BR2-10 The Withered Arm

I read this book called The Withered Arm. This story is complicated for me. So I don't understand the story, but I will try to write about it...


Rhoda Brook works in Farm as a milkmaid. She works very hard; even she doesn't get enough money. She lives with her son at poor house on the hill. Her son's father is Farmer Lodge. But he got another new wife who is young and pretty. Rhoda is interested in it and she let her son to look Farmer Lodge's new wife. Her son looked Farmer Lodge's new wife and came home and told his mother about the new wife.

One night, two or three week’s later, strange thing happened. Rhoda was staring the dying fire. But she also saw only the picture in her head of the new wife. Rhoda felt tired and go to bed. But the picture of Gertrude Lodge did not go away. When Rhoda went to bed, she was there. Her face was cruel smile and her hand has wedding ring. The phantom sat Rhoda and it became heavier and heavier. Rhoda finally grabbed the phantom's left hand and pulled hard. The phantom fell off and Rhoda sat up.

The next day about midday, the woman came to Rhoda's house. But she is totally different from Rhoda's dream woman. She was kind and pretty. Rhoda's son talked the woman, but Rhoda didn't come out of her house. Two days later, the woman came to Rhoda's house again with new shirts for Rhoda's son and twelve days later came again. But there was no Rhoda's son, so Rhoda talked the woman first time. The woman's name was Gertrude. Gertrude show Rhoda her strange left hand and arm and told about that.

They met on the road again and talked about Gertrude's left arm. The doctor couldn't help Gertrude. So they decided to go to see Wise man. Gertrude showed her left arm to Wise man. Then the Wise man took eggs and did something to it. And put a glass of water and broke the eggs to open. The white of egg went down and changing to milky white color and moving round and round. He gave it to Gertrude. According to the Wise man, Gertrude can see the enemy's face of her. After saw it, Gertrude didn't talk much. The people began to put the word "witch" in front of the name "Rhoda Brook". So Rhoda decided to go away from the hill with her son.

Six month passed, Gertrude's marriage life wasn't happy because of her left arm. She decided to go to the Wise man again. The wise man told the cure. But it was the only thing. It was put the withered arm on the neck of a hanged man. And it must do before he's cold-just after they take his body down. She somehow could come in the jail and touch the neck. But the scream happened. It was not only Gertrude one's but also Rhoda's one. And there was Farmer Lodge behind Rhoda. Gertrude understood. The neck she touched is Rhoda's son. Rhoda got really angry and pulled Gertrude away from the table. Gertrude fell down and she never opened her eyes again. She died three days after.

Sorry my explanation is really bad!(552 words/11654 words)