HOSPITALITY
by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards · from The Silver Crown: Another Book of Fables
Adapted Version
Mr. Kind loved his friends very much. One day, he heard good news! His friend, Mr. Guest, came from far away. Mr. Kind was very happy. He wanted to honor Mr. Guest. He planned a special dinner for him.
Mr. Kind was very busy. He worked all day long. He made much special food. He found good things to eat. He found nice things to drink. He wanted the dinner to be perfect. He was very excited.
Mr. Kind asked some friends. They came to his house. They would eat with Mr. Guest. They would honor Mr. Guest. Mr. Kind wanted everyone to be happy. It was a very happy time.
The next day, Mr. Kind walked outside. He saw his friend, Dr. Wise. Dr. Wise was a doctor. Dr. Wise walked very fast. He was in a big hurry. He looked very busy. Mr. Kind said, "Where are you going so fast?"
Dr. Wise said, "I must go now! I must help Mr. Guest." Mr. Kind was very surprised. Dr. Wise said, "Mr. Guest is very, very sick. He ate something bad last night." Dr. Wise said, "It is urgent." He hurried away.
Mr. Kind felt very worried. "Oh no!" he cried. "Is Mr. Guest really sick?" He asked Dr. Wise. Dr. Wise looked sad. Mr. Kind was very sad too. He wanted Mr. Guest to be well.
Dr. Wise said, "Yes, Mr. Guest is very sick now." He got sick. He ate bad food. It made him very, very ill. He is not well at all. I do not know if he gets better.
Mr. Kind thought about last night. Mr. Guest ate dinner with him. "Oh, my!" Mr. Kind said. "He ate dinner at my house! The bad food was from my dinner!" He felt bad.
Dr. Wise looked at Mr. Kind. "Yes," he said. "The bad food was at your dinner." Mr. Kind felt very, very bad. He wanted to be kind. But he was not careful with food. Even when you are kind, be careful.
Original Story
HOSPITALITY
"I hear," said the hospitable man, "that my friend has come from over seas. Now therefore let us do thus and so, for he is the man of all men whom I delight to honor."
So the hospitable man hurried to and fro all day, gathering this that was rich, and that that was costly, and the other that was delicate; and bidding his acquaintance come and help him do honor to his friend.
Next day he met another friend, who was a physician.
"Whither away so fast?" asked the hospitable man.
"Do not stay me!" said the physician. "The case is urgent. I am going to So-and-So." And he named the friend from over seas.
"You distress me infinitely!" cried the hospitable man. "Is So-and-So ill?"
"Some rascal poisoned him last night," said the physician. "A bad business. I doubt if he recovers."
"Good God!" cried the hospitable man. "He dined with me last night."
"Oh! was it you?" said the physician.
Story DNA
Moral
Even the best intentions can lead to disastrous and unforeseen outcomes.
Plot Summary
A hospitable man, upon hearing his friend has arrived from overseas, prepares an elaborate and costly dinner to honor him. The next day, he encounters a physician who is rushing to treat their mutual friend, revealing that the friend was poisoned the previous night and is gravely ill. The hospitable man realizes with horror that the poisoning must have occurred at his own dinner, a fact confirmed by the physician, highlighting the tragic irony of his well-intentioned hospitality.
Themes
Emotional Arc
eagerness to shock
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story plays on the common trope of accidental poisoning, which was a real concern in eras with less food safety knowledge or during times of political intrigue.
Plot Beats (9)
- A hospitable man hears his friend has arrived from overseas and decides to host a grand dinner to honor him.
- He spends the entire day diligently preparing a lavish feast with expensive and delicate foods.
- He invites acquaintances to join him in honoring his friend.
- The next day, the hospitable man encounters a physician friend who is in a hurry.
- The physician reveals he is rushing to treat their mutual friend from overseas, who was poisoned.
- The hospitable man expresses distress and asks if his friend is ill.
- The physician explains that the friend was poisoned last night and is unlikely to recover.
- The hospitable man exclaims in horror, realizing his friend dined with him last night.
- The physician confirms the hospitable man's unwitting role in the poisoning.
Characters
The Hospitable Man ★ protagonist
A man of average height and build, likely with a slightly harried but earnest expression. His movements are quick and purposeful, reflecting his energetic nature.
