What is the summary of a shot in the dark by saki?
Answers
‘A Shot in the Dark’ is a short story by British writer Hector Hugh Munro (1870 – 1916). He is also known by he pen name Saki.
‘A Shot in the Dark’ is the story of Philip Sletherby who has lately befriended Mrs. Saltpen Jago, an affluent and influential lady. Sletherby intends to achieve a position in society using Mrs. Jago’s influence.
On a train journey to meet Mrs. Jago, Sletherby gets a young unkempt man named Bertie, as his travelling companion. Bertie claims to be Mrs. Jago’s second son. But Sletherby has his own doubts as the crest on Bertie does not match with that of Mrs. Jago. Moreover, he is not able to tell the correct colour of his mother’s hair. Bertie also asks to borrow 3 pounds, which Sletherby promptly refuses.
But later, after reaching Mrs. Jago’s estate, he finds that there are two crests for Mrs. Jago’s estate, one matching with the one he had seen on Bertie. He also learns that Mrs. Jago had of late, changed the colour of her hair!
"A shot in the dark" by Saki is about the protagonist named Philip Slether by who leaves for London to meet an influential woman named Mrs Saltpen Jago to be benefitted by her influence.
He meets her second son Bertie in a train who asks three pounds from Philip as his coin purse is missing and promises to give it back when he returns home, after 3 days. But Philip refuses to help him because he is not convinced that Bertie is Mrs Jago's son as Bertie's crust mismatches with his mother's crust and he is not even able to tell him the colour of his mother's hair.
Philip later learns the truth from Mrs Jago's lawyer that the Saltpen family has two crusts and Mrs Jago now has a blonde hair. He is left speechless.