“The Storyteller” by Saki is set in a railway carriage on a hot day. The children’s attitude toward storytelling changes from unimpressed to interested, and the aunt appreciates storytelling but is defensive about her abilities.

The setting on the hot train influences the characters’ actions primarily because the journey is boring the children, who “emphatically occupied the compartment.” They do not find many ways to entertain themselves. The aunt with whom they are traveling tries to engage their interest by telling them a story. There are only a handful of passengers in the car, and the bachelor—a lone male passenger who is not part of the family—grows increasingly annoyed. “The frown on the bachelor's face was deepening to a scowl.”

With little other sound to distract him, the man also overhears the aunt’s story and the children’s dismissive attitude. Being confined on the train motivates him to try to improve the situation, so he decides to tell a more successful story than the one the aunt told.

The children are not initially very interested in hearing their aunt’s story, based on previous experiences: “Her reputation as a storyteller did not rank high in their estimation.” The aunt is enthusiastic about stories when she starts her tale, but she becomes discouraged at their criticism. The boy and one girl label the story “stupid.” She also defends her effort when the strange man criticizes it.