Thursday, November 12, 2009

The Sphinx Short Story Summary

The Sphinx starts off with a man spending a night at a relative's house. During his stay, he talked with his friend about omens and demons in such because he has had a personal experience with them. He is convinced they exist and praises those that believe as he does.

Foreshadowing, he says he came across an incident so inexplicable that he could have regarded it as an omen. While looking out the window he notices a large beast walking on a hill on the horizon. He describes it as larger than any ship he's seen and says he was not mad nor in a dream.

He continues to describe the beast he has seen as scaly with two wings and massive jaws. He is struck with fear and talks to his friend to come and look. His friend sees nothing and he goes away, forgetting the incident entirely.

The next day, he sees the same monster and tells his friend. His friend moves to a bookshelf and pulls out a book, he reads him the description of the animal and he agrees that is indeed what he has seen.

His friend tells him it was a description of a fly.

The man realizes that the beast he thinks he sees on the horizon is no more than a sixteenth of an inch long, and about a sixteenth of an inch from the pupil of his eye.

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