The Strange Visitor
by Joseph Jacobs
The Wish for a Friend
Once upon a time, a little girl lived alone. She was all alone in her little house. She sat and spun, wishing for a friend.
In came a pair of big, flat feet. They sat down by the fire. She sat and spun, wishing for a friend.
In came a pair of small legs. They sat down on the big feet. She sat and spun, wishing for a friend.
In came a pair of thick knees. They sat down on the small legs. She sat and spun, wishing for a friend.
In came a pair of thin thighs. They sat down on the thick knees. She sat and spun, wishing for a friend.
In came a pair of big hips. They sat down on the thin thighs. She sat and spun, wishing for a friend.
In came a tiny waist. It sat down on the big hips. She sat and spun, wishing for a friend.
In came a pair of wide shoulders. They sat down on the tiny waist. She sat and spun, wishing for a friend.
In came a pair of small arms. They sat down on the wide shoulders. She sat and spun, wishing for a friend.
In came a pair of big hands. They sat down on the small arms. She sat and spun, wishing for a friend.
In came a small neck. It sat down on the wide shoulders. She sat and spun, wishing for a friend.
In came a big head. It sat down on the small neck.
"Why are your feet so big?" asked the little girl. "For jumping in puddles!" said the Friendly Visitor. "Why are your legs so small?" "For running very fast!" "Why are your knees so thick?" "For climbing up trees!" "Why are your hips so big?" "For carrying big books!" "Why is your waist so tiny?" "For fitting in small spaces!" "Why are your shoulders so wide?" "For giving big hugs!" "Why are your arms so small?" "For waving hello!" "Why are your hands so big?" "For making big sandcastles!" "Why is your neck so small?" "For peeking around corners!" "Why is your head so big?" "For thinking of fun games!"
"Why did you come here?" she asked. "TO BE YOUR FRIEND!" shouted the Friendly Visitor. He waved his big hands and stamped his big feet. The little girl clapped her hands. And so, she had a friend at last
Original Story
THE STRANGE VISITOR A woman was sitting at her reel one night; And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a pair of broad broad soles, and sat down at the fireside; And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a pair of small small legs, and sat down on the broad broad soles; And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a pair of thick thick knees, and sat down on the small small legs; And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a pair of thin thin thighs, and sat down on the thick thick knees; And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a pair of huge huge hips, and sat down on the thin thin thighs; And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a wee wee waist, and sat down on the huge huge hips; And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a pair of broad broad shoulders, and sat down on the wee wee waist; And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a pair of small small arms, and sat down on the broad broad shoulders; And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a pair of huge huge hands, and sat down on the small small arms; And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a small small neck, and sat down on the broad broad shoulders; And still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a huge huge head, and sat down on the small small neck. “How did you get such broad broad feet?” quoth the woman. “Much tramping, much tramping” ( gruffly ). “How did you get such small small legs?” “Aih-h-h!-late—and wee-e-e—moul” ( whiningly ). “How did you get such thick thick knees?” “Much praying, much praying” ( piously ). “How did you get such thin thin thighs?” “Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e—moul” ( whiningly ). “How did you get such big big hips?” “Much sitting, much sitting” ( gruffly ). “How did you get such a wee wee waist?” “Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e-moul” ( whiningly ). “How did you get such broad broad shoulders?” “With carrying broom, with carrying broom” ( gruffly ). “How did you get such small small arms?” “Aih-h-h!—late—and wee-e-e—moul” ( whiningly .) “How did you get such huge huge hands?” “Threshing with an iron flail, threshing with an iron flail” ( gruffly ). “How did you get such a small small neck?” “Aih-h-h!—late—wee-e-e—moul” ( pitifully ). “How did you get such a huge huge head?” “Much knowledge, much knowledge” ( keenly ). “What do you come for?” “FOR YOU!” ( At the top of the voice, with a wave of the arm and a stamp of the feet. )
Moral of the Story
Be careful what you wish for, as your desires may manifest in unexpected and terrifying ways.
Characters
The Woman ★ protagonist
Not explicitly described, but implied to be of average build, as the visitor's parts are described in contrast (broad, small, thick, thin, huge, wee).
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for spinning at a reel, likely a dress or skirt and bodice of coarse fabric.
Lonely, curious, persistent (continues reeling despite strange occurrences), brave (interrogates the visitor).
The Strange Visitor ⚔ antagonist
A composite being, assembling itself piece by piece, with disproportionate body parts: broad broad soles, small small legs, thick thick knees, thin thin thighs, huge huge hips, a wee wee waist, broad broad shoulders, small small arms, huge huge hands, a small small neck, and a huge huge head.
Attire: No clothing mentioned, as it is composed of body parts.
Mysterious, unsettling, gruff, whiny, pious, keen (in its own way), ultimately menacing.
Locations
Woman's Fireside
A cozy, domestic space where a woman is sitting at her reel, illuminated by the firelight. A pair of broad broad soles first appear and sit down here.
Mood: Initially lonely and quiet, then increasingly eerie and unsettling as the visitor assembles.
The entire story unfolds here, with the gradual, piecemeal assembly of the strange visitor and the woman's questioning.
Story DNA
Moral
Be careful what you wish for, as your desires may manifest in unexpected and terrifying ways.
Plot Summary
A lonely woman sits by her reel, wishing for company. One by one, various disembodied parts of a strange visitor enter her home and assemble themselves by the fire, from broad soles to a huge head. Despite the unsettling nature of this occurrence, the woman continues her routine and her wish. Once the visitor is fully formed, the woman questions it about its unusual features. The visitor gives cryptic answers until the woman asks its purpose, to which it terrifyingly declares, "FOR YOU!".
Themes
Emotional Arc
loneliness to terror
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This tale belongs to a specific type of cumulative folk tale, often used to frighten or entertain, where elements are added one by one until a terrifying conclusion.
Plot Beats (15)
- A woman sits alone by her reel, wishing for company.
- A pair of broad soles enters and sits by the fire.
- Small legs enter and sit on the soles.
- Thick knees enter and sit on the legs.
- Thin thighs enter and sit on the knees.
- Huge hips enter and sit on the thighs.
- A wee waist enters and sits on the hips.
- Broad shoulders enter and sit on the waist.
- Small arms enter and sit on the shoulders.
- Huge hands enter and sit on the arms.
- A small neck enters and sits on the shoulders.
- A huge head enters and sits on the neck, completing the visitor.
- The woman questions the visitor about its various body parts, receiving gruff, whining, pious, or keen answers.
- The woman asks the visitor why it has come.
- The visitor declares, "FOR YOU!" with a wave and a stamp, ending the story.
