Summary

“Sredni Vashtar” by Saki tells the story of Conradin, a ten-year-old boy who, according to the doctor, has only a few years left to live and who stays with his cousin, Mrs De Ropp. The two relatives do not like each other, although they do not recognise this openly. Gradually, the boy begins to develop a strong hatred for his cousin whom he sees as the embodiment of adult world and restrictions. To escape the authoritarian cousin, Conradin prefers to succumb to imagination and fantasy.

In the yard of the house, the boy spends time in an unused shed where he keeps a Houdan hen and a caged polecat-ferret, which he eventually names Sredni Vashtar. The boy loves the hen, but he worships the ferret like a cruel god. Though he does not relate to c...