Paying Off by W. W. Jacobs
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"Paying Off" by W. W. Jacobs is a humorous short story set in the early 20th century. The narrative revolves around the experiences of a night-watchman who reflects on his nature of helping others, often to his disadvantage. The story touches on themes of trust, foolishness, and the consequences of one's actions, all presented through Jacobs' characteristic wit and engaging prose. The plot follows the night-watchman as he is unwittingly drawn into
a scheme involving a fellow worker, George Tebb, who entrusts him with a box containing £25. As the watchman goes to a pub with George, he becomes the target of two drunken sailors who ultimately rob him of the box. When George confronts him for the loss, he is subjected to mockery and the ultimatum of repaying the money at a rate of five shillings a week. The story culminates in a twist, revealing that the watchman may have never even seen the money he was supposedly safeguarding, exposing the ridiculousness of his trusting nature and the folly of his situation. Through this comedic turn of events, Jacobs illustrates the pitfalls of naivety and misplaced trust in human interactions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark), 1863-1943 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Owen, Will, 1869-1957 |
| Title |
Paying Off Deep Waters, Part 2. |
| Credits | Produced by David Widger |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 88.4 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PR: Language and Literatures: English literature |
| Subject | Humorous stories, English |
| Subject | England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction |
| Subject | Sailors -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 11472 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-11472-9 |
| Release Date | Mar 1, 2004 |
| Last Update | Oct 28, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 477 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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