Summary
"Nick" is a short story published in 1870 as part of a collection called Commonplace. It is a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed and envy, set in a rural English community in the late 19th century. The story's protagonist, a young man named Nick, is granted the ability to transform into whatever he wishes for one hour at a time. However, Nick's selfish and vengeful wishes soon backfire, leading him into a series of misadventures that ultimately teach him the importance of compassion and kindness.
The story begins with the unnamed narrator's description of Nick. Despite having all his material needs met, the narrator says Nick is very poor "because, with all these, he was discontented and envious."
One day, Nick wishes to himself that he were a flock of sparrows that would eat up all his neighbor's cherries. Just then, a fairy appears. Scolding him, she tells Nick that whatever he wishes to be will come true for an hour.
Turning into a flock of sparrows, Nick begins destroying the cherries. His neighbor, Giles Hodge, manages to shoot all but one bird, and Nick, in sparrow form, must hide in a bush until the allotted hour is up. However, just as he is ready to transform, a cat appears and pounces on him. Nick desperately wishes to be a dog so that he can attack the cat. Nick tears the cat to pieces and
At last, glutted with vengeance, he lay down beside his victim, relaxed his ears and tail, and fell asleep.
The distraught owner of the cat looks desperately for her pet. In her search, she stumbles over Nick, still in dog form. To his surprise, Nick lunges at the woman. Her cries of "mad dog!" mobilize the whole village in the hunt for the vicious animal.
As a laborer swings a bludgeon at the dog, Nick wishes to become the weapon so that it might miss. As the man swings the stick, it misses, sticks into the ground, and breaks. Everyone is baffled by the sudden disappearance of the dog.
When the laborer arrives at his house, he offers the broken bludgeon to his wife as more firewood for their stove. The warmth and light Nick provides as he burns improves the mood of the entire household. Never one to let others enjoy themselves, Nick wishes he were a large fire to burn down the cottage. Quick action by the neighbors prevents Nick from completely destroying the cottage.
Now barely a smoldering flame, Nick reflects "that, after all, he had caused more injury to himself than to any of his neighbours." Nick realizes that he cannot enjoy the fairy's gift if he is constantly worried about being punished for using it. So, he decides to focus on his advantage without trying to harm anyone else. He figures that if he does this, the fairy might be less likely to punish him.
Nick then thinks about all of his acquaintances and their circumstances. He decides that he wants to be the rich older man who lives in the nice house just beyond the turnpike.
As the rich older man, Nick falls asleep in a strange room, dreaming about his chest of money. When he wakes up, he is attacked by masked men who hit him on the head, leaving him dead. Despite now occupying a lifeless body, Nick is still conscious of what is happening around him.
The men who attacked Nick steal the chest of money and search the room for more valuables. They leave Nick, now a cadaver, on the floor....
(This entire section contains 763 words.)
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Nick wishes to be himself again, but he is worried that the criminals will kill him if they find him in his original form. Two of the men return, carry Nick out of the room, and start to bury him in a hastily dug grave. Nick's wish to turn back into himself comes to pass. When he sits up in the grave, the murderers flee in terror.
Nick returns home after his ordeal, deep in thought. He concludes that he should make amends for the damage he has caused to his community. The next day, he gives Giles Hodge a rare tulip root, sends the doctor's wife a new Persian cat, and has the laborer's cottage repaired. When rumors spread that the miser has died and his treasures have been stolen, Nick is one of the few people who does not say that the older man deserved it. Having learned his lesson, Nick never makes another wish again.