The Golden Arm
by Joseph Jacobs
The Golden Arm
A man has a wife. She has a golden arm. It shines like the sun. The man loves the golden arm. He looks at it all day. He looks at it all night. He does not look at her face. He only looks at the arm.
One day, the woman goes away. She goes on a long journey. She goes to a faraway land. The man waves goodbye. He looks sad. But he is not sad. He wants the golden arm. He thinks about it all day.
The woman left a box behind. The golden arm is in the box. That night, the house is dark. Everyone is sleeping. The man gets up. He is very quiet. He sneaks to the box. His feet are soft on the floor. He knows this is wrong. But he goes.
He opens the box. The golden arm is inside. It shines in the moonlight. The man takes the golden arm. He holds it tight. He smiles a big, greedy smile.
The man runs home. He runs fast. He holds the arm close. The night is dark and quiet. No one sees him. No one knows. No one sees. No one knows.
He puts the golden arm under his pillow. He closes his eyes. He goes to sleep. The house is quiet. But not for long.
The wind blows cold. The room gets dark. Then his wife is there. She stands in the room. She glows with a soft light. She is back from her journey. The air is cold. The room is very quiet.
She looks at the man. Her eyes are big and sad. She does not smile. She does not speak. The man is very scared.
The man tries to be brave. His voice shakes. "Why... why are you so pale?"
"Where are your red cheeks?" he asks.
"Gone," she says. "All gone."
"Where is your golden hair?" he asks.
"Gone," she says. "All gone."
Her voice is quiet and sad. The room is cold. The man shakes.
Then she looks right at him. Her eyes are not sad now. They are firm and clear. She speaks. Her voice is strong.
"WHERE IS MY GOLDEN ARM?"
The man has no answer.
Original Story
THE GOLDEN ARM Here was once a man who travelled the land all over in search of a wife. He saw young and old, rich and poor, pretty and plain, and could not meet with one to his mind. At last he found a woman, young, fair, and rich, who possessed a right arm of solid gold. He married her at once, and thought no man so fortunate as he was. They lived happily together, but, though he wished people to think otherwise, he was fonder of the golden arm than of all his wife's gifts besides. At last she died. The husband put on the blackest black, and pulled the longest face at the funeral; but for all that he got up in the middle of the night, dug up the body, and cut off the golden arm. He hurried home to hide his treasure, and thought no one would know. The following night he put the golden arm under his pillow, and was just falling asleep, when the ghost of his dead wife glided into the room. Stalking up to the bedside it drew the curtain, and looked at him reproachfully. Pretending not to be afraid, he spoke to the ghost, and said: “What hast thou done with thy cheeks so red?” “All withered and wasted away,” replied the ghost, in a hollow tone. “What hast thou done with thy red rosy lips?” “All withered and wasted away.” “What hast thou done with thy golden hair?” “All withered and wasted away.” “What hast thou done with thy Golden Arm ?”
Moral of the Story
Greed can lead to disturbing and supernatural retribution.
Characters
The Man ★ protagonist
None explicitly mentioned, but implied to be a typical man of the era.
Attire: Wears the 'blackest black' at his wife's funeral, implying a formal mourning suit of the time.
Greedy, opportunistic, deceitful, self-serving.
The Woman ◆ supporting
Young, fair, rich, and possesses a right arm made of solid gold.
Attire: Implied to wear fine clothing befitting a rich woman of the era.
Possesses a unique physical trait, otherwise her personality is not detailed.
The Ghost of the Woman ⚔ antagonist
Appears as a spectral figure, with withered and wasted cheeks, lips, and hair, but still possessing the golden arm.
Attire: Implied to be a spectral version of her burial clothes, or a simple shroud.
Reproachful, vengeful, determined.
Locations
The Man's Home (during his wife's life)
A comfortable home where the man and his wife lived happily, implying a certain level of wealth due to the wife's golden arm.
Mood: initially content, later tinged with the man's greed
The couple's married life and the man's growing obsession with the golden arm.
The Grave
The burial site of the man's wife, where the ground was dug up.
Mood: eerie, sacrilegious, secretive
The man desecrates his wife's grave to steal her golden arm.
The Man's Bedroom
A bedroom with a bed, curtains, and a pillow where the man attempts to sleep with his stolen treasure.
Mood: tense, fearful, haunted
The ghost of the wife appears to confront the man and reclaim her golden arm.
Story DNA
Moral
Greed can lead to disturbing and supernatural retribution.
Plot Summary
A man marries a woman primarily for her golden arm. After her death, consumed by greed, he secretly exhumes her body and cuts off the golden arm. That night, as he sleeps with his ill-gotten treasure, the ghost of his wife appears, asking about her decaying features before chillingly demanding to know what he has done with her golden arm.
Themes
Emotional Arc
contentment to fear
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This is a classic example of a 'jump scare' or 'scary story' often told orally, with the final line intended to be delivered with a sudden shout.
Plot Beats (12)
- A man searches for a wife and finds one with a golden arm, marrying her.
- He values the golden arm more than his wife herself.
- His wife dies, and he feigns deep sorrow at her funeral.
- He secretly exhumes her body in the middle of the night.
- He severs the golden arm from her corpse.
- He brings the golden arm home, believing his act is secret.
- He places the golden arm under his pillow as he goes to sleep.
- The ghost of his dead wife appears in his room.
- The ghost draws the curtain and looks at him reproachfully.
- The man, feigning bravery, asks about her withered features.
- The ghost answers that her cheeks, lips, and hair are all withered away.
- The ghost then asks, "What hast thou done with thy Golden Arm?"
