, he did," Morris said. "He had no family, so his things came to me when he died. The monkey's paw was with his things, but he told me about it before he died," Tom Morris finished quietly. "What were his first two wishes, then?" Herbert asked. "What did he ask for?"

"Well, did your friend have three wishes?" Herbert asked the old soldier.

"Yes, I did," Morris answered. "I was young. I wanted many things -- a fast car, money…" Morris stopped for a minute and then he said with difficulty, "My wife and my young son died in an accident in the car. Without them I didn't want the money, so, in the end, I wished to lose it. But it was too late. My wife and my child were dead."

The room was very quiet. The White family looked at the unhappy face of the old soldier.

"Well, give it to me," Mr White said. "Perhaps this time it…"

The soldier said nothing and Mr White asked him again, "What do I do now?"

"What do I do now?" he asked his friend.

"Yes, come on, Father," Herbert said. "Make a wish!" And he laughed.

Tom Morris looked unhappy, but Mr White did not want to wait.

Old Mr White did not listen and he did not think. Quickly, he put out his hand, and he took the paw.

"No!" Tom Morris cried. "You're my friend. I can't give it to you." then, after a minute, he said, "I can't give it to you, but, of course you can take it from me. But remember -- this monkey's paw brings unhappiness!"

"How can I give it to someone?" the soldier said. "The monkey's paw brings unhappiness with it."

Then Mr White said, "Why do you want the paw now? You don't need it. You can give it to someone."

At first the old soldier did not answer, but in the end he said quietly, "OK. But remember! Be careful! Think before you make your wish,"

Mrs White laughed, but she thought for a minute and then she said, "Well, I'm getting old now and sometimes it's difficult to do everything. Perhaps I need four hands and not two. Yes, ask the paw to give me two more hands."

"Take the paw in your right hand and then make your wish, but…" tom Morris began.

"Yes, we know," Herbert said. "Be careful!"

"Yes, yes," Mr White said.

Just then old Mrs White stood up and she began to get the dinner. Her husband looked at her. Then he smiled and said to her, "Come on. Help me! What can I wish for? We need money, of course."

"OK, then," her husband said, and he took the monkey's paw in his right hand. Everybody watched him and for a minute hewaited. Then he opened his mouth to make his wish.

Suddenly Tom Morris stood up. "Don't do it!" he cried.

The old soldier's face was white. Herbert and his mother laughed, but Mr White looked at Tom's face.

Old Mr White was afraid and he put the monkey's paw into his pocket.

After a minute or two they sat down at the table and began to have dinner. The soldier told the family many strange and wonderful stories about India. They forgot the monkey's paw, and because the soldier's stories were interesting, they asked him many questions about India. When Tom Morris stood up to leave, it was very late.

Then the old soldier put on his coat. He said goodbye to the White family, and went out into the rain.

"It was a wonderful evening for us, Tom," Old Mr White answered. "Your stories were very interesting. Our life isn't very exciting and we don't have the money to visit India, so please come again soon. You can tell us some more stories about India."

"Thank you for a very nice evening," Morris said to the family. "And thank you for a very good dinner," he said to Mrs White.