A Vendetta (Maupassant)

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A Vendetta
fr. Une Vendetta · 1883
Summary of a Short Story
The original takes ~10 min to read
Microsummary
On sea cliffs, a widow lost her only son to a knifeman who fled abroad. She starved and trained her sheepdog to tear throats, crossed in disguise, called the killer out, and let the dog kill him.

Short summary

Corsica, 19th century. Paolo Saverini's widow lived alone with her son in a poor house on the cliffs of Bonifacio, overlooking the channel to Sardinia.

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Paolo Saverini's Widow (Mother Saverini) — elderly woman, mother of Antoine, lives in Bonifacio, wrinkled hands, vengeful, determined, religious, cunning.

One evening, her son was murdered with a knife by Nicolas Ravolati, who fled to Sardinia that same night.

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Antoine Saverini — young man, son of widow Saverini, hunter, murdered by knife-thrust, wore thick serge coat, had beard and hair.

The old mother swore vendetta over her son's body while their dog howled continuously.

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Semillante — large, thin female dog with long shaggy hair, sheep-dog breed, used for hunting, howls continuously, trained for revenge.

For three months, she trained the starving dog to attack a straw dummy on command, hiding food in its throat. When ready, she dressed as a beggar and crossed to Sardinia.

The old woman pushed open the door and called him: 'Hey! Nicolas!' He turned round; then, letting go of her dog, she cried: 'Off, off, bite him, bite him!'

The dog tore out Nicolas's throat. The old woman returned home and slept well.

Detailed summary

Division into chapters is editorial.

Antoines murder and the widows silent grief

In the remote town of Bonifacio, perched dramatically on cliffs overlooking the treacherous channel to Sardinia, lived an elderly widow with her son Antoine. Their house clung to the very edge of the precipice, its three windows gazing out over the wild and desolate seascape. The widow shared her modest home with Antoine and their large, shaggy sheep-dog Semillante, which the young man used for hunting.

One evening, following a quarrel, Antoine was treacherously killed by a knife-thrust from Nicolas Ravolati, who fled to Sardinia that same night. Bystanders carried Antoine's body home to his mother.

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Nicolas Ravolati — man, murderer of Antoine, fled to Sardinia, joiner by occupation, works alone in his shop in Longosardo.

The vow of vengeance and watching the enemy

When his old mother received his body... she did not weep, but for a long time stayed motionless, looking at it; then, stretching out her wrinkled hand over the body, she swore vendetta

The old woman shut herself up with the corpse and the howling dog. Antoine lay on his back in his thick serge coat, blood everywhere - on his shirt, waistcoat, breeches, face, and hands. Clots had congealed in his beard and hair. The mother began speaking to her dead son, promising revenge. She pressed her cold lips to his dead ones while Semillante howled heart-rending cries throughout the night.

After Antoine's burial, no one spoke of him in Bonifacio. He had left no brothers or close cousins to carry on the vendetta - only his old mother brooded over it. From her window, she watched a white speck on the Sardinian coast: the village of Longosardo, where Corsican bandits took refuge. She knew Nicolas Ravolati had fled there.

Training the dog to kill

How could she do it without another's help, so feeble as she was, so near to death? But she had promised, she had sworn upon the body. She could not forget, she could not wait.

One night, as Semillante was beginning to moan again, the mother had a sudden idea, an idea quite natural to a vindictive and ferocious savage.

After praying in church for strength, she returned home and chained Semillante in an old barrel, giving her only water. For days, the dog howled and grew mad with hunger. The widow then asked her neighbour for straw and stuffed her husband's old clothes to create a human dummy, which she tied to a post opposite the kennel.

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Neighbour — person who provides two trusses of straw to Mother Saverini for her revenge plan.

She bought black pudding from the pork-butcher, grilled it, and tied it around the dummy's neck like a collar. When she released the starving dog, Semillante leaped upon the figure's throat, tearing at it to reach the food.

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Pork-butcher — shopkeeper who sells black pudding to Mother Saverini for training her dog.

For three months she trained the dog to this struggle... She had taught the dog to rend and devour it without hiding food in its throat.

The widow repeated this performance for months until Semillante would attack any man-shaped figure on command, tearing at the throat without needing the incentive of hidden food. The dog learned to respond to her mistress's whistle and raised finger.

Journey to Sardinia and the execution of revenge

When she judged the time had come, Mother Saverini went to confession and communion with ecstatic fervor. Disguising herself as an old male beggar, she bargained with a fisherman to transport her and Semillante across the straits to Sardinia. She carried black pudding in a canvas bag, keeping the hungry dog stimulated by its scent.

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Sardinian Fisherman — man who transports the widow and her dog across the straits to Sardinia for payment.

Arriving in Longosardo, the disguised woman inquired at the bakery for Nicolas Ravolati's house. She found him working alone in his joiner's shop. Pushing open the door, she called his name, then released her dog with the command to attack.

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Baker — person in Longosardo who gives directions to Nicolas Ravolati's house.

The maddened beast dashed forward and seized his throat... he remained motionless while Semillante nuzzled at his throat and tore it out in ribbons.