# ID a short story? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [April 2, 2022, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138 "2022-04-02T03:50:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2022, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/1 "2022-04-02T03:50:28Z")
Set in the 1800s, I think. A woman is visited at her country home by a salesman (?). She tells him a spooky story about her menfolk heading out hunting and never coming back. Now and then you can hear them calling for their hunting dog. She finishes the tale, and the hunting party shows up calling for the dog. The salesman freaks out and runs off. Of course, it was all a gag. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2022, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/2 "2022-04-02T04:17:41Z")
It’s my favorite: _The Open Window_ by Saki ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2022, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/3 "2022-04-02T04:23:13Z")
Beat me to it. I love Saki. My favorite short story of all time is his _Tobermory_. I named a cat Tobermory, still miss him. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2022, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/4 "2022-04-02T04:31:30Z")
What really made this the most delightful ghost story for me, is that I read it in one of those Alfred Hitchcock collections of ghost stories, so readers would assume it was another scary tale of the afterlife. As did I, so the ending was quite the surprise. The story opens on a mischievous fifteen year old, who’s introduced to Mr. Framton Nuttel, a nervous name for a nervous gentleman … who’s visiting the country estate to soothe his “case of The Nerves”. The young lady spins quite the tale, and no summation can have the depth and sparkling use of language that Saki (H. H. Munro) does. You really need to read it, and it is indeed a short story: two pages. Here, enjoy: > **[TheOpenWindowSaki.pdf](https://www.vma.is/static/files/enska/Bokmenntir/Short%20Stories/TheOpenWindowSaki.pdf)** > > 54.47 KB . eta: I’ve since read most of Saki’s stories, and I do love _Tobermory._ Baker, I’m glad you named your cat that … and not [_ **Sredni Vashtar** _](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sredni_Vashtar). ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2022, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/5 "2022-04-02T04:37:32Z")
Great story. “Romance at short notice was her specialty.” That line f\*cks up all kind of students. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2022, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/6 "2022-04-02T18:11:34Z")
Note that, at the time Saki was writing, “romance” also meany a fictitious story with sensational or fantasy elements. Saki is using it in that sense: she can make up that sort of story at the spur of the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2022, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/7 "2022-04-03T00:11:02Z")
Yes, I had figured that out about 30 years ago. It always messes my students up though. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2022, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/8 "2022-04-03T00:35:12Z")
**digs** , I think that _Sredni Vashtar_ was made into an Alfred Hitchcock story. Also _The Schwartz-Metterklume Method_. I have actually seen the latter. If you read a bio of Munro then _SV_ takes on a lot more meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2022, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/9 "2022-04-03T16:27:57Z")
My favorite is _The Storyteller_. After watching Trump, _Cousin Teresa_ comes in a close second. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/10 "2022-04-03T17:00:10Z")
Nice tale, but what is this? “Here we are, my dear,” said the bearer of the white mackintosh, coming in through the window; “fairly muddy, but most of it’s dry. Who was that who bolted out as we came up?”" Through the window? Is that a British custom or a type of door/window? ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/11 "2022-04-03T17:09:42Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Who was that who bolted out as we came up? Frugal word use and maintained focus on the window. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/12 "2022-04-03T17:21:46Z")
The British call 'em French windows, but in French they are merely portes-fenêtres 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2022, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/13 "2022-04-03T17:31:58Z")
In an updated rewrite they would be sliding patio doors 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-short-story/962138/14 "2022-04-03T19:48:53Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > The British call 'em French windows, but in French they are merely portes-fenêtres 🙂 > [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > In an updated rewrite they would be sliding patio doors 🙂 Ah, thanks guys. 🙂