Attire: Well-maintained, practical clothing suitable for a man of means who is actively involved in managing his household. Perhaps a dark wool coat over a crisp linen shirt, with sturdy trousers and polished leather shoes, indicative of a European setting from the late 19th or early 20th century.
Wants: To honor his friend from overseas and be perceived as a generous and excellent host.
Flaw: His eagerness to impress and his lack of attention to detail, leading to a disastrous outcome. He is more focused on the act of hospitality than the well-being of his guest.
He experiences a sudden, horrifying realization that his own actions may have led to his friend's poisoning, shifting from proud host to horrified suspect.
Overly eager, well-meaning, generous, somewhat self-absorbed, and ultimately naive.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult European man of average height and build, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. He has a round face with alert brown eyes and neatly combed dark brown hair, slightly graying at the temples. He wears a dark grey wool frock coat over a crisp white linen shirt, a dark cravat, and dark trousers, with polished black leather shoes. His posture is slightly hunched forward, as if in mid-stride, with an expression of earnest concern mixed with a hint of anxiety. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Physician ◆ supporting
A man of serious demeanor, likely of a lean or average build, suggesting a life of intellectual pursuit and urgent calls. His movements are swift and purposeful, indicative of his profession.
Attire: Professional attire typical of a physician in the late 19th or early 20th century Europe. A dark, well-tailored suit, perhaps a black frock coat, with a stiff white collar and dark tie. Practical, polished shoes.
Wants: To save his patient's life.
Flaw: His directness can come across as insensitive, though it is born of professional urgency.
Remains consistent in his professional role, delivering critical information without emotional embellishment.
Professional, direct, serious, focused, and somewhat blunt.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult European man of lean build, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. He has a serious, somewhat tired face with sharp, observant grey eyes and neatly combed dark hair, parted to the side. He wears a dark, well-tailored black frock coat over a crisp white shirt, a dark cravat, and dark trousers, with polished black leather boots. He carries a black leather doctor's bag in his left hand. His posture is upright and purposeful, with a focused, unsmiling expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Friend from Over Seas (So-and-So) ○ minor
His specific appearance is not described, but he is implied to be a traveler, perhaps with a slightly worn but distinguished look from his journey. He is currently gravely ill.
Attire: Unspecified, but likely the clothing he traveled in, or perhaps nightclothes if he was poisoned in his sleep or shortly after dining.
Wants: To visit his friend and enjoy hospitality.
Flaw: Vulnerable to external malice, as he was poisoned.
His fate is uncertain at the story's end, as he is gravely ill.
Unspecified, but he is the object of the Hospitable Man's desire to honor, suggesting he is a person of some standing or affection.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult European man lying in a simple wooden bed, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. He has a pale, drawn face with closed eyes, and dark, disheveled hair. He is covered by a plain white sheet up to his chest, wearing a simple white nightshirt. His expression is one of deep unconsciousness or severe illness. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Hospitable Man's Home
A home where a lavish dinner party was held, filled with rich, costly, and delicate provisions. Implied to be a place of comfort and social gathering.
Mood: Initially festive and welcoming, later revealed to be tragically ironic and potentially dangerous.
The hospitable man hosts a grand dinner for his friend from overseas, where the friend is unknowingly poisoned.
Image Prompt & Upload
A warm, opulent dining room in a 19th-century European manor house, with a long mahogany table set with crystal glasses, silver platters, and elaborate floral arrangements. Golden candlelight from a grand chandelier casts soft glows on the polished wood and rich tapestries on the walls. A large, ornate fireplace with a roaring fire adds to the cozy yet grand atmosphere. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
A Street or Public Way
A bustling thoroughfare where the hospitable man and the physician meet by chance, suggesting a town or city setting.
Mood: Hectic and urgent, contrasting with the previous night's festivity, as news of the poisoning is revealed.
The hospitable man learns from the physician that his friend has been poisoned, leading to the shocking realization that it happened at his own dinner.
Image Prompt & Upload
A lively, sun-drenched cobblestone street in a bustling 19th-century European town. Merchants' stalls line the thoroughfare, and people in period attire hurry past, some carrying baskets or conversing. Tall, gabled brick and timber-framed buildings with ornate windows rise on either side, casting long morning shadows. The air is clear and bright, with a sense of daily activity. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
