The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
(published 1850) (edited down to 1,018 words.) very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily, how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had the eye of a vulture, a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees -- very gradually --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But, you should have seen how wisely I proceeded --with caution. I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. Every night, I turned the latch of his door and opened it. And then, when I had made an opening for my head, I put in a dark lantern, closed so that no light shone out. Would a madman have been so wise as this? I undid the lantern cautiously. I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. This I did for seven long nights, for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly. His room was pitch black, and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door.
I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed,, “Who's there?"
I kept still for a whole hour. He was still sitting up in the bed listening.
I knew what the old man felt, and I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise. His fears had been growing. He had been saying to himself --"It is nothing but the wind in the chimney” Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself, but he had found all in vain.
When I had waited a long time, without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little --a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it until, at length a dim ray, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye.
It was open, and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness, a dull blue that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man's face or person.
Now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.
I scarcely breathed. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! I thought the heart must burst. The old man's hour had come! I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked. I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. He was dead. I placed my hand upon the heart. There was no pulsation. His eye would trouble me no more.
I worked hastily, but in silence. First I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head, the arms, and the legs.
I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye, not even his, could have detected any wrong. There was no bloodspot. I had been too wary for that.
I had made an end of those labors. There came a knocking at the door. There entered three men, who introduced themselves as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor during the night; and they had been deputed to search the premises.
I smiled. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I led them to his chamber. I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself placed my own seat upon the very spot which reposed the corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I felt myself getting pale. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears. The ringing became more distinct. I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling, but I found that the noise was not within my ears.
I talked with a heightened voice. The sound increased It was a dull sound. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key. Oh God! what could I do? I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise continually increased. It grew louder! Almighty God! no! They heard! they knew. Anything was more tolerable than this **derision**! I could bear those **hypocritical** smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! hark! louder! louder! --
"Villains! **dissemble** no more! I admit the deed! tear up the planks! here! --it is the beating of his hideous heart!"
by Edgar Allan Poe
(published 1850)
(edited down to 1,018 words.)
very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily, how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had the eye of a vulture, a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees -- very gradually --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But, you should have seen how wisely I proceeded --with caution. I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. Every night, I turned the latch of his door and opened it. And then, when I had made an opening for my head, I put in a dark lantern, closed so that no light shone out. Would a madman have been so wise as this? I undid the lantern cautiously. I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. This I did for seven long nights, for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly. His room was pitch black, and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door.
I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed,, “Who's there?"
I kept still for a whole hour. He was still sitting up in the bed listening.
I knew what the old man felt, and I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise. His fears had been growing. He had been saying to himself --"It is nothing but the wind in the chimney” Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself, but he had found all in vain.
When I had waited a long time, without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little --a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it until, at length a dim ray, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye.
It was open, and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness, a dull blue that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man's face or person.
Now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.
I scarcely breathed. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! I thought the heart must burst. The old man's hour had come! I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked. I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. He was dead. I placed my hand upon the heart. There was no pulsation. His eye would trouble me no more.
I worked hastily, but in silence. First I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head, the arms, and the legs.
I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye, not even his, could have detected any wrong. There was no bloodspot. I had been too wary for that.
I had made an end of those labors. There came a knocking at the door. There entered three men, who introduced themselves as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor during the night; and they had been deputed to search the premises.
I smiled. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I led them to his chamber. I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself placed my own seat upon the very spot which reposed the corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I felt myself getting pale. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears. The ringing became more distinct. I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling, but I found that the noise was not within my ears.
I talked with a heightened voice. The sound increased It was a dull sound. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key. Oh God! what could I do? I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise continually increased. It grew louder! Almighty God! no! They heard! they knew. Anything was more tolerable than this **derision**! I could bear those **hypocritical** smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! hark! louder! louder! --
"Villains! **dissemble** no more! I admit the deed! tear up the planks! here! --it is the beating of his hideous heart!"