SUMMARY OF THE WOLVES OF CERNOGRATEZ INTRODUCTION: This is an interesting story about supernatural forces and strange happenings written

by Saki H.H. Munro. The author is well known for his tales o f mystery and magical powers. The story is about an old castle and its owners, t he Cernogratz family who had to sell off their family castle, when their fortune turned against them. Thus, they abondoned their ancestral family castle. As tim e went by, the castle was purchased by Gruebel family. SUMMARY: One of the last days of December, the Baroness, the new owner of the Ce rnogratz Castle, was engaged in a friendly conversation with her guests. She was telling them about a strange legend attached to the castle. She said that whene ver someone died in the castle, all the wild beasts and wolves would appear from nowhere and start howling all night long. But she quickly brushed this legend a side by saying that, it is only a gimmick to enhance the value of castle. She al so said that she did not believe in the legend as she had proof that nothing of the sort ever happened. When her old mother-in-law died in the castle, nothing o f the sort happened and no wolves appeared. According to her it was utter rubbis h and that there was no truth in the legend. That the people had merely invented a story so as to give cheap publicity to the place. On hearing this account, Am alie von Cernogratz, an old governess employed in the house, remarked: THE STORY IS NOT AS YOU HAVE TOLD IT. IT IS NOT WHEN ANY ONE DIES IN THE CASTLE, THAT THE HOWLING IS HEARD. IT IS ONLY HEARD, WHEN A MEMBER OF THE CERNOGRATZ FAM ILY, DIES IN HIS FAMILY CASTLE THAT THE WOLVES APPEAR IN THEIR THOUSANDS AND STA RT HOWLING. The Governess strongly protested and insisted that the legend was quite true. Sh e knew the family legend very well, as she was the last of the great Cernogratz family. The old Governess repeated the actual legend in a note of defiance, almo st in contempt. She made it quite clear that no howling was heard if a stranger died in the castle. But if a cernogratz died in his family castle, not only did the wolves would howl in chorus, but also a large tree would crash in the park a s the soul of the dying one left its body. Naturally the company showed its disb elief. They thought that the old lady is pretending to be an important person. S he knows that she will be soon past work and she wants to appeal to our sympathi es. That the old Amalie is making a false claim to be a Cernogratz. When the old Governess left the room, the Baroness and her guests were convinces that, she i s an ordinary woman and had some how learnt the Cernogratz legend from the peasa nts living in the vicinity. Later on, some mysterious happenings proved every wo rd of the old governess. It so happened that the old governess fell ill and conf ined herself to her small, cheerless room. Just then the company heard the howli ng of wolves. Moved by some impulse, the Baroness went to the Governess s room. To her horror, she found, all the windows open, despite the biting cold, while the old lady was lying on the couch terribly sick. The Baroness rushed forward to s hut the windows. But the Governess forbade her in a very stern manner. She asked the Baroness to leave and let the windows be open, as she wanted to hear the Dea th Music of her family. The Baroness announced to her guests that the old governe ss was dying. While the guests were talking, they heard a loud noise of a tree s plitting and then crashing down, with a loud thud. At that moment, the governess breathed her last. The news of Amalie-von-Cernogratz s death and her affiliation to the Cernogratz family was confirmed in the newspaper, the following day. Amal ie, the valued fried of the Baron and Baroness Gruebel had passed away in her ol d family castle.