"The Monkey's Paw" is a horror short story by English author W. W. Jacobs. It first appeared in Harper's Monthly in 1902, and was reprinted in his third collection of short stories, The Lady of the Barge, later that year. In the story, three wishes are granted to the owner of The Monkey's Paw, but the wishes come with an enormous price for interfering with fate.
Illustration for "The Monkey's Paw" by Maurice Greiffenhagen, from Jacobs' short story collection The Lady of the Barge (1902)
Nina Quartero in a publicity still from the 1933 American film version
William Wymark Jacobs was an English author of short fiction and drama. He is best known for his story "The Monkey's Paw".
Portrait of Jacobs by Elliott & Fry
W. W. Jacobs