
A quiet morning in a modest village is turned upside down when the Vickers household awakens to a parade of fresh outfits and a chorus of squeaking boots. Father Vickers, baffled by the sudden appearance of elegant dresses, capes and polished shoes, discovers his children and wife have somehow acquired a wardrobe far beyond their means. Their triumphant display, full of pride and whispered excitement, hints at a secret stash or a mysterious benefactor that has slipped through the cracks of their ordinary life.
The story follows the family’s uneasy attempts to reconcile this unexpected generosity with the harsh realities of their daily grind. As they don the new attire, old tensions surface and questions about honesty, sacrifice, and the cost of sudden generosity begin to surface. The opening sets a tone of gentle humor mixed with underlying unease, inviting listeners to wonder how far the Vickers will go to protect their newfound respectability.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (78K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by David Widger
Release date
2004-04-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1863–1943
Best remembered for the chilling classic "The Monkey's Paw," this English writer also built a huge readership with witty, sharply observed tales of dockworkers, sailors, and everyday London life. His stories mix humor and unease in a way that still feels vivid more than a century later.
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