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Short Stories with Peter from Your English Toolboxand Peter
Today, we are going to slow down and enter astory.
It begins with an open window. It ends with onefrightened man running away.
Between those two moments, a girl tells a lie.
This is the open window by Saki. Listen for thesmall details.
In this story, the details are the trap. FramptonNuttall had come to the countryside to rest.
His doctor had told him to avoid stress andexcitement.
On autumn afternoon, he arrived at a house calledThe Grange.
A maid showed him into a sitting room. A girl ofabout 15 was waiting there.
Her name was Vera. She looked neat and polite, buther bright eyes missed nothing.
My aunt will be here in a moment.
Frampton noticed the open window and the wetgarden beyond it.
Do you know many people here?
Hardly anyone.
Then you know almost nothing about her.
I'm afraid not.
Vera became serious.
Then you do not know why that window is open.
Why is it open?
Three years ago, my aunt's husband and two youngerbrothers went out through it.
They were going shooting across the fields withtheir little brown dog.
The ground was soft after heavy rain.
They disappeared in the marshes and their bodieswere never found.
My aunt cannot accept that they are dead.
Every evening, she leaves the window open.
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She believes they will return through it.
Her husband will carry his white coat and the dogwill run beside them.
The room felt colder to Frampton.
At that moment, Mrs. Sappleton entered.
I hope Vera has kept you company.
My husband and brothers are out shooting and theyalways come in through that window.
Frampton felt his stomach tighten.
Then Mrs. Sappleton looked past him.
There they are at last.
Vera whispered beside him.
They have come back.
Frampton turned towards the window.
Three men were walking across the lawn in thefading light.
One carried a gun.
Another had a white coat over his arm.
A small brown dog ran at their feet.
The man in front called out for his coat.
For Frampton, every detail proved that Vera'sstory was true.
He believed that three dead men were walkingtowards the house.
But Vera's ghost story was a lie.
She had invented it only minutes earlier becauseFrampton knew nothing about the family.
Frampton grabbed his hat and walking stick.
He rushed from the room and ran down the drive.
The three men entered through the open window.
Who was that?
Mr. Nuttall.
He came to rest and then he suddenly ran away.
The adults had not heard Vera's first story.
They did not understand why Frampton had fled.
Vera looked towards the road.
I think he was frightened of dogs.
Perhaps he had a bad experience in India.
Vera did not hesitate when her aunt asked what hadhappened.
Wild dogs chased him into a cemetery.
He spent the night in an empty grave while theywaited above him.
The adults believed she had told one inventedstory to frighten Frampton
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and another to explain his escape.
She kept a perfectly serious face.
Before we leave Vera, notice how she makes her liebelievable.
She does not give Frampton proof.
She gives him details.
The wet ground, the white coat, the little browndog.
That is how Vera can spin a yarn.
To spin a yarn is to invent a colorful story withconvincing details.
And Frampton has no local knowledge, so Vera takeshim in.
To take someone in means to deceive themsuccessfully.
Vera looks playful when we first meet her.
But playful is too gentle a word for what Veradoes.
She has a mischievous streak.
That means she enjoys causing clever, often minortrouble.
But she can also keep a straight face.
She does not smile or laugh while tellingsomething absurd.
That serious face is part of the trap.
Vera had invented the ghost story before Framptonsaw the men.
We use the past perfect for an action completedbefore another moment in the past.
Was Vera playful, mischievous, or cruel?
You can decide.
You can find a complete transcript, translationsin several languages,
and a vocabulary guide on our website,yourenglishtoolbox.com.
There is a direct link to the episode page and allits resources in this episode description.
This was The Open Window by Saki,
abridged for B1-B2 English learners by yourEnglish Toolbox.
I am Peter, thank you for listening.
