The Monkey's Paw plot
Mr. and Mrs. White and their adult son, Herbert, are visited by Sergeant Major Morris, a friend who served in the British Army in India. During dinner, he shows them a mummified monkey's paw. He explains how an old fakir has placed a curse on the paw, granting it three wishes, but with dire consequences as punishment for playing with fate. Morris, who himself had a terrible experience with the paw, throws it into the fire, but the skeptical Mr. White pulls it out. Before leaving, Morris warns Mr. White of the potential consequences of using the paw.