The Mourning Brothers
by Ambrose Bierce
The Old Man and the Black Ribbons
An old man was very sick. He was very old. He called his two sons. The First Son came. The Second Son came.
The Old Man spoke to his sons. His voice was weak. "You were not kind to me," he said. "You will be sad when I am gone. You must show your sadness now."
The Old Man had a plan. "One son gets my money," he said. "Wear a black ribbon on your hat. A black ribbon means sadness. Show you are sad. The one who wears it longest wins. This is my wish."
The Old Man died soon. His sons did not wait. They put black ribbons on their hats. They wanted the money. They wanted it very much.
Many, many years passed. The sons grew old. Very old. Their hair turned grey. They still wore black ribbons. Every day. The black ribbons stayed. The First Son wore his ribbon. The Second Son wore his ribbon. Neither son wanted to take it off first. They were very stubborn. So stubborn. Each wanted the money. They wanted all the money.
One day, the sons talked. The Second Son spoke. "I will take off my ribbon," he said. "You will get the money. Then you give me half. We will share." First Son agreed. "Yes," he said. "I will do that."
The First Son went to get the money. He went to the bank. A man from the bank was there. The Man from the Bank spoke. "The money is gone," he said. "It is all gone. The Old Man's will was tricky. The money went to charity. It did not go to you. Not a single coin. Not one penny."
The sons were very sad. They got no money. Not one penny. They were greedy for money. So greedy. They were very stubborn. Too stubborn. They were not kind to their father. This was a bad thing. They lost everything in the end. Everything was lost. Their time was lost.
Original Story
The Mourning Brothers
Observing that he was about to die, an Old Man called his two Sons to his bedside and expounded the situation.
“My children,” said he, “you have not shown me many marks of respect during my life, but you will attest your sorrow for my death. To him who the longer wears a weed upon his hat in memory of me shall go my entire fortune. I have made a will to that effect.”
So when the Old Man was dead each of the youths put a weed upon his hat and wore it until he was himself old, when, seeing that neither would give in, they agreed that the younger should leave off his weeds and the elder give him half of the estate. But when the elder applied for the property he found that there had been an Executor!
Thus were hypocrisy and obstinacy fitly punished.
Moral of the Story
Hypocrisy and obstinacy, especially when driven by greed, are ultimately self-defeating.
Characters
The Old Man ○ minor
Frail and gaunt from illness, likely of average height but stooped with age. His skin would be thin and papery, with visible veins and liver spots.
Attire: Simple, clean nightclothes of white or cream linen, perhaps a nightshirt with a high collar, indicating his bedridden state. The fabric would be soft and worn.
Wants: To see his sons express sorrow for his death, even if feigned, and to punish their previous disrespect by forcing a prolonged display of mourning.
Flaw: His bitterness and desire for posthumous respect lead him to create a flawed and ultimately unfulfilling challenge for his sons.
He dies at the beginning of the story, setting the plot in motion. His influence persists through his will.
Manipulative, cynical, observant, somewhat bitter.
The Elder Son ★ protagonist
Initially a young man, he ages throughout the story, becoming an elderly man. As a young man, he would be of average build and height. As an old man, he would be stooped, perhaps thinner, with the physical signs of prolonged aging.
Attire: Initially, simple but respectable attire of a young man of means, perhaps a dark wool suit or waistcoat and trousers. Throughout his life, his clothing would remain conservative and somewhat somber, reflecting his perpetual state of mourning. As an old man, a dark, well-worn wool coat and trousers, still with the black hatband.
Wants: To win his father's entire fortune by outlasting his brother in the display of mourning.
Flaw: His extreme obstinacy and greed blind him to the futility of his actions and lead him to waste his life.
He wastes his entire life in a pointless competition for wealth, only to find the fortune gone, learning nothing from the experience except the bitter taste of defeat.
Obstinate, hypocritical, determined, greedy, competitive.
The Younger Son ★ protagonist
Initially a young man, he ages throughout the story, becoming an elderly man. As a young man, he would be of average build and height. As an old man, he would be stooped, perhaps thinner, with the physical signs of prolonged aging.
Attire: Initially, simple but respectable attire of a young man of means, perhaps a dark wool suit or waistcoat and trousers. Throughout his life, his clothing would remain conservative and somewhat somber, reflecting his perpetual state of mourning. As an old man, a dark, well-worn wool coat and trousers, still with the black hatband.
Wants: To win his father's entire fortune by outlasting his brother in the display of mourning.
Flaw: His extreme obstinacy and greed blind him to the futility of his actions and lead him to waste his life.
He wastes his entire life in a pointless competition for wealth, eventually compromising with his brother, only to find the fortune gone, learning nothing from the experience except the bitter taste of defeat.
Obstinate, hypocritical, determined, greedy, competitive, slightly more pragmatic than his brother (as he suggests the compromise).
The Executor ○ minor
Likely a professional, such as a lawyer or estate manager, of average build and height. His appearance would be neat and respectable, fitting his role.
Attire: A dark, formal suit of the late 19th century, perhaps a frock coat, waistcoat, and trousers, made of fine wool. A crisp white shirt and a dark tie would complete the ensemble. His attire would convey authority and professionalism.
Wants: To carry out the terms of the Old Man's will as written, which apparently included a clause that led to the estate's disappearance.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, as he is merely an instrument of the plot.
Appears only at the very end to deliver the final, ironic twist, revealing that the fortune is gone.
Professional, impartial, efficient, perhaps a touch stern.
Locations
Old Man's Bedside
The intimate setting where the dying Old Man addresses his two sons, likely a bedroom within a humble, perhaps slightly worn, dwelling.
Mood: somber, tense, expectant
The Old Man reveals his will and the condition for inheriting his fortune.
The World Outside
The general environment where the two brothers live out their lives, continuously wearing mourning weeds on their hats, spanning many years and seasons.
Mood: persistent, melancholic, subtly absurd
The brothers endure decades, each refusing to remove his mourning weed, symbolizing their obstinacy.
Executor's Office/Estate Office
The formal, official setting where the elder brother attempts to claim the inheritance, only to discover the existence of an executor.
Mood: official, bureaucratic, revealing
The elder brother learns that the inheritance has been managed by an executor, leading to the final twist.
Story DNA
Moral
Hypocrisy and obstinacy, especially when driven by greed, are ultimately self-defeating.
Plot Summary
An Old Man, on his deathbed, challenges his two disrespectful sons to prove their sorrow by wearing a mourning weed on their hats, promising his entire fortune to the one who wears it longest. After his death, both sons stubbornly wear the weeds for decades, growing old in their competitive display of false grief. Eventually, they strike a deal for one to concede, but upon attempting to claim the inheritance, they discover an Executor has already taken the entire fortune, leaving them with nothing as punishment for their hypocrisy and obstinacy.
Themes
Emotional Arc
cynicism to ironic comeuppance
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Ambrose Bierce was known for his cynical and often dark short stories, frequently ending with ironic twists or grim justice.
Plot Beats (8)
- An Old Man, near death, calls his two sons to his bedside.
- He tells them that despite their past disrespect, they will now show sorrow for his death.
- He declares that his entire fortune will go to the son who wears a mourning weed on his hat for the longest period, as per his will.
- After the Old Man dies, both sons immediately put on mourning weeds.
- They continue to wear these weeds for many years, even into old age, each refusing to be the first to give up.
- Eventually, the brothers agree that the younger will stop wearing his weed, and the elder will give him half the estate once he claims the inheritance.
- When the elder brother goes to claim the property, he discovers that an Executor has already taken it.
- The story concludes by stating that hypocrisy and obstinacy were thus punished.
