Watch-Dogs / Ship's Company, Part 5.

Name: Watch-Dogs / Ship's Company, Part 5.
Author: W. W. Jacobs

By W. W. Jacobs

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Humour Short Stories

About This Book

An elderly, animal-loving gentleman moves into a small rural village and offers a gold watch as a prize for the person who shows the greatest kindness to animals. His reward prompts a flurry of ostensible benevolence, with neighbors competing by feeding or rescuing creatures and sometimes creating awkward or fraudulent situations, including a poisoned saucer of milk and disputes over drowned kittens. Amid the performative displays, a rough but genuinely tender local cares for injured animals, nurses a toad back to health, and befriends a large dog, winning the newcomer's regard. The story follows how the contest upends village habits, exposes hypocrisy, and produces comic misunderstandings while probing practical compassion toward animals.

About the Author

W. W. Jacobs

W. W. Jacobs was an English author best known for his humorous short stories and novels, often set in the coastal regions of England. His writing is characterized by a keen observation of human nature and a talent for creating vivid characters. One of his most notable works is "The Monkey's Paw," a classic horror story that explores themes of fate and the supernatural. Jacobs also wrote extensively about the lives of fishermen and the quirks of seaside communities, as seen in his collection "At Sunwich Port." His contributions to literature have left a lasting impact, particularly in the genre of comic fiction.