# Help Me Find This Old Somerset Maugm Story

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-old-somerset-maugm-story/730516>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 10, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-old-somerset-maugm-story/730516 "2015-09-10T13:40:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-old-somerset-maugm-story/730516/1 "2015-09-10T13:40:54Z")

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I recall, it was about a British guy in in Singapore-he offended some local witch doctor who puts a curse on him-supposedly, if he sails west of Aden, he will die. On the ship, he starts feeling ill-so he contacts a guy who tries to “transfer” the curse to a chicken-the trick doesn’t work, and the guy dies.  
that is all I remember.

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-old-somerset-maugm-story/730516/2 "2015-09-10T14:27:48Z")

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Is it [P & O](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Casuarina_Tree#P._.26_O.) from _The Casuarina Tree_? That’s the first hit when you search for Somerset Maugham (note the spelling) and curse, and it appears to hit many of the points you remember.

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**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-old-somerset-maugm-story/730516/3 "2015-09-10T15:15:55Z")

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I don’t know the story but I’ve been wondering why in photos Somerset Maugham always looks like he was holding a mock funeral for his sense of humor when suddenly Rodney Dangerfield interrupts.

Kind of a stretch, but really, how else would you describe [that face?](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Maugham_retouched.jpg/475px-Maugham_retouched.jpg)